The role of public sector reforms in consumer protection : China and the UK

Liu, Liqing (2001) The role of public sector reforms in consumer protection : China and the UK. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

Recent managerial and organisational changes through the new public management,
organisational restructuring and consumerism are studied from the backgrounds of each
country, for example, the significance, peculiarity and influence of public sector reforms
in the UK or in China or elsewhere. Fewer articles have centred on a comparative
perspective in public sector reforms, which have occurred recently in both the UK and
China. The aim of this study was to provide readers with a better understanding of the
major thrusts of administrative reforms, how they have affected those managing the
services, and their restructuring, and how public sector reform ideas have integrated
with the practice of public sector reforms. A comparative legal method was employed
by which these changes were investigated and studied theoretically and practically, with
a wide range of studies from government documents, both published openly and
internally, a literature search from academic sources and interviews. The results
indicated that similar objectives, namely streamlining governmental institutions, raising
efficiency and effectiveness in administrative management, and the primacy of
consumers, are pursued in both China and the UK although the developments varied in
degree and scope. These findings suggest that a comparative approach might be the
most suitable in seeking to provide an interpretative rationale rather than a purely
abstract analysis of administrative reform agenda. No one should accept the ready-made
blueprints of public sector reforms without considering their own economic
circumstances, social culture and political manifesto.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Subjects: K Law > K Law (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Law
• Supervisor's Name: Prosser, Prof. T.
• Date of Award: 2001
• Depositing User: Mrs Marie Cairney
• Unique ID: glathesis:2001-4242
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 02 May 2013 15:00
• Last Modified: 02 May 2013 15:02
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/4242