Homogeneous National Management Policies or Autonomous Choices by Administrative Units? Inter- and Intra-Country Management Tools Use Variations in European Central Government Administrations

ABSTRACT

This article presents an original research on the use of management tools in central government departments and agencies in 16 European countries. It is based on a survey conducted among senior managers (n = 5,998). The analysis shows that the use of management tools results from a combination of top-down implementation of a list of management tools at the national level, combined with a bottom-up independent selection of tools by administrative units. The variation in management tool use depends on the type of tool. While the uses of a HRM tool, such as performance-related pay, or a financial tool, such as risk management, are heavily influenced by national public management policies, service quality-type tools, such as user surveys or quality management systems, tend to be chosen in a more autonomous manner by different administrative units, especially agencies.

KEYWORDS:

• customer survey
• innovation
• performance pay
• quality management
• strategic planning

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Seventh Framework Programme [Grant Number No. 266887 (Project COCOPS), Socio-economic Sciences].

Notes on contributors

Gilles Jeannot

Gilles Jeannot is a professor at Ecole des ponts Paris tech, LATTS, Marne la vallée, France.

Steven Van de Walle

Steve Van de Walle is a professor of Public Management at the Public Government Institute at KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Gerhard Hammerschmid

Gerhard Hammerschmid is a professor for Public and Financial Management at the Hertie School of Goverance, Berlin, Germany.