It is with great sorrow that Department of Public Administration and Sociology has received the message of the passing of Professor Hood on January 3. In 2017, Professor Hood was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Erasmus University for his work and outstanding contribution to the field of Public Administration. Professor Hood was an emeritus professor At All Souls College of Oxford University. From 2001 until 2014, he was a Gladstone professor of government at that University. Before that, he was a public administration and public policy professor at the London School of Economics from 1989 onwards. In 1986, he was elected as a fellow of the British Academy.
With Professor Hood, the Public Administration community lost one of its most important and prominent scholars whose contributions to the field were numerous. Many scholars likely know him from his article 'A Public Management of all Seasons?' published in 1991, where he identified and conceptualised the new trend towards what was called 'The New Public Management'. However, He also had critical remarks about this development, as economic values like efficiency and effectiveness could drive out other essential values like honesty, fairness, or safety.
However, Professor Hood's career had many higher points than this article alone. His book 'The Tools of Government' (1983) was very influential, providing a categorisation of government policy tools. His well-known book about blame and blame avoidance in governance processes ('The Blame Game: spin, bureaucracy and Self-preservation in Government', 2011) has been a standard work on blame theory ever since. But also studies like The Art of the State (1998), Government of Risk (2001) and Tools of Government in the Digital Age (2007 with Helen Margetts), show his extraordinary ability to conceptualise important topics in the field and achieve important research with lasting influence.
This was all done eruditely with a light touch, making Professor Hood a role model and a pleasant person. His contribution to the Public Administration discipline remained not unnoticed, judging by the many prizes and awards he received. Apart from the honorary doctorate of Erasmus University, The Routledge Prize for outstanding contribution by the International Society for Public Management (IRSPM) could be mentioned or that he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for service to social science to mention just but a few of the awards.
Professor Hood will be greatly missed.
On behalf of the Department of Public Administration and Sociology (DPAS)
Laura den Dulk, Chair DPAS
Erik Hans Klijn, professor Public Administration
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Marjolein Kooistra, communications ESSB, kooistra@essb.eur.nl
