This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Keen, L. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Markets, Quasi-Markets and Middle Managers in Local Government

University of Kent at Canterbury

Operating as purchasers or providers, middle managers play a key role in the implementation of the new market systems recently introduced within local authorities. However, relatively little empirical investigation has been undertaken into the first-hand experiences of the middle managers who are on the ‘receiving end’ of these market systems. After a brief review of the literature, this paper uses Williamson's (1975; 1985) model of behavioural attributes as an analytical framework for analysing the impact of the new Purchaser and Provider model on the performance of middle line managers working within a local authority well-known for its commitment to market service delivery systems.

These managers' responses about the positive and negative aspects of their experiences of market systems varied significantly according to their roles as either Purchaser or Provider managers, and to their location within particular service departments. The paper draws attention to the important differences in the nature of the transactions within each of these departments which appeared to account, at least in part, for the managers' different responses, and argues against the wholesale application of market forms of service delivery across highly differentiated organisations such as local authorities.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?