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Voluntary and Non‐Profit Organisations (VNPOs) in Europe are taking on increasing responsibility for the delivery of social services to local communities. In Britain this has resulted largely from the changing legislative context of public services, exemplified by the ‘purchase‐provider split’ in community care brought about by the recent NHS and Community Care Act.

This paper aims to explore the role of marketing as a route to sustainability for social enterprises providing public services. It examines the tensions between the economic and social objectives, both of social enterprises and of marketing. It concludes by offering a new model of the role of marketing for sustainable social enterprises.

This paper used the case study approach which included four cases. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the chief executives of each social enterprise. The cases were classified by age.

The paper demonstrates that while marketing potentially has much to offer in terms of organisational resilience for social enterprises, its application is currently undermined by its misunderstanding in practise within a “product-dominant” business logic. Despite this, the study finds a strong element of the unconscious application of marketing by social enterprises.

The implications of this are discussed in the context of the “public service-dominant” business logic that is currently emerging in public management, and recommendations are made for policy and practice as to how to enhance the contribution of marketing, both to sustainable social enterprises and to public services delivery.

Explores a conceptual approach to understanding the processes of collaborative relationships. It is applied to a case study of non‐profit collaboration. It both uses it to understand the dynamics of collaboration among a group of four non‐profit agencies in Canada, which might otherwise have developed competitive relationships, and uses this case study to explore the utility of this conceptual model as an aid to the actual management of such collaboration by practising managers.

Examines the concept of “empowerment”, and its implications for public sector management. Argues that it is not a single concept, but rather a cluster of concepts. Offers a typology of the different approaches to empowerment contained within this cluster, and details the issues that these raise for the management of public sector services. Concludes with two short examples of how this typology could be used to further understanding of empowerment, in the context of community care for elderly people.

Describes and evaluates the management of innovation within an inter‐organizational context in the UK. Focuses specifically on the work and role of a local voluntary agency. Argues that the management of such innovation needs to embrace this context in all its complexity, rather than attempting to control it through traditional, rational management techniques. Uses this case as an example from which to draw out some general lessons about the management of public services in complex inter‐organizational environments.

The purpose of this study is to investigate into the perception of new public sector management (NPM) and service delivery among senior officers of the Mauritian public sector in the context of reforms. Although improved service delivery is one of the salient outcomes of successful reforms of NPM, many governments in the world have not been able to fulfil this promise. While few extant research probe into the factors affecting service delivery, mostly from the customer’s perspective, this study probes into how senior public officers themselves perceive service delivery as part of their duty in government.

The qualitative stance was adopted for this study. Interviews were conducted with 23 senior public officers having on average 20 years of service in the Mauritian public sector. Data obtained was transcribed and coded under themes, sub-themes and emergent themes. These were then analysed in the light of the literature review conducted.

The findings of this study revealed that NPM was being practiced and service delivery was an imbedded factor among senior public sector officers of the Mauritian public sector. Among other factors, officers interviewed were of the opinion that serving the public was a legitimate part of their job, view that they had agreed to serve the government of Mauritius. Such a finding proves to be very encouraging for the Mauritian Government, still struggling to achieve reforms or NPM doctrines.

This study contributes to the scant literature on NPM and service delivery in small island developing states. It explores the perception of experienced senior officers about the practice of NPM and the state of service delivery.

This study elucidates how senior public servants themselves perceive service delivery and can, thus, serve as an example of public sector best practices in small island developing states.

While most studies with respect to public sector reforms concentrate on developed countries, this study takes place in the small island state of Mauritius. More so, the perception of public servants themselves have been explored in the context of service delivery improvement and reforms, contrary to other studies which concentrate of the customers’ perceptions.

Many organisations have increased collaborative performance by introducing new technologies and new processes; by integrating these with innovations in the working environment they can catalyse additional and sustained improvements in collaborative performance. If planned, designed and managed as an integrated system encompassing people, process and place issues, the workplace environment can be a powerful catalyst for business change.