Critical Public Management Studies: A Research Agenda Proposition.

This article examines whether social services can sustainably operate from a critical perspective that promotes social justice amid prevailing neo-managerial reforms emphasizing economic efficiency and measurability. It identifies a gap in the literature regarding critical public management—defined here as managerial practice focused on advancing social justice within social services—and proposes developing this concept both theoretically and empirically. The article reviews historical shifts from welfare state professionalism to neoliberal managerialism, discusses empirical examples of managers navigating tensions between organizational demands and social justice commitments, and explores relevant frameworks such as resistance, hybrid professionalism, and critical management studies. Finally, it outlines a research agenda aimed at integrating social justice principles into social services management at practical, societal, and rationality-reconstructive levels to better align management with social work's ethical foundations.