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  • Frank Stacey Memorial Lecture 2008: Scenes from the Departmental Court

    Author(s)
    Rhodes, R.
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Rhodes, Rod A.
    Year published
    2009
    Metadata
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    Abstract
    This article argues for research grounded in interpretive theory, or the beliefs and practices of actors, and observational fieldwork, or thick descriptions of what the actors think they are doing. However, discussions of theory and method only come to life when they are grounded in fieldwork. So, at the heart of the article is an account of the Private Offices of British central government departments. I argue that the focus on beliefs and practices enables me to tell a new story. The existing literature does not explore how the individuals who comprise the department's core executive coordinate the department's tasks and ...
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    This article argues for research grounded in interpretive theory, or the beliefs and practices of actors, and observational fieldwork, or thick descriptions of what the actors think they are doing. However, discussions of theory and method only come to life when they are grounded in fieldwork. So, at the heart of the article is an account of the Private Offices of British central government departments. I argue that the focus on beliefs and practices enables me to tell a new story. The existing literature does not explore how the individuals who comprise the department's core executive coordinate the department's tasks and resolve conflicts. There is a 'departmental court' that dare not speak its name. By describing the court 'at work', I focus not on individual Private Offices but on the tasks of coordination and conflict resolution at the top of the department. I conclude that any approach that provides new evidence and a novel interpretation makes a strong case for inclusion in the armoury of every student of public administration.
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    Journal Title
    Public Policy and Administration
    Volume
    24
    Issue
    4
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1177/0952076709340716
    Subject
    Public Administration
    Policy and Administration
    Political Science
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/52787
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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