School education reform is a dynamic process. It takes place in the context of changing institutional structures including society, economy, politics, legislation, and technology. Yet, there can be poor awareness of risk, particularly social risk, and its management during this process and more widely, during public service reform (PSR). This book aims to promote new PSR understanding about social risk management. It utilizes in-depth case studies comprising two anonymous Scottish councils responsible for providing and reforming school education services.
Drawing mainly on risk management and structuration theories with elements of complexity leadership and institutional theories, the book explains contextual issues around the reform of Scottish school education services (SSES). It illustrates that social risks associated with reform can be used to explain emerging threats. Furthermore, it demonstrates that agent-structure duality may be instrumental to the production and management of social risks. The book also shows how the concept of social risk can be used to improve policy making and implementation. Targeted at practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and students, this book will be of interest to those in the fields of public administration, public service management, and risk management more generally.
Author(s): Iniobong Enang
Series: Routledge Critical Studies in Public Management
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 274
City: New York
Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Contents
Figures
Tables
Abbreviations
About the Author
Preface
Introduction
The Dilemma
Research Justification and Relevance
Why Risk Management?
Why SSES?
What Is Not Addressed in This Monograph?
Monograph Aim and Objectives
Limitations and Recommendations for Further Research
Concluding Remarks
Notes
Acknowledgements
1. Background to Public Service Provision and Reform
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Defining Public Services and Public Service Reform
1.3 Evolution of Public Administration Models and PSR
1.4 Public Service Reform in the UK: An Overview
1.5 PSR in Scotland: Addressing an Adaptive or Technical Challenge?
1.6 Establishing Need for PSR in Scotland
1.6.1 Approach to Scoping Study - Why and How
1.6.2 Outcome of Scoping Study
1.7 Reforming SSES
1.7.1 Brief History of School Education Reform in the UK
1.7.2 Context and Content of SSES Reform
External Institutional Structures
Society and Economy as Drivers of SSES Reform
Politics and Legislation as Drivers of SSES Reform
P1: People-Focused Legislation
P2: Partnership-Focused Legislation
P3: Performance-Focused Legislation
P4: Prevention-Focused Legislation
Overview of All the above 4Ps-Focused Legislation
Internal Institutional Factors Capable of Influencing SSES Reform
1.7.3 Process of SSES Reform
1.8 Concluding Remarks
Notes
2. Identifying Influencing Factors of Sustainable Public Service Reform: A Systematic Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Methods
2.3 Results
2.3.1 Research Objective 1
2.3.2 Research Objective 2
2.4 Discussions
2.4.1 Public Participation
2.4.2 Leadership
2.4.3 Risk Management
2.5 Conclusion
Notes
3. Theoretical Framework for Analysis of Findings
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Pettigrew's Context Content Process Triangle (PCCPT)
3.2.1 Theoretical Perspectives and Analytical Implications
3.2.2 Contextual Factors
Outer Context
Inner Context
3.2.3 Content Factors
3.2.4 Process Factors
3.3 Theory Selection and Rationale
3.3.1 Complexity Leadership Theory (CLT)
Theoretical Perspectives and Analytical Elements
3.3.2 Institutional Theory
Theoretical Perspectives and Analytical Implications
Agent-Structure Debate - the Middle Point
3.3.3 Risk Management Theory
Theoretical Perspectives and Analytical Implications
The Nature of Risk in PSR
Social Risks
Organizational Culture: Risk Culture of Public Sector Organizations and in PSR
An Overview of Public Sector Risk Management
Risk Management Drivers in PSR
Limitations and Benefits of Risk Management in PSR
3.3.4 Structuration Theory
Theoretical Perspectives and Analytical Implications
3.4 Concluding Remarks - towards Theoretical Conceptualization
Notes
4. Empirical Research Findings from Council A
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Documentary Analysis
4.2.1 Relevant Documentation
4.2.2 Context and Content of SSES Reform in Council A
External Institutional Structures
Society and Economy as Drivers of SSES Reform
Politics and Legislation as Drivers of SSES Reform
Internal Institutional Factors Capable of Influencing SSES Reform
Leadership
Risk Management
Public Participation
4.2.3 Process of SSES reform: Regeneration of the Schools' Estate and Associated Risks
4.2.4 Process of SSES Reform: The SAC and Associated Risks
People Approach
Partnership Approach
Performance Approach
Prevention Approach
4.3 Analysis of Interviews with Council Officials from Council A
4.3.1 Respondents' Profile
4.3.2 Context and Content of SSES Reform in Council A
External Institutional Structures
Society and Economy as Drivers of SSES Reform
Politics and Legislation as Drivers of SSES Reform
Technology as Driver of SSES Reform
Overview of External Institutional Structures
Internal Institutional Factors Influencing SSES Reform
Facilitating Factors of School Education Reform in Council A
Leadership
Public Participation
Barriers to School Education Reform in Council A
Leadership
Public Participation
Overview of Internal Institutional Factors
4.3.3 Process of SSES Reform: The SAC and Associated Risks
An Overview
Exclusion
People Pillar
Partnership Pillar
Prevention Pillar
Inequality
People
Partnership Pillar
Performance
Reductionism
People
4.4 Concluding Remarks
Notes
5. Empirical Research Findings from Council B
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Documentary Analysis
5.2.1 Relevant Documentation
5.2.2 Context and Content of SSES Reform in Council B
External Institutional Structures
Society and Economy as Drivers of SSES Reform
Politics and Legislation as Drivers of SSES Reform
Internal Institutional Factors Capable of Influencing SSES Reform
Leadership
Risk Management
Public Participation
5.2.3 Process of SSES Reform: Regeneration of the Schools' Estate and Associated Risks
5.2.4 Process of SSES Reform: The SAC and Associated Risks
People Approach
Partnership Approach
Performance Approach
Prevention Approach
5.3 Analysis of Interviews with Council Officials from Council B
5.3.1 Respondents' Profile
5.3.2 Context and Content of SSES Reform in Council B
External Institutional Structures
Socio-Economic Factors as Drivers of SSES Reform
Politics and Legislation as Drivers of SSES Reform
Technology as Driver of SSES Reform
Overview of External Institutional Structures
Internal Institutional Factors Capable of Influencing SSES Reform
Facilitating Factors of School Education Reform in Council B
Leadership
Public Participation
Barriers to School Education Reform in Council B
Leadership
Risk Management
Staff Participation
Overview of Internal Institutional Factors
5.3.3 Process of SSES Reform: The SAC and Associated Risks
An Overview
Exclusion
People Pillar
Performance Pillar
Prevention Pillar
Poor Learning Outcomes
People Pillar
Performance Pillar
Prevention Pillar
Reductionism
People Pillar
Partnership Pillar
Performance
Prevention
No Risk
5.4 Concluding Remarks
Notes
6. Discussion of Findings
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Summary of Primary Research Findings: A Comparative Analysis of Context and Content of School Education Reform in Councils A and B
6.2.1 Socio-Economic Context
6.2.2 Political and Legislative Contexts
6.2.3 Technological Context
6.3 Summary of Primary Research Findings: A Comparative Analysis of the Process of School Education Reform in Councils A and B
6.3.1 Domination Structures, Facilities, and the Production of Social Risk
6.3.2 Signification Structures, Interpretive Schemes, and Social Risk Management
6.3.3 Legitimation Structures, Norms and the Institutionalization of Social Risk Management
6.4 Concluding Remarks - towards Theoretical and Conceptual Considerations
Notes
7. Conclusions
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Chapters 1-6: Aims and Summary of Research
7.3 Key Research Findings
7.3.1 Research Objective 1: Identify and Critically Examine External Institutional Structures to Determine if There Is Need for PSR, SSES Reform, and School Education Reform in Councils A and B
7.3.2 Research Objective 2: Identify and Critically Discuss Internal Institutional Factors Capable of Facilitating or Hindering the Process of PSR and by Extension SSES Reform
7.3.3 Research Objective 3: Considering Two Scottish Councils Critically Discuss and Analyse the Nature of Social Risks Associated with Reforming School Education Services and the Potential Impact on Key Stakeholder Groups
7.3.4 Research Objective 4: From an SSES Reform Context, Critically Examine the Structure-Agent Relationship Existing between External Institutional Structures and Agents to Expose the Social Mechanism Underpinning the Production and Management of Social Risks
7.4 Original Contributions to Theory
7.4.1 Conceptual Contribution to Risk Management Theory
7.4.2 Analytical and Theoretical Contributions to Structuration Theory
7.5 Original Contributions to Practice
7.5.1 Empirical Contribution to Risk Management Practice
7.5.2 Empirical Contribution to Scottish Government's Public Policy
7.6 Research Limitations and Recommendations for Further Research
7.7 Concluding Remarks
Notes
Bibliography
Index
