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.
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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.