Managerialism Redux?

Abstract This paper argues that managerialism is still very much with us. NPM (one prominent manifestation of managerialism) is not dead. Alongside NPM, other species of managerialism have evolved. Across Europe patterns of management reform have been complex, with layers of traditional bureaucracy, NPM, other forms of managerialism and post‐NPM forms being sedimented on top of, or woven alongside, each other in a variety of national formations. The advent of austerity has led many governments to implement traditional, pre‐managerialist across‐the‐board cuts and freezes. Sometimes (as in the UK) these have been mixed with renewed NPM initiatives, and/or with post‐NPM ideas, such as partnership and networking. Overall, however, managerialism seems unlikely to offer a major part of any solution to problems of fiscal balance ‐ the sums that can be saved through greater efficiencies are substantial, but not large enough.