New public governance and activation

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this article is to assess the emergence of New Public Management in the governance of activation policies in nine European countries. In the light of considerable diversity in the implementation of New Public Management in the different countries, the article tries to identify common patterns. Design/methodology/approach -For the identification of patterns, fuzzy set theory is applied. Fuzzy sets are used to define ideal types and to measure the degree of membership in the different ideal types for every country. Findings -It is possible to show that despite the substantial diversity of New Public Management approaches in the governance of activation policies, common patterns exist. The article identifies four ideal types of New Public Management within the nine countries involved in the analysis. At the same time it is shown that most countries do not represent pure models but unify different tendencies within one dominant type. Originality/value -The identification of common patterns in the emergence of New Public Management in the governance of activation can provide a useful framework for discussion and further research on the implications of different forms of governance on the content and delivery of activation services in Europe.

Innovation and Social Investment Programs in Europe

“…This is an important finding, and one with significant implications for development of theory around the governance of activation. Finally, we link some of these themes with New Public Management (Hood, ), and thereby with issues around performance management, drawing on Ehrler ().…”

Between cooperation and competition: The organisation of employment service delivery in the UK and Germany

“…The corporate form of governance introduces business‐type managerial models in the provision of employment services (Ehrler, ). The main form of regulation/control is the use of goal‐driven plans, and services are targeted at specific groups of individuals.…”

“…First, it is argued that centralised market governance with high contract‐steering and performance measurement and low operational‐level discretion in previous welfare‐to‐work programmes for the long‐term unemployed has been largely substituted by a business‐type market governance, with high operational‐level discretion (Ehrler, ; Fuertes & McQuaid, ). Centralised control of broad strategies, target groups and minimum service provision still remains in the hands of the DWP via its purchasing role.…”

Innovativeness of social economy entities in Poland. An empirical study from the perspective of Positive Organizational Scholarship

“…Individuals threatened with exclusion, or the ones already excluded, are mobilized and integrated into the society primarily by making use of positive stimuli, and not only being disciplined by negative ones. There is also a change in the concept of managing the public sphere, from the traditional government towards governance (de Graaf & Sirovatka, ; Ehler, ; Graziano, ; Minas, Wright, & van Berkel, ; van Berkel et al, ; van Berkel & Borghi, ). The financing of social policy has also changed since the category of social “investments” has supplemented and partly replaced the category of “expenditures” of the social sphere.…”