The changing nature of the world that public managers inhabit requires strategies for sense-making. This is frequently the reason why managers engage in mid-career education. Disciplinary elements provide knowledge and insights. However, growing significance is being placed on enabling practitioners to reflect on their own practice and assumptions. This article examines how links between learning and reflecting developed and why the fostering of reflexivity has become implanted in practitioner education. It outlines the origins, meanings and validations of reflexivity in mid-career education. By examining and connecting the different interpretations of reflection and reflexivity, the paper provides a conceptual framework to underpin applications of reflexivity in management education.

EnglishThis article examines the evolution of Irish development policy, suggesting that it illustrates significant changes in government at both national and sub-national level. It is argued that pressures for change have arisen both beyond and below the national level of administration, as a result of reforms to Structural Funding at the European Union level and the growth of community initiatives at sub-national level.The chief consequence has been a redefinition of development policy which has impacted upon the structure of government, as well as the substance and style of policy delivery. Irish development policy now embraces social as well as economic policy objectives, and its implementation relies on the cooption into the policy arena of new actors and agencies, representing different interests in the development process. As a consequence, the design and direction of development policy now places greater emphasis on increased negotiation, partnership and subsidiarity. The extent of the change is characterised as a move towards governance in Ireland, and by doing so, the work seeks to develop the use of this term in a comparative context. Fran~sCet article examine I'evolution de la politique de developpement irlandaise et suggere qu'elle montre d'importants changements chez Ie gouvernement sur un plan national et sous-national. L'on dit que la demande pour la reforme vient d'au-dela du niveau national de I'administration aussi bien que d'endessous de ce niveau, suite aux reformes dans fes fonds structures au niveau europeen et a fa croissance des initiatives communautaires au niveau sous-national. La consequence principale a ete la redefinition de la politique de developpement qui a eu une impacte sur la structure du gouvernmement, tout comme sur I'essentiel et Ie style de I'execution de la politique. La politique de developpement irlandaise comprend a present des objectifs de politique economique et son implimentation depend du recrutement dans I'arene de la politique de nouveaux acteurs et d'agences representant des interets differents dans Ie processus de developpement. Par consequence, la creation et I'orientation de la politique de developpement appuie a present davantage sur la negociation,le partenariat et la subsidiarite. La mesure du changement est caracterisee comme un pas vers la gouvernance en Irlande, et en ce faisant, Ie travail cherche a developper I'usage de ce terme dans un contexte comparatif. EspaiiolEste artIculo exam ina la evoluci6n de la poHtica de desarrollo Irlandesa, sugiriendo que esta evidencia cambios signjfjcativos en el gobierno tanto a nivel nacional como sub-nacional. Se arguye que han aparecido presiones para un cambio mas alia y por debajo del nivel administrativo, como resultado de reformas de financiaci6n estructural a nivel de la Uni6n Europea y de iniciativas para el crecimiento de la comunidad a nivel sub-nacional. La consecuencia principal de este doble proceso ha sido una redefinic6n de la poHtica de desarrollo que ha ejercido una influencia importante tanto en la e...

The apparent disconnect between teaching and research has implications for both curricular content and pedagogic practice and has particular salience in the field of midcareer education. To overcome this disconnect, faculty endeavour to integrate teaching and research. Pressure to do so stems from many sources. Benchmarks of professional excellence as well as the scholarship of teaching and learning champion such synergy. Institutions advocate teaching that is informed by research and research that is relevant to students. This article explores the conceptual and instrumental arguments for linking research and teaching. It discusses the benefits of such linkages and the challenges in effecting them. The exploration provides a conceptual base for other contributions in the volume which demonstrate specific research-teaching synergies in the Public Administration/Public Management classroom.

The perceived deficiencies in Ireland’s local government system have frequently been diagnosed, resulting in reports, White and Green Papers and action plans. This article reviews the main reform trajectories, paying particular attention to developments since 1971 and demonstrating that the reforms which did occur were affected by national and international developments. The form, functioning and financing of local government were recurrent themes in the reform documents, and these aspects are specifically examined. Political, administrative and decision-making structures are found to have been altered; the scope of existing functional programmes and the modes of implementation have changed noticeably; and, although the issue of local funding sources has been tackled, the centre’s financial hegemony has not been eliminated. Despite the insights of the reform documents, there is little evidence of a clear and consistent philosophy underpinning reform, so the cumulative changes represent a unique blend of innovation, incrementalism and entrenchment.

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to explore why critical reflexivity should be promoted within mid‐career management education programmes and articulate the benefits of a deliberate research orientation for such programmes. Design/methodology/approach – Having considered meta‐issues concerning the content and context of management education and research, the article identifies the categorical, methodological and contextual challenges which confront manager‐researchers and those facilitating mid‐career programmes. It argues that managers need to develop awareness of the different epistemologies and an understanding of their personal ontological orientation and methodological preferences in order to maximise the pertinence and added value of their research. Findings – The paper delineates the curricular, pedagogical and organisational challenges inherent in the promotion of critical reflexivity and research within mid‐career programmes. Originality/value – The paper outlines how a deliberate linkage of research and teaching can be forged in order to help managers surface and interrogate the knowledge, norms and values which frame their beliefs and actions. Consequently, it is of practical help to both academics and manager‐researchers.