Introduction

Abstract

There is an important intellectual and conceptual challenge for many of us working across the broad field of public sector management. Part of this challenge stems from the observation that there are three connected but separate profound policy and political changes taking place. Firstly, there is the impact of neo-liberalism as an ideological project and as a model(s) of managing national economies and social and welfare policy. We recognise that there are competing definitions of neo-liberalism and that we need to be careful about over-generalising its effect and its coherence. But, it does seem to us that by taking a longer term view we can see how the language and ideas of the primacy of markets and, in particular, markets in social and welfare policy have become dominant. This is not to say that in some places there is no resistance to these ideas and we can observe in the European Union how for a long time there was very explicit resistance to the ideas of the New Right. But the desire to weaken the role of the state as funder and provider of welfare services and the emergence of a counterview that markets and the privatisation of the welfare sector is the most appropriate choice is a demonstration of an ideological shift.

Citation

Diamond, J. and Liddle, J. (2012), "Introduction", Diamond, J. and Liddle, J. (Ed.) Emerging and Potential Trends in Public Management: An Age of Austerity (Critical Perspectives on International Public Sector Management, Vol. 1), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. xi-xvi. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2045-7944(2012)0000001003