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Denhardt, Robert B., Janet V. Denhardt, and Maria P. Aristigueta (2000). Managing Human Behavior in Public & Nonprofit Organizations. Sage Publications, 456 pages, $54.95 (Paperback). ISBN 0-7619-2474-4.
As the authors intend, this book is "a core text in management and organizational behavior as taught in undergraduate and graduate programs in public administration, especially in M.P.A. programs" (xiii). Its contents, language, structure, and organization are deliberately designed or chosen to make it a sound and important, if somewhat stiff, choice for classroom discussion.
This book offers a thorough summarization of organizational behavior theories, including almost all major topics in the field: self-perception, creativity, stress, decision-making, motivation, leadership, power and politics, communication, groups and teams, conflict, and organizational change. These topics are well connected by a common theme: to understand public administration from an organization behavior perspective at the individual level of analysis.
More important, the topics are introduced and discussed in the background of public administration with particular attention to the uniqueness of public and non-profit organizations. Not only is the literature review and theory introduction public administration oriented but there are also examples and questions in the book.
Meanwhile, beside offering insights on the major topics such as "leadership in the public service," the authors contribute two chapters on "representing the organization On the outside'" and "managing behavior in the public interest," respectively. In the former chapter, they advocate transforming public managers' role and behavior to adapt to the changing environment and new reality of public administration:...