Researching Public Sector Change

This article highlights the importance of taking a gendered perspective for the understanding of new public manage-ment and the restructuring of public services. Significant changes havetaken place in the management structure and processes of public sector organizations throughout the decade, with work-forces being redefined and reconstitu-ted. Relatively little research work has examined the gendered implications of such change and the way in which pro-cesses of redefinition are negotiated, accepted or resisted by male and female professionals. A conceptual framework for future research is presented which is informed by three separate research literatures: the feminization thesis, developments in HRM and marketiza-tion and managerialism. The article con-cludes by emphasizing the importance of a more inclusive and gendered view of restructuring agendas. A theoretical framework is proposed that accommo-dates difference and agency in the restructuring process as a way forward in analysing public sector change.