The New Public Bureaucracy

This pioneering book compares public administration in two distinct countries to examine the development of a new form of bureaucratisation. Taking a mixed-method empirical approach, Karl Löfgren and Patrik Hall explore the differences and commonalities in this intriguing global phenomenon.

The New Public Bureaucracy investigates the growing number of organisational professionals whose primary role is the management of internal functions, such as quality control, audits, performance review and organisational branding. The book examines and verifies this growth by drawing on public sector workforce data and case studies from New Zealand and Sweden concerning transport agencies, police forces and higher education sectors. Löfgren and Hall also identify patterns of growing attention to accountability through the expansion of managerialism, politicisation and professionalisation. They explain the development of a new type of bureaucratisation as the result of the tension between politics and public administration.

This book is an essential resource for students and academics in management, human resources and public administration. The New Public Bureaucracy is also beneficial to government professionals working in management to resolve internal organisational issues.