This book explores the cultural changes occurring in the public sector as a result of government mandated reforms since the 1990s. It provides an autoethnographic perspective on Australia's public sector and the challenges of transitioning from a bureaucratic culture to a more business-focused model. The book examines how some public organizations have successfully made this transition while others have struggled to change their traditional cultures. It is a useful resource for understanding how to improve service delivery within public sector organizations undergoing cultural transformation.

1. Public Sector Organizations and
Cultural Change
Chris Bilney, Soma Pillay
Hardcover 9781137450807 £75.00 / $110.00
Ebooks available
Since the height of the privatization debate in the 1990s, changes in government policy have resulted in
significant transformation in the public sector. Some organizations have made the transition from
government bureaucracy to business venture successfully; others have struggled to relinquish their
traditional bureaucratic culture. In this book, Pillay and Bilney explore the cultural changes occurring within
the public sector and the effects that government mandated change initiatives have actually had.
The culmination of this book was due to the subject expertise and guidance of Professor Robert Jones at
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. It provides an autoethnographic perspective on
the efficacy of cultural change in the Australian public sector, and explores the practical implications for
society and government as it seeks to entrench the culture of the citizen as customer. It is particularly
useful for researchers and organizations searching for ways to improve service delivery within the confines
of particular market positions.
Chris Bilney completed his PhD at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. He has
extensive experience in the public sector, with over thirty years' service both before and after the
introduction of the New Public Management reform process. Chris is an active researcher in the field of
public sector reform as it relates to staff management with particular reference to the effects of the reform
process on lower level staff.
Soma Pillay is a Senior Lecturer in Management at Federation University, Australia. Soma has taught in
undergraduate and postgraduate programs within Organizational Behavior, HRM, Management and
Organizations and International Management. She is a senior researcher within the School of Business and
has published widely in the area of public sector governance and cross cultural management. More
recently she published Development Corruption in South Africa: Governance Matters, published with
Palgrave USA. She is also actively involved in management education and has worked closely with the
Australian Institute of Human Resource Management in accreditation matters as well as towards AACSB.
Available from all good booksellers or online at www.palgrave.com
To order in the USA or Canada: T: 888-330-8477
If you are in Australia or New Zealand: E: palgrave@macmillan.com.au
To order in UK or rest of world: T: +44 (0)1256 302866, E:
orders@palgrave.com