Attention! is about the search for a meaningful answer to a simple question: What do public managers do? On one hand, they are increasingly visible and much is expected from them. On the other hand, they face increasingly difficult and ambiguous tasks and are unable to meet all expectations. So how do they cope?
This book presents an threefold analysis. First a theoretical overview that studies the work and behaviour of individual managers. Then a methodological overview of how observational research might take place. And third a detailed empirical account of observations of twelve high-ranking public managers in action, who were observed for one week.
This synthetic and innovative study is useful to everyone who is interested in and feels committed to meaningful public management in fuzzy times.
Dr Mirko Noordegraaf (1969) works at the Utrecht School of Governance (USG) of the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands, as an associate professor. In 2000 he defended this PhD-thesis at the Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Mirko Noordegraaf’s book was awarded with the G.A. van Poelje Jaarprijs (Award), for the best 2000 PhD research in the field of public administration.
