New Public Management and Citizens’ Perceptions of Local Service Efficiency, Responsiveness, Equity and Effectiveness (Working Paper 7)

Abstract We examine the relationship between a range of New Public Management (NPM) practices and citizens’ perceptions of service efficiency, responsiveness, equity and effectiveness in English local governments. We find that public-private relationships have a negative relationship with citizens’ perceptions of all four dimensions of local service performance, but that an entrepreneurial strategic orientation exhibits a positive association with all four. Performance management is also likely to positively rather than negatively influence citizens’ perceptions of local public services. Further analysis revealed that the impact of NPM practices varies according to the level of socio-economic disadvantage confronted by local governments.