According to a widely accepted narrative, managerial reforms associated with so-called New
Public Management originated in wealthy market economies and liberal democracies, and they
were supposedly promoted globally. What has happened to their international prevalence,
however, remains inadequately evidenced and mysterious. Examining the area of education, this
descriptive study reveals the prevalence of selected managerial practices, namely, (i)
performance appraisals linked with rewards, (ii) decentralization, and (iii) goal orientation, in 60
economies as of 2012. Interestingly enough, some practices tended to be more institutionalized
in less accountable and less wealthy governments than in reform pioneers. The United Arab
Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam were among the most intensive
users of performance appraisals. More empirical evidence from a range of public services across
time will clarify the “who is doing what” narrative that seems to influence the global reform
discourse. Such evidence can further generate empirically grounded research questions.