Public sector organisations in Europe and the United States have, in response to pressures brought about by financial crises, considered or enacted potentially extensive austerity measures aimed at reducing spending at varying levels of government. The centrality of financial resources to the functioning of these agencies can create expected pressures on nearly every aspect of organisational life. Coping with reduced resources may bring about shifts in management practices and decision-making processes at the organisational level and in behavioural changes at the individual level.

The purpose of this joint study group is to provide a common topic and venue for comparative research efforts with the focus on cutback management. Specifically, this study group will serve to facilitate an exchange of ideas on how to study cutback management in a comparative perspective, and to create opportunities to present research findings on cutback management at the special panels at the conferences relating to the three sponsoring organisations. It is expected that the study group will consist of 10-12 researchers, approximately 3-4 affiliated with each organisation.

The changes brought about by austerity measures are likely to be broad and complex, necessitating focused empirical study from a number of different perspectives. With this in mind, we invite panellists to focus on those aspects of cutback management that they consider relevant and to do so from a topical and methodological standpoint of their choosing. Possible research questions to be addressed by the papers presented at the panels may include the following:

• Have austerity measures brought about shifts in the management practices of public sector organisations? (For example: Has the need to impose and deal with cutbacks led to an increased importance of performance management and performance budgeting? Has austerity led to an increased use of contracting out by the public sector authorities?)
• Have austerity measures led to increased centralisation or decentralisation in the decision-making processes of public sector organisations?
• Has the need to implement cutbacks led to changes in the budgetary processes (For example, has it brought about a shift from a bottom-up process to a top-down process)?
• Have austerity measures brought about shifts in power? (For example, has the need to impose cutbacks increased the power of the budget offices and finance ministers?)
• How has the organisational leadership managed the imposition of cutbacks? What kinds of management practices have been used to mitigate the effects of cutbacks on employee motivation and morale?
• What kinds of coping mechanisms and practices have been used by street-level bureaucrats to deal with the reduced resources?