Understanding and Managing Public Organizations: (Essential Texts for Nonprofit and Public Leadership and Management)

Understanding and Managing Public Organizations provides a comprehensive analysis of research and practice on public organizations and management. In this fourth edition of his award-winning best seller, Hal Rainey reviews topics including organizational goals and performance, decision making and strategy, leadership, motivation, organizational structure and design, organizational change, and others. He analyzes effective and ineffective practices, with suggestions for managing contemporary and classic challenges in public organizations, and with illustrative vignettes and examples. Carefully revised and updated, this edition of Understanding and Managing Public Organizations extends previous editions with deeper coverage of collaboration and networks, public values, public service motivation, managerial strategy, performance assessment, innovation and organizational change, and recent trends in public sector management. Praise for the Previous Editions "The third edition of the classic text provides a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of research on public organizations and management. Drawing on a review of the most current research about government organizations and managers, this important source offers specific suggestions for managing these challenges in today's public organizations." Abstracts of Public Administration "A masterful textbook, as well as an important and original contribution to the public organization theory literature ? both comprehensive in its treatment of organization theory and decidedly 'public' in its perspective." Public Administration Review "A tremendous contribution to the field. Rainey's ability to synthesize research streams from a variety of fields such as political science, public administration, public policy, business administration, psychology, sociology, and others is outstanding." Jeffrey L. Brudney, Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service, Cleveland State University

Table of Contents:
Figures, Tables, and Exhibits. Preface. The Author. PART ONE: THE DYNAMIC CONTEXT OF PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS. 1 The Challenge of Effective Public Organization and Management. 2 Understanding the Study of Organizations: A Historical Review. 3 What Makes Public Organizations Distinctive. 4 Analyzing the Environment of Public Organizations. 5 The Impact of Political Power and Public Policy. PART TWO: KEY DIMENSIONS OF ORGANIZING AND MANAGING. 6 Organizational Goals and Effectiveness. 7 Formulating and Achieving Purpose: Power, Strategy, and Decision Making. 8 Organizational Structure, Design, Technology, and Information Technology. 9 Understanding People in Public Organizations: Values and Motives. 10 Understanding People in Public Organizations: Theories of Work Motivation and Work-Related Attitudes. 11 Leadership, Managerial Roles, and Organizational Culture. 12 Teamwork: Understanding Communication and Conflict in and Among Groups. PART THREE: STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING AND IMPROVING PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS. 13 Managing Organizational Change and Development. 14 Advancing Effective Management in the Public Sector. References. Index.

About the Author :
Hal G. Rainey is Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia. Rainey received the 2009 Dwight Waldo Award for career achievement in public administration scholarship as well as the 1995 Charles H. Levine Award for Excellence in Public Administration Research, Teaching, and Public Service. The first edition of Understanding and Managing Public Organizations won the Best Book Award of the Public and Nonprofit Division of the Academy of Management.