Can entrepreneurship be utilised as an effective management strategy within a public sector business unit

McManus, Steve (2006) Can entrepreneurship be utilised as an effective management strategy within a public sector business unit. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Synopsis

Entrepreneurship has become a popularised term synonymous with innovation, creativity and business acumen within the ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������for profit������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢ or commercial sector. However the past twenty years has seen an international movement towards the adoption of private sector business principles as a model for the management of public sector services. Within the United Kingdom this has been encapsulated by the New Public Management (NPM) movement and, arguably, further extended by the current government������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢s ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������Third Way������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢ of politics.

The policy context has been one of public sector reform with an emphasis on the public as a consumer, a drive for increased efficiency and the introduction of private sector competition. This has led to the UK healthcare sector becoming a turbulent, rapidly changing ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������market������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢ ideally suited for cultivating entrepreneurial behaviour. This study adopts a qualitative research approach to explore the actual application of entrepreneurial principles within a public sector environment together with the contribution made by the current reform agenda to developing a climate for entrepreneurship. 11 senior executives from National Health Service (NHS) organisations underwent in-depth interviews as part of the study design.

Outcomes suggest that the public sector entrepreneur is differentiated from its commercial sector cousin through the definition of ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������profit������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢ within a public sector context together with the approach to qualified risk-taking that requires an implicit recognition of governance principles when responsible for a public utility. The paper concludes by proposing a taxonomy of public sector entrepreneurship that develops the terminology of ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������stakeholder agent������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢, ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������optimising agent������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢ and ������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â������political agent������â����â�����¢�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¬�����¢â�¬�¡��â���¢â���¢. It is the presence of all three agencies that differentiates the public sector entrepreneur from the public sector manager.

Item Type: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Keywords: Entrepreneurship, public sector policy
Depositing User: EP, Services
Date Deposited: 17 Feb 2006
Last Modified: 30 Apr 2018 16:33
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/20127

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