Administrative Reforms with the Government of Quebec: Study of the Process of Change on the Organizational Culture

Many governments have implemented reform processes that have led to the modernization of the state. These processes involve a value dimension that has been influenced by new public management. Based on the premise that administrative reform may be viewed as a cultural & psychosocial phenomenon, this article reveals key actors' perceptions of the processes in the modernization of Quebec's public administration (Loi sur l'administration publique). This research, based on twenty interviews of human resource directors from ministries & public organizations, shows that the perceptions about reform are diverse & that the political influence of the reforms appears more in the objectives than in the design. In addition to showing the principal facilitating initiatives & a few obstacles to change, the research illustrates that the human resources directors' perception of the actual nature of change is variable & can be grouped into three categories. Finally, this research presents different types of cultures, showing the importance of adjusting implementation modes for the reforms' success. It illustrates the importance of taking care of the implementation rather than trying to define an ideal model. A look at the future completes the study. Adapted from the source document.