This paper examines the concept of "managing out" in the Australian public sector, analyzing the key factors driving greater emphasis on relationships within, between, and outside government agencies. It discusses the role of budget surpluses, ethics reform, and strategic human resource management in reshaping how public sector organizations (PSOs) operate. The paper also contrasts traditional and contemporary analyst views of public sector agencies, highlighting a shift toward citizen-centered, values-based governance. Finally, it explores how the managing out imperative has transformed the responsibilities of middle managers, requiring greater community engagement, media management, and collaborative decision-making.
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Multiple factors have produced greater emphasis on building relationships within, between, and outside government agencies in the Australian public sector. In recent years, researchers in fields including law, ethics, public administration, and management have expressed increasing interest in identifying and exploring the "philosophical foundations" of their work and its implications (Bois, Preston & Sampford, 1998, p. 2). This has in turn led to growing interest in building relationships within the Australian public sector, as increasing communications and dialogue have enabled greater sharing of perspectives and greater collaboration among varying agencies.
The Australian government has also realized a strong and abundant economic performance that has facilitated budget surpluses (Patterson, 2005). This has resulted in a desire from public sector agencies to give back to communities and families in multiple forms, including providing better-funded and higher-quality educational, familial, and healthcare assistance (Patterson, 2005). These budget surpluses are an important factor because they remind public sector agencies that the community helps facilitate a strong economy.
Multiple agencies have expressed an interest in delivering processes that uphold stronger ethical standards — ones that can be easily identified and institutionalized. For this reason, many agencies are working together to become better informed than they would be in isolation, and to improve not only the construction but also the implementation of ethical regimes and policies (Bois, Preston & Sampford, 1998). There has been considerable interest within the public sector for improving ethics education, a sentiment expressed at the 5th International Ethics in Public Sector Conference held in Brisbane (Bois, Preston & Sampford, 1998). This is not surprising in light of recent reports of unethical activities among government officials around the world, and it underscores the idea that people are valuable and vital to the well-being of the Australian government.
Other key factors influencing relationships among government agencies include increasing interest in adopting strategic human resource management (HRM) practices (Teo, 2000; Hall, 1998; Fisher & Dowling, 1999). Within the Australian public sector, significant corporatization has occurred in recent years, furthering commercialization within the country. This has provided government and private agencies alike the impetus to develop "an improved HRM function," which in turn facilitates more "strategic integration in business planning processes" (Hall, 1998, p. 75; Fisher & Dowling, 1999).
Many other factors have driven changes in public sector organizations (PSOs) in Australia, including increased environmental pressure on both international and domestic levels, changes in community and public expectations of Australian PSOs, changes in management and political influence within public sector organizations, and increasing demands by both state and federal agencies to ensure accountability for all public sector activities (Teo, 2000, p. 561). Taken together, these factors reveal how the community has influenced the public sector and re-emphasize the importance of collaboration between communities, citizens, and government agencies in creating a solid, dynamic, and contemporary organizational system.
Contemporary analysts increasingly view public sector agencies through a lens similar to that applied to private agencies, focusing on promoting the concept of managing out — that is, taking a greater interest in the community than ever before (Bradley & Parker, 2001). Contemporary agencies now understand that government has a responsibility to be focused on citizens and customer service rather than being purely process- and procedure-driven (Agyeman, 2004).
To this extent, public service agencies must focus more on effective HRM practices to enable better governing within and among the community (Agyeman, 2004). One philosophy contemporary agencies are adopting is the notion that results can be achieved through people (Agyeman, 2004). This suggests that reforms must be made at all levels within public sector agencies to improve the quality of leadership and the integrity of leaders, so that a culture can be created in which people work at their best and manage both people and relationships effectively (Agyeman, 2004).
Contemporary public service agencies understand that it is important to create a values-based organization that strives for professionalism, loyalty, innovation, and teamwork (Agyeman, 2004; Bradley & Parker, 2001). Public sector agencies are also now interested in creating social coalitions that include families, communities, businesses, government, and non-government organizations in order to "help build and support strong, resilient families" (Patterson, 2005, p. 1). The hope is that government agencies will help build a stronger economy by creating social policies that support families and communities and enable better methods for dealing with difficulties and problems that arise on a daily basis.
Recent public budget surpluses have caused contemporary public sector agencies to focus on giving back to the community and to citizens through better education, healthcare, and other important services (Patterson, 2005). The government is also now focusing on developing policies that encourage work-life balance and respond to community breakdowns. This includes providing programs that integrate citizen support in areas such as health, early education, and the creation of communities that are child- and family-oriented, capable of providing affordable and high-quality child and elder care (Patterson, 2005; Bradley & Parker, 2001).
"New stakeholder and community duties for middle managers"
All of these changes are necessary for any organization or entity that is attempting to create a structure that holds dear the interests of the citizens, community, and people that support it in the long term. Middle managers must, of course, have the support and recognition of senior and executive management teams whose goals, responsibilities, and directives must also include paying greater attention to creating strategic relationships and cooperation among communities and with citizens (Riccucci, 2002; Bradley & Parker, 2001). Only with this support will public sector agencies continue to thrive and sustain a flourishing economy within the Australian public sector.
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