Guardians of Public Value

How Public Organizations Become and Remain Institutions

Arjen Boin, Lauren Fahy and Paul ’t Hart | 2020

This open-access book presents case studies of twelve organisations which the public has come to view as institutions. From the BBC to Doctors Without Borders, from the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra to CERN, this volume examines how some organisations rise to prominence and remain in high public esteem through changing and challenging times.

The core focus of the book can be summarised as follows:

• • Narrates the histories of a dozen high-profile public organisations from across the world.
  • Analyses how, over time, these organisations have become highly valued ‘institutions’.
  • Suggests leadership lessons for institution builders.
  • Offers an array of teachable case studies about successful organisations fit for classroom use.

Utrecht University about this book:

“The public organisation is facing rough times. It must navigate increasingly turbulent technological, socio-cultural and political spaces. It faces high expectations from political masters and public funders. Its clientele – the citizens and firms it serves – has high standards of service and fairness. The performance against these expectations is monitored relentlessly. There is little tolerance for failure. Mishaps are much more likely to get exposed and sanctioned than ever before. The internet has become a venue for instant reputational crucifixion. In recent years, we have seen punishing attacks on courts, public broadcasters and scientific research organisations.

In the face of all this volatility and scrutiny, it is good to know that some public organisations remain deeply valued by the general public. These organisations have not just survived challenges and controversies but have found ways to adapt and thrive. They have garnered broad support for the ways in which they meet newly imposed (and often impossible) demands.

We refer to these organisations as public institutions.

An organisation becomes an institution when it means something to the public. An institution represents an idea or ambition considered important and desirable. It embodies ideals that a society values (Hendriks, 2014): justice, free elections, curing diseases, reliable news, and space exploration—the list is long and will vary over time. An institution binds people together, offering them a means of collective identification.

It builds upon the scholarly tradition of institutional scholarship pioneered by Philip Selznick and highlights common themes in the stories of these highly diverse organisations. It demonstrates how leadership, learning, and luck all play a role in an institution’s becoming and remaining.

This case study format makes this volume ideal for classroom use and practitioners. In an era when public institutions are increasingly threatened, it offers concrete lessons for contemporary organisation leaders.

Bibliography

Boin, A., Fahy, L., and Hart, P. ’t (eds) (2020) Guardians of Public Value: How Public Organisations Become and Remain Institutions. London: Palgrave MacMillan 2020.

The entire book and individual case studies can be downloaded free of charge at https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-030-51701-4.