ABSTRACT
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that what is wrong in our public services (or public sector organizations) today has to do with management. Article upon article, broadcast after broadcast, inform us that financial criteria have not been adhered to, that workers have too much power, that working practices are outmoded, that we are not as successful a country as we might be. The implication is that we are too soft: we need firmer management based on sound economic principles, and we need less consultation and more action.
