ABSTRACT
The popular perception of public sector management is that somehow is it less “real” and less “important” than within the private sector. However, the budgets involved dwarf those of many private sector businesses, and the stakes can be at least as important – these can quite literally be life-and-death decisions. Moreover, in many countries, the capacity of governments to deliver value is under attack for reasons that relate to factors such as austerity measures, immigration, and dramatic fractures within nations (see, for example, Brexit, les gilets jaunes, and the Catalan separatist movement). Also, in emerging economies, there are growing expectations from the public sector that relate to the rise of a middle class and the call for better public services.
