New public management a re-packaging of extant techniques?

Abstract

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to explore, if like some other management initiatives, New Public Management may be a repackaging of already existent concepts. Emerging in the 1970s and 1980s as an innovative way to manage public sector elements, New Public Management has affected both the ownership and management of public sector companies, services, and utilities.Minimal research has been undertaken previously, using historic archival sources of public entities, to explore if elements of the concept originated prior to the 1970s. Design/methodology/approachThis research draws on archival records from a publicly-owned electricity company, covering about three decades from 1946, during which a large investment project was undertaken by the company. We draw on key tenets of what is today called New Public Management, examining prior research to ascertain if similar elements were present in the case organisation. FindingsWhen reviewing the progress of the investment project, many of the key elements of New Public Management emerged, even during the early part of the project. Originality/valueThere is little historical research on the origins of New Public Management, and the findings here suggest it may not be entirely new. While this does not at all invalidate existing research, it suggests New Public Management may be to an extent a repackaging of previously extant techniques. This opens up possibilities for future historic research in terms of how and why it was repackaged, and also what was/was not repackaged.

Accountability and accounting for fisheries – six decades of reporting by the Electricity Supply Board of Ireland, 1935–1993

“…Quinn and Warren (2017) provide a useful overview of the ESB, while Bielenberg (2002) studied the Shannon Scheme. We draw mainly on these two sources here, together with relevant legislation/parliamentary debates to provide context for this research.…”

“…Section 2(2) of the Act designated the ESB as “a body corporate having perpetual succession and may sue and be sued under its said style and name” [5]. Quinn and Warren (2017) highlighted the ESB as a semi-state company. These companies are legally the same as any other public/private company in Ireland, but there are typically differences around board format and ownership.…”

“…the one established legitimacy relationship per Figure 6. Additionally, as Quinn and Warren (2017, p. 410) noted, “[a] 1927 Act granted it 'body corporate' status [with] no share capital”. They also noted:It was not until after the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act, 2001, that the ESB issued shares.…”