Introduction

This chapter introduces the reader to the theoretical context in which Public Value (PV) Theory can “reimagine the public manager” as an agent who is more nuanced, more versatile, and more multidimensional than how she is often portrayed in the PV literature. It argues that reimagining the public manager helps to refine Mark Moore’s theory by both enriching its analysis and broadening its scope. After considering the present state of the literature, including its definitional ambiguities, the chapter provides a discussion about extending public value to new (non-traditional) public manager types that shall constitute the subsequent chapters of the book. The introductory chapter thereby articulates the aim of the book and provides a structure for proceeding, before explaining why the public value creation of non-traditional public managerial agents (NTMs) and institutions might constitute a valuable line of inquiry.