Introduction to Critical Perspectives on the Management and Organization of Emergency Services

This chapter sets the scene for this volume on Critical Perspectives on the Management and Organization of Emergency Services, as part of the Routledge Critical Studies in Public Management Series. It establishes the context and background for the book and highlights a lack of critical understanding about the nature and work of the emergency services. This introduction discusses the contested nature of policy making in these vital services, the theory-practice divide and what we mean by ‘critical’ when applied to management and organisation studies research. The aims of the book and the organisation of the chapters including short summaries of each are outlined below and the chapter ends with a call for further research into the organization and management of the emergency services.