- 1. Introduction: public management in an era of complexity and challenge - Jeffrey L. Brudney, Laurence J. O'Toole, Jr. and Hal G. Rainey. Part I - A symposium: in government, does management matter? - 2. Different public managements? Implications of structural context in hierarchies and networks - Laurence J. Otoole, Jr. - 3. Is silly putty manageable? Looking for the links between culture, management, and context - Anne M. Khademian. - 4. Public Management, administrative leadership, and policy choice - Thomas H. Hammond and Jack H. Knott. Part II - Methodological frontiers in understanding public management. - 5. Optimal performance versus Risk aversion: an application of substantively weighted analytical techniques - Kenneth J. Meier, Jeff Gill and George Waller. - 6. The art of partnering across sectors: the influence of centrality strategies of state R&D projects - Gordon Kingsley and Julia Melkers. - 7. Stories from the front lines of public management: street-level workers as responsible actors - Steven Maynard-Moody and Suzanne Leland. Part III - Reform, Reinvention, Innovation, and change. - 8. Making sense of change - Eugene B. McGregor, Jr. - 9. Local Heroes? Reinvention labs in the departament of defense - Mark T. Green, Lawrence R. Jones and Fred Thompson. - 10. Reforming state social services through contracting: linking implentation and organizational culture - Barbara S. Romzek and Jocelyn M. Johnston. - 11. Quasi Markets and strategic change in public organizations - James R. Thompson. Part IV - Models and frameworks: new approches to public sector management - 12. Organizational configurations: four approaches to public sector management - Nancy C. Roberts. - 13. Dissecting the black box: Toward a model and measuers of government management performance - Patricia W. Ingraham and Amy E. Kneedler.