ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the significant changes in the organization and delivery of public services and the implications for managers and leaders. It suggests that leadership which aims to enhance the self-determination and self-esteem of public service professionals is likely to be a more effective approach than reliance on direction and control. In addition to managers having responsibility for organizational performance and innovation, some argue that leadership is needed within social work to deal with the demoralisation felt by professionals. The chapter considers the impact of managerialism in the public sector. Rogowski argues that demoralisation is the result of a number of factors, including the pressures that result from managerialism and from the continuous scrutiny of the professional as a result of enquiries into child deaths. Individualisation as a social phenomenon is seen to characterise the post-modern era which superseding the modernist era and providing a different interpretation of the role of the individual in society.
