TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose– Since the collapse of the USSR, former Soviet republics have embarked on public service modernization, in most instances drawing on internationally dominant new public management (NPM) principles. Are post-Soviet republics ready for these administrative prescriptions? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach– This paper discusses Kazakhstan’s experience with the implementation of NPM through a qualitative case study of the country’s adoption of the European Bologna higher education reforms. Findings– While implementation of the NPM-inspired Bologna program has produced significant achievements, there are also gaps and shortcomings. These are due to a remnant Soviet administrative practices including strong control by educational ministries, as well as incompatible organizational cultures and a tendency toward superficial formalism in the implementation process. Research limitations/implications– NPM tends to be introduced in a top-down fashion as a taken-for-granted component of state transformation, without sufficient attention to the capacities, cultures and systems required for effective and accountable performance-driven administrative reform. Originality/value– Kazakhstan’s experience provides crucial insights into the governance structures, professional cultures and managerial capacities required for successful implementation of NPM in post-Soviet states.
VL  - 28
IS  - 2
SN  - 0951-3558
DO  - 10.1108/IJPSM-08-2014-0102
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPSM-08-2014-0102
AU  - Monobayeva Agipa
AU  - Howard Cosmo
PY  - 2015
Y1  - 2015/01/01
TI  - Are post-Soviet republics ready for the new public management? The case of educational modernization in Kazakhstan
T2  - International Journal of Public Sector Management
PB  - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
SP  - 150
EP  - 164
Y2  - 2024/04/16
ER  -