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:
- International Public Policy Association - 2023 Best Book Award
- International Political Science Association - 2023 Charles H. Levine Memorial Book Prize
- Academy of Management, Public and Non-Profit Division - 2023 Best Book Award
- American Sociological Association - Honorable Mention for the 2023 Best Book Award in the Sociology of Development