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ISSUES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONTheories of Public Administration

MPA 509

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Introduction• Public administration has been called many

things; a subset of political science or at least itsOffspring.

• Public administration is a process and as suchhas been around as long as governments haveexisted.• As a discipline, it is primarily an American ideathat grew out of the late nineteenth-century

movement for government reformAnn Prentice 1984

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IntroductionPA has a relationship to political science in

that its field of endeavor is the body politic, butwhere political scientists look at the political

aspect of an activity, public administrators dealwith the implementation of policy for the

smooth operation of departments, programsand activities that are the outcomes of policydecisions made by the bodies politic. Publicadministration may be more profession than

discipline, in that it combines theory andpractice and is both science and art.

Ann Prentice 1984

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What is PublicAdministration?

Public Administration is a speciesbelonging to GENUS

ADMINISTRATION, which in turn belongs to a FAMILY whichwe may call COOPERATIVEHUMAN ACTION

(WALDO, 1955)

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Public Administration TheoryPA theory is the amalgamation of history, organizational theory,social theory, political theory and related studies focused on the

meanings, structures and functions of public service in all its forms PA often recounts major historical foundations for the study ofbureaucracy as well as issues associated with public service as a profession and as an academic field.

Important figures of study include: Max Weber, Frederick WinslowTaylor, Luther Gulick, Mary Parker Follet, Chester Barnard, HerbertA. Simon, and Dwight Waldo. In more recent times, the field has had three main branches: newpublic management, classic public administration, and postmodernpublic administration theory.

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Context Key Values Proponents Dominant/Theories/Themes/Principles/Issues /Sub-Concepts

1. Classical PA (Late 1800-1950’S) Politicized Politics & administration Frederick Taylor Classical PA is based on the classical

bureaucracy Dichotomy (1856 -1915) theories of administration (scientific Corruption Preservation of Robert Owen (1771- management, bureaucratic model and Spoils system Democracy 1858) administration management) Inept Promotion of Efficiency Scientific Management

government (doing things right), o Focused on lower level of Popularization

of scientism inmanagement

effectiveness (doing theright things) andeconomy (least cost) inthe government

Classical approacho Unity of command,

hierarchy, divisionof labor, one bestway rule

o Mechanistic viewof the organization

o Closed systemview of theorganization

Max Weber (1864-1920) Herbert Simon

managemento One-Best-Way vs. Rule of

Thumbo Time & Motion Studies

Theory of Bureaucracyo Max Weber’s ideal Type

Bureaucracy or Rational -LegalBureaucracy (hierarchy, divisionof labor, formally written rulesand procedures, impersonality,neutrality)

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Context Key Proponents Dominant/Theories/ThemesValues/Principles/Iss /Sub-Concepts

ues1. Classical PA (Late 1800-1950’S)

Henri Fayol’s1916a French industrialist, is now

recognized as the Father ofModern Management. In year1916 Fayol wrote a book

entitled "Industrial andGeneral Administration". Inthis book, he gave the 14Principles of Management.These 14 principles ofmanagement are universallyaccepted and used even today.According to Henri Fayol, allmanagers must follow these 14principle

o Henri Fayol’s principles ofadministration (division of labor,authority, discipline, unity ofcommand, unity of direction,subordination of individualinterest to general interest,remuneration of employee,centralization, scalar chain,order, equity, stability of tenureof personnel, initiative, esprit decorps)

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What is Administration? ADMINISTRATION is a type of cooperative

human effort that has HIGH DEGREE OFRATIONALITY

The significance of HIGH DEGREE OFRATIONALITY lies in HUMAN

COOPERATION which varies in effectivenessof goal attainment whether we think of formalgoals, the goals of leaders, or of all whocooperate

(WALDO, 1955)

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What is Administration?

Administration is a PLANNEDAPPROACH to solving of all kinds ofproblems in almost every individual orgroup activity, both public and private

(DIMOCK, DIMOCK, AND KOENIG, 1960)

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What is Administration?

In its broadest senseADMINISTRATION can be defined asthe activities of groups cooperating to

accomplish common goals

(SIMON, 1991)

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What is Administration?The study of administration is concerned with questions such as:

1. How the method was chosen?2. How the men, working towards attainment of goals, were

selected and induced to cooperate in carrying out such task?3. How the task was divided between them?4. How each one learned what his particular job was in the total

pattern?5. How he learned to perform it?6. How his efforts are coordinated with the efforts of the other?

(SIMON, 1991)

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What is Administration? Most persons, while they are engaged in everyday

ADMINISTRATION, SELDOM think formally about theprocess.

They SELDOM deliberately set out to consider the ways inwhich the cooperative activities of groups are actuallyarranged; how the cooperation could be made more effectiveor satisfying; and what are the requirements for the continuanceof the cooperative activity

(SIMON, 1991)

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The Universality ofAdministration

Since ADMINISTRATION is concerned with all patterns of cooperative behavior, any person engaged in an activity

in cooperation with other persons is engaged INADMINISTRATION Since everyone has COOPERATED with others in his

life, he has some basic familiarity withADMINISTRATION and some of its problems

(SIMON, 1991)

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Characteristics ofAdministration

The characteristics of administration are bestconveyed under two terms 1. ORGANIZATION and2. MANAGEMENT

ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT are the two faces of thesame coin

(WALDO, 1955)

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Characteristics ofAdministration

ORGANIZATION is the ANATOMY,MANAGEMENT is the PHYSIOLOGY, ofadministration ORGANIZATION IS THE STRUCTURE;

MANAGEMENT IS THEFUNCTIONING of administration

(WALDO, 1955)

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Context Key Values Proponents Dominant/Theories/Themes/Principles/Issues /Sub-Concepts

1. Classical PA (Late 1800-1950’S)Gulick - POSDECORB(Planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating,reporting, budgeting

In 1937, Luther Gulick and LyndallUrwick published their classic collection of Papers on the Science of Administration.

In the opening essay in thiscollection, Gulick asked the question:“What is the work of the chief executive?What does he do?” Gulick summarizedhis answer in the acronym

POSDCORB, which stands for: Planning,Organizing, Staffing, Directing,Coordinating, Reporting, and Budgeting.

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Context Key Values Proponents Dominant/Theories/Themes/Principles/Issues /Sub-Concepts

1. Classical PA (Late 1800-1950’S)Herbert Simon -Administrative Man

o Administrative Behavior: a Study ofDecision-Making Processes in

Administrative Organization is a book written by Herbert A. Simon (1916-2001). It asserts that “decision- making” is the heart of administration, andthat the vocabulary of administrative theory must be derived from the logic and psychology of human choice," and it attempts to describe administrative organization "in a way that willprovide the basis for scientific analysis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_Behavior

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PA Toward Systems AnalysisThis change in viewpoint, which was a response to social and technological change, poses problems in outlining the intellectual boundaries of public administration. Administration of activity in the public sector is still at the core, but the full implications of this work are not fully recognized. This is only one indication of the shift in public administration away from structures andprocesses and toward systems analysis.

Ann Prentice 1984

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Context Key Values Proponents Dominant/Theories/Themes/Sub-/Principles/Issues Concepts

Neo-ClassicApproach

o Importance ofhuman behavior

o Socio-psychologicaldimension of theorganization

o Interdependency toits internal parts

and relation to theexternal partenvirons were nottaken into account

Neo -Classical Mary Parker Follet (1868- 1933) Barnard (1886-1961) Elton Mayo Abraham Maslow Frederick Herzberg Douglas McGregor Chris Argyris Rensis Likert

NEOCLASSICAL THEORY OFORGANIZATION (1920’s to 1930s) -Neoclassical PA derived its conceptsfrom this school Commonly referred to as the human

relations or human behavior school Attempted to improve on the

classical concepts Follet - importance of the informal

system and exercising leadershiprather then wielding power tomotivate workers

Elton Mayo (late 1920s to 30’s)experiments - worker’s anchor ofsecurity and productivity has greaterinfluence on employee productivityrather than management demands;workers are obliged to adhere totheir group norms

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ContextKey Values/Principles/Issues Proponents Dominant/Theories/Themes/Sub-Concepts

Abraham H. Maslow felt asthough conditioning theoriesdid not adequately capture the

complexity of human behavior.In a 1943 paper called A Theoryof Human Motivation, Maslowpresented the idea that humanactions are directed toward goalattainment. Any given behaviorcould satisfy several functionsat the same time; for instance,going to a pub could satisfy

one’s needs for self-esteem andfor social interaction.

Abraham Maslow - Hierarchyof Needs (1943) -psychological, safety, social,ego, self-actualization

Abraham H. Maslow felt asthough conditioning theories

did not adequately capturethe complexity of humanbehavior. In a 1943 papercalled A Theory of HumanMotivation, Maslow

presented the idea thathuman actions are directed

toward goal attainment.

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Values/Principles/Issues b-ConceptsFrederick Herzberg - (1959)Motivation hygiene theory

The Father of "Job Enrichment"and the originator of the"Motivation-Hygiene Theory

In 1959, Frederick Herzberg developed a list of factors which were developed closely based onMaslow’s hierarchy of needs, except itmore closely related to work. Herzberg theorized that hygiene factors must bepresent in the job before motivators can beused to stimulate the workers:Hygiene or Dissatisfiers:Working conditions

•Policies and administrative practices•Salary and Benefits•Supervision•Status•Job security•Fellow workers•Personal life

Motivators or Satisfiers:•Recognition•Achievement•Advancement•Growth•Responsibility•Job challenge

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ContextKey Values/Principles/Issues Proponents Dominant/Theories/Themes/Sub-Concepts

Douglas McGregor – Theory X &Theory Y (1960)

Douglas McGregor, an American socialpsychologist, proposed his famous X-Ytheory in his 1960 book 'The Human SideOf Enterprise'. Theory x and theory y arestill referred to commonly in the field ofmanagement and motivation, and whilstmore recent studies have questioned therigidity of the model, Mcgregor's X-YTheory remains a valid basic principlefrom which to develop positivemanagement style and techniques.

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Context Key Values/Principles/Issues ProponentsDominant/Theories/Themes/Sub-Concepts

2. Development Administration 1950’s - 1960’s Underdevel Nation building

opment Economic Development Poverty Institutional Strengthening

Involvement of people indevelopment

Goswami(1955)

Riggs Weidner Roman Dubsky J.Net O.P. Dwivedi George Gant

Concept of DA wascoined by Goswami andpopularized by Riggs andWeidner

Refers to almostexclusively to developingcountries in Asia,

Africa, Conceptual foundationswere western (US)

particularly, influencedlargely by scientificmanagement andadministrative reform(traditional PA)

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QUOTE OF THE DAYTo deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.

Nelson Mandela