Who among the following considered New Public Management as ‘marriage of opposites’ ?

Correct option is B

Christopher Hood, a British political scientist, described New Public Management (NPM) as a "marriage of opposites" due to its paradoxical combination of private-sector management techniques with public-sector governance principles. NPM emerged in the late 20th century as a response to the inefficiencies of traditional bureaucratic administration, incorporating market-driven approaches, decentralization, and performance measurement.
Information Booster:
New Public Management (NPM) focuses on efficiency, accountability, and customer-oriented services in public administration.
Hood (1991) characterized it as a mix of conflicting ideas, such as decentralization vs. central control and autonomy vs. accountability.
NPM is influenced by neoliberalism and managerialism, emphasizing cost-cutting and outsourcing.
Countries like the UK, USA, and Australia adopted NPM reforms in the 1980s-90s.
Critics argue that NPM leads to marketization of public services, reducing government responsibility.
Post-NPM approaches like Public Value Management (PVM) emerged to address its shortcomings.
Additional Information:
David Osborne: Co-authored Reinventing Government (1992), promoting entrepreneurial governance.
Shireen Lateef: An expert in gender and development studies, not directly linked to NPM.
Camilla Stivers: Known for feminist perspectives in public administration, not directly associated with NPM's 'marriage of opposites'.