Public Management as a Cultural Phenomenon: Revitalizing Societal Culture in International Public Management Research

Abstract

Most scholars in public administration and management research would agree that there is a connection between the culture of a nation or region and the way management in public administration is structured and working ("public management arrangements"). However, to be incorporated into public management research and theory, a more precise notion about the forms, ways, and mechanisms of the interlinkage between societal culture and public management is required. A look into public management literature reveals that wide use and reference is made to the importance and influence of culture on public management arrangements - mostly, though, using the term "culture" as a short-cut for "organizational culture". Public management discussion focuses on varying aspects and levels of culture, and varying conceptual integrations of cultural aspects are found. Public management treatises stress the influence of past events and contexts for the specific functioning and establishment of organizations, rules, and perceptions which in turn have great influence on the reception and functioning of public management mechanisms. Elsewise, organizational culture - or more precisely change thereof - is claimed to be the result of public management efforts. In sum, the interlinkage between culture and public management is there, but is not systematically and explicitly incorporated by referring to adequate theory. Although cultural theory has gained considerable attention, there are still other concepts for the analysis of cultural facts that may be of interest to the subject, too.

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