""

Awards and accolades for Akshay Mangla’s groundbreaking book

Published

Congratulations to Akshay Mangla, our Associate Professor in International Business and Skoll Centre Fellow, on his recently launched, award-winning book.

His book, Making Bureaucracy Work: Norms, Education and Public Service Delivery in Rural India, was recognised with four international awards.

 

In his research Akshay asks when and how does bureaucracy work for the least advantaged? His answer demonstrates the impact of bureaucratic norms - the informal rules of the game that guide how state agencies operate and execute their mandates – on the delivery of public services.  And his book explores subnational differences in bureaucracy’s engagement with marginalised communities in rural India, as seen through the prism of implementing universal primary education – one of our most fundamental human rights.

 

 

Akshay’s book engages classic debates on bureaucracy and institutional performance and adds a fresh perspective based on extensive field research in the Global South. His study makes a significant contribution to multiple disciplines, including comparative political economy, public administration and management, as indicated by the awards it has earned:

 

In the International Public Policy Association (IPPA) 2023 Best Book Award’s citation the jury said that the book exemplifies a complex and well-executed comparative case-study design and it ‘provides a refreshing reconsideration of some basic questions in policy studies, public administration, and social engagement.’ 

He shows how the standard assumptions of Western scholarship may struggle to explain the nuances of experience in the global South. The book is an outstanding contribution to the study of bureaucratic norms and public policy implementation.

IPPA Best Book Jury Award

The Charles E. Levine Memorial Book Prize 2023 awards committee said that Making Bureaucracy Work praised the book as ‘theoretically rigorous and comprehensive, covering various relevant theoretical concepts, both classic and new, such as Weberian bureaucracy, administrative burdens, co-production, deliberation, and administrative traditions.’

 

It is a must read for researchers and practitioners who seek to understand what makes bureaucracy work as well as for students and scholars seeking a model of exemplary comparative research.

Levin Memorial Book Prize Committee
""

Akshay’s book was published in November 2022 by Cambridge University Press and he is honoured to see it recognised by these prestigious academic institutions. He said:

'I am humbled to receive these honours for my book. Countries across the world are struggling to deliver basic services like primary education. Bureaucratic institutions play a critical role in ensuring that services reach citizens. I hope my work encourages others to study bureaucracy in the Global South. Along with advancing scholarly debates, such research is essential for building a more inclusive and just society.'

 

 

 

All the award committees commended Akshay for the scale of his fieldwork across rural north India (800 interviews and 200 site visits) which delivered incredibly rich qualitative data enabling extensive subnational comparisons. Akshay used his findings to develop comparative case studies elsewhere (south India, China, Finland and France), demonstrating the broad relevance of his work. 

Commenting on the accolades, Andrew Stephen, Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research and L’Oreal Professor of Marketing, said: 

'Akshay has long recognised that there wasn’t enough comparative, field-based research on bureaucratic organisations in developing countries and that the uneven performance of state institutions received inadequate attention. This is why I am so pleased to see his work in this important field has been recognised by these prestigious organisations. His book is a great contribution to this field of research and indeed provides evidence based insights for more effective delivery of education.' 

""
Akshay Mangla at book launch

Building on his book, Akshay’s ongoing research examines complex processes of institutional change in the Global South. This includes the study of education reforms aimed at enhancing learning outcomes, as well as police reforms for improving women’s security in India. Learn more about Akshay’s research at his website: www.akshaymangla.com.

Sign up to our newsletter for more news