Tony Kinder

By evaluating previous public management research through Marxist concepts, this textbook offers innovative solutions to public service problems. It updates Marx’s framework to reflect the growth of public services, transitioning from abstract state notions to concrete service analysis. Addressing two critical gaps, the book highlights the benefits of a Marxist approach to public services and presents Marxist ideas to examine these services at a micro level. It demonstrates the relevance of Marxist frameworks for public service professionals, critically reviews current public management knowledge, and sheds light on the dynamic nature of public services against the background of neoliberalism. While doing so, the book goes beyond a Eurocentric perspective, providing cases and practical examples from developed and developing countries, with an additional focus on Asian practices. Written by an award-winning author with years of practical experience and designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, each chapter sets clear learning objectives and reviews existing tools and frameworks. The chapters also present new ways of improving public services, encouraging readers to apply Marxist concepts to their contexts and cultures. This will also make this book a practical resource for practitioners and professionals, seeking to resolve their grounded public services issues.

By evaluating previous public management research through Marxist concepts, this textbook offers innovative solutions to public service problems. It updates Marx’s framework to reflect the growth of public services, transitioning from abstract state notions to concrete service analysis. Addressing two critical gaps, the book highlights the benefits of a Marxist approach to public services and presents Marxist ideas to examine these services at a micro level. It demonstrates the relevance of Marxist frameworks for public service professionals, critically reviews current public management knowledge, and sheds light on the dynamic nature of public services against the background of neoliberalism. While doing so, the book goes beyond a Eurocentric perspective, providing cases and practical examples from developed and developing countries, with an additional focus on Asian practices. Written by an award-winning author with years of practical experience and designed for graduate and advanced undergraduate students, each chapter sets clear learning objectives and reviews existing tools and frameworks. The chapters also present new ways of improving public services, encouraging readers to apply Marxist concepts to their contexts and cultures. This will also make this book a practical resource for practitioners and professionals, seeking to resolve their grounded public services issues.

In this textbook readers will acquire knowledge of problem-solving and learning to enhance both efficiency and the experience of service users in rapidly changing service environments, that can create new service models. Emphasizing that, above all else, individuals are at the centre of services, the book goes deeply into the nature of public services and their logic-of-practice. By applying learning and problem-solving approaches, the reader gains practical capabilities in addition to an appreciation of the latest research literature. Following a multidisciplinary, international approach, the book suggests a new typology of problem-framing and presents many examples of how new service solutions can be created in any public service context. The book offers a conceptual toolkit to understand and analyse dynamically changing services and the application of new technologies. Topics covered include pressing issues surrounding public services, such as e-technology, digitalisation, e-services, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurialism, sustainability, climate, inequality, developing economies, and smart cities. Chapters follow a similar structure: issue, problems, what we know, learning framework, worked example, theory and practice conclusions, as well as teacher and learner notes. Addressing advanced undergraduate and graduate students of public administration, public management, political science, sociology, computer science, and information systems, the book will also be a valuable resource for practitioners, i.e. experts and managers in public organizations, professionals in organizations working at the business and public sectors, consultants, and IT suppliers.

In this textbook readers will acquire knowledge of problem-solving and learning to enhance both efficiency and the experience of service users in rapidly changing service environments, that can create new service models. Emphasizing that, above all else, individuals are at the centre of services, the book goes deeply into the nature of public services and their logic-of-practice. By applying learning and problem-solving approaches, the reader gains practical capabilities in addition to an appreciation of the latest research literature. Following a multidisciplinary, international approach, the book suggests a new typology of problem-framing and presents many examples of how new service solutions can be created in any public service context. The book offers a conceptual toolkit to understand and analyse dynamically changing services and the application of new technologies. Topics covered include pressing issues surrounding public services, such as e-technology, digitalisation, e-services, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurialism, sustainability, climate, inequality, developing economies, and smart cities. Chapters follow a similar structure: issue, problems, what we know, learning framework, worked example, theory and practice conclusions, as well as teacher and learner notes. Addressing advanced undergraduate and graduate students of public administration, public management, political science, sociology, computer science, and information systems, the book will also be a valuable resource for practitioners, i.e. experts and managers in public organizations, professionals in organizations working at the business and public sectors, consultants, and IT suppliers.