New public managementand housing associations: From comfort to competition

Substantial reform has taken place within the English housing association sector over recent years. Research attention has not focused on how these changes relate to the overall restructuring of the public sector and the emergence of the new public management. These concerns are addressed through the application of typologies of new public management, as developed by Ferlie et al (1996), to associations. The evaluation indicates that the unique nature of associations means that they have much in common with private sector-derived models of organisation and management. However, additional knowledge needs to be developed to understand comprehensively their role within public sector management debates.