Political and managerial reform in a small state: The relevance of the 1980s

This chapter focuses on the relationship between political and managerial factors. It reviews the literature inthe light of the interests identified. The coverage of managerial change has since expanded greatly. Managerialism has been the dominant feature of reform in a number of countries during the last decade. Managerialism has received greatest acceptance in countries which have been subject to a distinctive change of direction. The United Kingdom is of particular interest because of the close link between political and managerial change. The changes over the period are then grouped according to whether they directly enhanced the political executive or diminished the role of the senior public service, including by managerializing the public service. The work assumed a greater managerial focus, reflecting the preference of the political executive for a public service which concentrated on achieving its objectives. The intervention of the political executive is essential for major reform to be implemented.