Product Description

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 fieldssuch as political science, public administration, public policy, business administration, psychology, sociology, and othersis outstanding."
Jeffrey L. Brudney, Albert A. Levin Chair of Urban Studies and Public Service, Cleveland State University

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7966 in Books
• Published on: 2009-11-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 544 pages

Review
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, 05/2008)

Review
Best Book Award, Public and Nonprofit Sectors Division of the Academy of Management

"A masterful textbook, as well as an important and original contribution to the public organization theory literature. Rainey's book is the only one available that is both comprehensive in its treatment of organization theory and decidedly 'public' in its perspective . . . the book is not simply appropriate for courses on public management and organization theory, it is the best book available."
— Public Administration Review

"Comprehensive, coherent, and exceptionally thorough . . . a masterful work."
— Public Productivity and Management Review

"This book is outstanding and the best single source book available for the topics it addresses. I assign it to my Human Resources Management and Organization Theory seminars and I ensure that all my doctoral students read it for comprehensive exams."
— Patricia W. Ingraham, Distinguished Professor of Public Administration, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University

"Over the past decade, there have been only a few books that can be used in graduate courses on public organizations. Rainey's book is far and away the best of these books. I know of no other book that manages to provide really serious coverage of the scholarly literature, and at the same time provide practical lessons for public managers. It is the best out there."
— Barton Wechsler, professor and director, Truman School of Public Affairs, The University of Missouri

"A tremendous contribution to the field. Rainey's ability to synthesize huge research streams from a variety of fields such as political science, public administration, public management, public policy, business administration, management, psychology, sociology, and others is outstanding."
— Jeffrey L. Brudney, professor of public administration and codirector of the Institute for Nonprofit Organizations, The University of Georgia

From the Inside Flap
This new edition of Hal G. Rainey's award-winning book Understanding and Managing Public Organizations (1991) provides a comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of research on public organizations and management, with new tables, figures, and other teaching tools designed to make this book even more useful in graduate courses. Using numerous real-life vignettes and examples, the book summarizes expert analysis on goals, power, effectiveness, motivation and work attitudes, decision making, and more. Drawing on a comprehensive review of current research about government organizations and managers--and about effective and ineffective practices in government--it offers specific suggestions for managing these challenges in today's public organizations.The book has been updated to include coverage of recent trends and developoments such as total quality management, the National Performance Review, the reinventing government movement and other recent reform efforts, privatization, and managing for excellence. In addition, Rainey draws from major national surveys to reveal important new development in areas such as public service motivation and the structure of public agencies. This new edition of Understanding and Managing Public Organizations covers these topics and findings to make the book a more valuable reference for students, scholars, and managers alike.

Customer Reviews

Attention All Public Administrators
As a PA student, I realized that this text was essential to the basic understanding of Public Administration. It gives basic theoretical knowledge and analytical skills to practice contemporary public management. Each chapter builds from the next. I used this text book as one of my FIRST resources when I began the Public Administration curriculum and I found it very helpful. It helped me comprehend how to improve the overall effectiveness of governmental operations with concepts such as "value driven management". It's a winner!

Understanding and Managing Public Organizations
This textbook was required for my Masters of Public Administration class in Organizational Management and Change. The author did extensive research into the concepts and provides a wealth of information. He does have a tendency to preview chapters from within other chapters; this is somewhat distracting because you're never sure when you will get all the information.

Cal State Hayward Student
Used as a textbook for MPA program. Good overview of PA theories and preconceptions. Does not address the need to deconstruct social norms to focus on desired outcomes. Theory and studies are reviewed in this textbook. The chapters are short and sufficient). However, it is not completely thorough and detailed.
Will I keep it as a resource - probably.
Will I use it in the future (in daily practice) - probably not.