Understanding Minister–Bureaucrat Relations: Applying Multi-Theoretic Approaches in Public Management

The study of public management has remained theoretically limited. This article tests out the value of a multi-theoretical approach as applied to one area of public management research — minister–bureaucrat relationships. Three models are identified — agency theory, bureaucratic politics and institutionalism. All three models are shown to provide valuable insights into the relationship and I argue that this example indicates considerable scope for the further development of mulit-theoretical approaches within public management.