Bringing Religion into Public Value Theory and Practice: Rationale and Perspectives

Abstract

Public Value (PV) is a notion and an approach to the governance and management of public services that has gained traction over the past three decades. However, there seems to be a major gap in PV theory: the influence that institutionalized religions have on public life in countries around the world, and hence on the ways in which PV notions become acceptable across different countries. This article seeks to address this gap by developing an analytical framework to understand the influence of religions on PV. The nature of the religious regime in a given country—whether liberal or non-liberal—is a key mediating factor.