How can management not matter? -- Ending welfare as we knew it -- The important role of public management in welfare reform -- Public management and street-level bureaucrats -- The art and science of managing street-level bureaucrats -- What are welfare workers doing at the front lines? -- How...

We collect data on operations, targets and human resources management practices in over 1,800 schools educating 15-year-olds in eight countries. Overall, we show that higher management quality is strongly associated with better educational outcomes. The UK, Sweden, Canada and the US obtain the...