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What does 'public and private management are fundamentally alike in all unimportant respects' mean?

They look alike on the surface but differ in the ways that matter.

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  1. They are exactly the same job
  2. They differ in the ways that really matter ✔
  3. Government managers are always better

Why: The line is a clever twist. Both kinds of managers set goals, staff, and deal with outsiders, but their settings make the important parts of their jobs different.

Huh, didn't know that: Graham Allison's article compares an EPA administrator with the CEO of American Motors.

The dad joke
Why did the twin airplanes fly different routes? They were alike in all unimportant respects.
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References

Answer: They differ in the ways that really matter. The line is a clever twist. Both kinds of managers set goals, staff, and deal with outsiders, but their settings make the important parts of their jobs different.

  1. Learn to Lead, Volume 4: Strategic Perspectives, reading 13.5, Public and Private Management (Graham T. Allison) (Civil Air Patrol) www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/Volume_4_Web_4028F891F0A14.pdf
    public and private management are fundamentally alike in all unimportant respects.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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