Avon Probation Service and Bristol Business School have developed a means of assessing user-defined quality of service provision. Building on that work, this article reports on an attempt to involve ‘consumers’ in devising criteria by which they can judge the performance of a public service....

The New Labour government came into power in May 1997 with an agenda to reform public services. The key strategy to achieve reform was the concept of modernization. Central to this is the rhetoric of renewal through collaboration, partnership and inclusion. Based upon the authors' research and...

Written for the researcher who wants to inquire into organizational life in a creative way, this innovative book will equip readers with the tools to gather and analyze data using stories, poetry, art and theatre. Ideas are substantiated by reference to appropriate theory and throughout the...

1. Why should researchs be interested in their feelings? / Mike Broussine, Linda Watts and Caroline Clarke -- 2. Recognising research as an emotional journey / Matthew J. Brannan -- 3. Negotiating identities : fluidity, diversity and researcher emotion / Caroline Clarke and David Knights -- 4....

This paper explores the emotional experience of working with an organisation which was “hurt” or “upset” by a major reorganisation. It is argued that the emotional aspects of being a consultant are under‐discussed, and that an acknowledgement of the emotional effects of clients’ and...

Research was commissioned to identify the competences that are required by local authority chief executives in the UK. It emerged that the “competence approach” was inappropriate for their needs. Instead, “capacity” – a concept originating in psychoanalytic theory – was adopted as...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to report on the results of an inquiry into the possible reasons why many public service managers and leaders across six European countries report a loss of personal agency and suggests a possible pedagogic response to this. Design/methodology/approach –...