Jan-Hinrik Meyer-Sahling, William E. M. Lowe, Christian van Stolk
Towards NPM-ization of the post-communist state? Attitudes of public officials towards models of bureaucracy in Central and Eastern Europe

London
,
2011

This paper examines attitudes of public officials towards models of bureaucracy in Central and Eastern Europe countries (CEECs). It distinguishes features of Leninist, Weberian and New Public Management models of bureaucracy and assesses public officials’ attitudes towards these models. Based on a survey of ministerial civil servants in CEECs, the paper argues that public officials favour a politics-free yet de-regulated, discretion-based and performance-oriented model that comes remarkably close to the New Public Management. The attractiveness of the New Public Management provides a puzzling challenge for the hegemony of the Weberian model in administrative reform discourse in CEECs since their exit from communism. The conclusion explores possible explanations for the rise of the New Public Management in the hearts and minds of public officials in CEECs.