ABSTRACT
Introduction To suggest that western bureaucracies are experiencing tectonic shifts in the way they operate would be trite. As this handbook demonstrates, continuous change in epistemological terms is occurring on several fronts with respect to the expectations of public sector performance, responsibilities and characteristics of leadership, ethical management, and what constitutes appropriate and eective oversight of policies, programs, systems and processes. Most importantly, however, questions abound regarding the role of government in light of such changes. The entire ontological framework of the Westminster system is being questioned even by those working within it, as signicant proportions of public servants have “mentally opted out” (Hubbard and Paquet 2015: 3). Indeed, citizens are losing condence in their governments to resolve the complex problems they face, and have also mentally checked out of exercising their franchise to vote, or participate in the governing process.
