| Managing Chaos Complexity Government Contributor(s): Kiel, L. Douglas (Author) |
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ISBN: 0787900230 ISBN-13: 9780787900236 Publisher: Jossey-Bass OUR PRICE: $35.15 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: October 1994 Annotation: To keep government operating smoothly, changes in public management policy and strategy usually follow the old rule of change - that it must evolve in an incremental, step-by-step fashion. But in today's unpredictable world of shrinking budgets, demands for better service, and greater accountability and adaptability, step-by-step change is no longer enough. In this new book, L. Douglas Kiel presents a framework that addresses the new chaotic reality of public management and the need for responsive change and innovation. By acknowledging the potential for positive change and renewal that can arise from uncertainty and instability, Kiel offers managers a different paradigm for transforming government performance. Managing Chaos and Complexity in Government offers an overview of the concepts of chaos theory and the science of complexity and demonstrates how public administrators can apply these concepts and create a new vision of organizational change. The book presents a range of both traditional and innovative management techniques - shaping organizational cultures, flattening hierarchies, and reengineering work - and evaluates their capacity to allow organizational systems to respond to change. Drawing on data from the author's case studies, the book is filled with charts, graphs, and practical computer spreadsheet exercises designed to give public managers and students of public management hands-on experience to meet the challenges of organizational change. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Public Affairs & Administration - Social Science - Political Science | American Government - General |
| Dewey: 350.007 |
| LCCN: 94021303 |
| Series: Jossey-Bass Public Administration |
| Physical Information: 0.93" H x 6.26" W x 9.26" (1.07 lbs) 264 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: To keep government operating smoothly, changes in public managementpolicy and strategy usually follow the old rule of change--that itmust evolve in a systematic and incremental fashion. But in today'sunpredictable world of shrinking budgets, demands for betterservice, and greater accountability, playing by the old rules justdoesn't make sense. In this book, L. Douglas Kiel presents a framework that addressesthe new chaotic reality of public management and the need forresponsive change and innovation. By acknowledging the potentialfor positive change and renewal that can arise from uncertainty andinstability, Kiel offers managers a paradigm for transforminggovernment performance. In easy to understand terms, the author offers an overview of theconcepts of chaos theory and the science of complexity and hedemonstrates how public administrators can apply these concepts tocreate a new vision of organizational change. The book presents arange of both traditional and innovative managementtechniquesshaping organizational cultures, flattening hierarchies, and re-engineering work--and evaluates their capacity to alloworganizational systems to respond to change. Written for public administrators and the faculty and students ofpublic management, this book describes the importance of disorder, instability, and change and examines how new chaos theories areapplied to public management. Drawing on data from the author'scase studies, the book is filled with charts, graphs, and practicalcomputer spreadsheet exercises designed to give public managers andstudents of public management hands-on experience to meet thechallenges of organizational change. |
