Beyond Public Sector Reform – The Persistence of Change

Bibliographic Data

ID11960842
AuthorsElizabeth Ann Shannon (University of Tasmania), EA Shannon (0000-0002-1774-0780, University of Tasmania, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume76
Issue4
Pages470-479
Publication date2016-12-07
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAustralian Journal of Public Administration (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0313-6647 • E-ISSN: 1467-8500
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/1467-8500.12235
OpenAlexW2593420066
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited16

This article responds to the conundrum of public sector reform identified by O'Flynn (2015): why are so many reform programs initiated when so few clearly apparent and measurable benefits result? It draws on the literature analysing change management in the public sector and the results of a qualitative analysis of responses from Tasmanian health and human services public sector employees. While recognising the contextualised nature of change in a complex, adaptive system, the article identifies some lessons that may be drawn from this case study and applied more broadly. These include the importance of: communication, understanding employee stress and promoting practices for resilience, and for explicit change management and leadership throughout the organisation. An overview of change management resources developed by public sector agencies around Australia suggests that this approach is more common in the practice of public sector reform than it is reflected in the literature analysing these reforms

Business · Human resource management · New public management · Organizational change · Political science · Psychological resilience · Public management · Public relations · Public sector · Resilience (materials science · Community Development and Social Impact · Employment and Welfare Studies · Public Administration · Public Policy and Administration Research

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