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This article revisits the country case studies and seeks to answer two questions. What are the strengths and weaknesses of an interpretive approach? What lessons can we draw from our analysis of public sector reform? To assess an interpretive approach, we discuss: the issues raised in identifying beliefs; the meaning of explanation; how to select traditions; the shift from prediction to informed conjecture and policy advice as storytelling. To assess the lessons, we outline our preferred story of public sector reform. We seek to show that an interpretive approach produces insights for students of public administration. We argue it remains feasible to give policy advice to public sector managers by telling them stories and providing rules of thumb (proverbs) to guide managerial practices.

Item Type:	Refereed Article
Research Division:	Human Society
Research Group:	Policy and administration
Research Field:	Public administration
Objective Division:	Law, Politics and Community Services
Objective Group:	Government and politics
Objective Field:	Government and politics not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Rhodes, RAW (Professor Rod Rhodes)
ID Code:	58850
Year Published:	2003
Web of Science® Times Cited:	33
Deposited By:	Government
Deposited On:	2009-10-30
Last Modified:	2010-06-18
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