This section of public management explores the conceptual basis of strategic management in the public and nonprofit sectors. Since strategic management requires a strong focus on organizational purpose, we will give special attention to the distinctive roles of public and nonprofit organizations in promoting the public good. We will also consider how organizational purpose guides internal and external management, and how organizational capacity and the organization's relationship with its environment shape and constrain organizational purpose. The course will draw from literature in a wide range of fields, including public, private, and nonprofit management; the social and psychological sciences; and philosophy. We will make heavy use of case studies of public and nonprofit management, and students will conduct an in-depth study of management in a local organization of their choice.
