Social Equity and Public Management Theory: A Global Outlook

Social equity is a pillar of public service. Thus, social equity should be a central concern in public management in practice and scholarship. However, widespread incorporation and reflection of social equity practices in government and the anticipated public benefits still seem like an elusive goal. The ability to analytically assess social equity is the first step toward prescribing social equity reforms. Public affairs graduate programs, like a master’s in public administration or public policy, often teach public management separately from social equity. This book empirically and theoretically bridges social equity and public management for use in the public affairs graduate classroom. The book highlights international research that leverages public management theory to build reasonable social equity measures and applications. The research highlighted in the text includes studies from across countries in North and South America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia. This is the first book specifically designed for global public affairs classrooms that connects public management theory and practice with social equity reforms.

Kimberly Wiley is an Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership and Community Development at the University of Florida, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences. She engages in innovative qualitative methods to study the role of nonprofits in society. She has thirteen years of nonprofit experience in victim advocacy in local, state, and national organizations in the U.S.

Sarah Young is a Professor of Public Administration at Kennesaw State University. She also serves as the Director of the Center for Evaluation, Assessment, & Applied Research. Dr. Young is also the co-editor-in-chief for the Journal of Public Affairs Education. Dr. Young’s research uses systems-based approaches to study the intersection of nonprofits, government, and social equity, especially during periods of crisis.

Denita Cepiku is an Associate Professor of public management at the University of Rome ＂Tor Vergata.＂ Her main research interests are in the areas of social equity, collaborative governance, and strategic performance management. Dr. Cepiku is editor-in-chief of Azienda Publica (the Italian public management journal since 1987). She coordinated and participated in projects for the European Commission, the United Nations, and the OECD.