Organisational amnesia: a serious public sector reform issue

Roger Wettenhall

doi:10.1108/09513551111099235

Login

Welcome:
Guest

Search for:

Browse:

Product Information:

Resources:

International Journal of Public Sector Management

ISSN: 0951-3558

Online from: 1988

Subject Area: Industry and Public Sector Management

Content: Latest Issue | Latest Issue RSS | Previous Issues

Options: To add Favourites and Table of Contents Alerts please take a Emerald profile

Organisational amnesia: a serious public sector reform issue

Document Information:
Title:	Organisational amnesia: a serious public sector reform issue
Author(s):	Roger Wettenhall, (Australian and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG), Institute of Governance, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia)
Citation:	Roger Wettenhall, (2011) "Organisational amnesia: a serious public sector reform issue", International Journal of Public Sector Management, Vol. 24 Iss: 1, pp.80 - 96
Keywords:	Archives management, Business administration, Language, Organizational change. Organizational behaviour, Records management
Article type:	Viewpoint
DOI:	10.1108/09513551111099235 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract:	Purpose – However well-intentioned are public sector reform movements, they are often compromised by misunderstandings about meanings and directions and by the organisational amnesia that comes from too rapid change and too little attention to the past. A better appreciation of these problems is needed. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The paper combines discussion about factors that inhibit successful outcomes of many reform programmes with examples drawn mostly from the Australian experience. Findings – Reform programmes are likely to have better outcomes if they are designed with these possible impediments in view. Similarly theoretical understandings will be safer and sounder if more attention is given to administrative history and more care is taken to reconcile conflicting views. Originality/value – The paper focuses on issues that have not been given much attention in the literature of public sector reform.