Abstract
This paper examines the trajectory and consequences of New Public Management (NPM) reforms in the wake of privatizations and public sector corporatization. The analysis focuses on the adoption of NPM principles such as competition, performance monitoring, and management by objectives. It explores why these mechanisms did not gain traction in healthcare. The study draws on sectoral outcomes to assess broader institutional shifts and their impact on public service delivery. The corporatization of public services under NPM produced mixed results. While service delivery improved in certain domains, it also led to increased operational costs and inequity. Performance metrics, a central feature of NPM, can be easily manipulated. Furthermore, quick-fix new public management practices often failed and were subsequently reversed. Decentralization, once promoted as a means of increasing local autonomy, also led to cost overruns and cronyism. The medical profession was weakened, and working conditions deteriorated. This study contributes to the critical literature on NPM by highlighting the unintended outcomes of market-based reforms on equity, access, and professional autonomy.
Presenters
Daniel SimonetProfessor, Management , American University of Sharjah, Ash Shariqah [Sharjah], United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
NPM, CORPORATIZATION, PUBLIC SECTOR, HEALTH
