The rise of new public management at the institutional level: an analysis of a Dutch university and the role of administrators in initiating organizational change, 1980s to 2010s

Abstract

New Public Management (NPM) is a remarkable development in the history of the management of public and semi-public organizations and one that requires more attention from historians working on the history of management and organizations. This article examines the rise of NPM at the institutional level through an in-depth analysis of a Dutch university in the 1980s to 2010s. By combining a social-science-based analytical framework for NPM in higher education with a variety of sources, including organizational archives and oral history, the article sheds light on how NPM ideas, techniques, and concepts were transposed to the institutional level. In line with earlier studies, the article illustrates that this was essentially a ‘pick-and-mix’ process in the NPM toolbox. The study complements previous research by generating insights into how management concepts were used to initiate organizational change. The analysis advances previous studies by revealing that NPM-style changes were not only the result of shifts in national policies, but were also instigated by actors (administrators) at the level of the institution. This means that if we want to fully understand NPM, more historical research focusing on the institutional level and the actors involved in organizational change is needed.