Organizational Design for Public Managers

by Mary E. Guy

This book is written for courses in organization theory, public management, and nonprofit management. Its goal is to help public managers design humane organizations that motivate workers whose jobs require a passion for public service.

By applying traditional organization theories to new workplaces and spaces, Organizational Design for Public Managers explains the power of organization design and culture to motivate performance and the importance of person-organization fit. It explains how agile strategies can be applied to rule-bound bureaucracies and argues that form follows function regardless of whether the workforce is hybrid, remote, or in-person. Within these discussions, the connection between performance and meeting workers’ social needs is ever present.

Whether at city hall, a huge federal department, or a tiny grassroots nonprofit, organization design shapes human behavior, contours people’s performance, enables policy implementation, and provides accountability in the pursuit of public purposes.

Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2025