International development management in a globalized world

Is development management, as a subfield of international and comparative administration, still relevant and applicable to the administrative problems facing today's managers in developing and transitional economies? The authors answer this question by exploring the implications of globalization for development management. They identify the global trend with the most direct impacts an governance and management in developing and transitional economies, and analyze how these relate to the theory and practice of development management. The analysis focuses on four facets of development management: as a means to foreign assistance agendas, as a tool kit, as values, and as process. While globalization has introduced many changes, much of what development management has to offer remains useful, appropriate and valuable. Maintaining relevance and applicability hinges upon a closer integration between theory and practice; more cross-fertilization among development management, comparative analysis, and mainstream public administration; clearer demonstration to policy makers of the timeliness of the subfield's concepts, tools, and approaches.