Date of Conferral

2019

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Daphne Halkias

Abstract

Implementing public sector reform in Nigeria is complex. Although government effectiveness is important for citizens' welfare, little evidence links management practices for effective public service delivery for low-income populations in developing countries. The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore views of public agency managers in Nigeria on putting progressive interventions into practice to improve public services and change social outcomes for this population. The conceptual framework of the proposed study was path dependency, defined as increasing returns, positive feedback, or self-reinforcing processes, which are significant in understanding the challenges of formal and intentional reform programs. Seven agency managers recruited from the Nigerian public sector completed semistructured interviews to give their perspectives to address the following research question: "What are the views of public agency managers in Nigeria, assigned agents of NPM reform, on implementing path-breaking interventions within their agencies to improve services and change social outcomes for the low-income population?" I used NvIVO software to develop the splitting up of common codes, phrases, and words in the responses of the participants. Fifteen themes were presented, including the categories of corruption, nepotism, marginalization, and poor service delivery to low-income populations in Nigeria. Social change for the low-income population in Nigeria can only be realized when local NPM managers themselves can have a voice in Nigeria's national conversation on implementing effective interventions to improve services and change social outcomes.

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