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There are five stages in the chronology of the evolution of Public Administration as a discipline; these stages are theoretically driven as encapsulated below:
Stage 1: politics administration dichotomy (1887-1926)
Stage 2: principles of administration (1927-1937)
Stage 3: era of challenge (1938-1947)
Stage 4: crises of identity (1948-1970)
Stage 5: public policy perspective (1971 onwards)
The first stage was the manifestation of Woodrow Wilson’s view of politics – administration dichotomy (difference between two things as they are completely opposite). This led to a spurt in the interest of its studies in various American as well as universities around the globe and reforms were made in government and thus scholars were attracted to public administration with a new vigour (Adamolekun, 1985). Woodrow Wilson propagated this view since at that time people were fed up with the government and its various policies, rampant Corruption and the spoils system that prevailed in the bureaucratic framework. This was the major reason for people to readily lap up his view. L.D. White published a book” Introduction to the Study of Public Administration” in 1926 that further buttressed this view.
The second stage of administrative theory evolve a value neutral or rather value free science of management. It was believed that there are certain principles (guiding/basic ideas) of administration that are common to all organizations and will work for all bringing out optimum efficiency . This was the mature Industrial revolution period and all that countries were concerned with was increasing production at any cost in order to earn big. Also Industrial revolution’s rapid expansion of industries led to new problems in management that were unforeseen and therefore difficult to solve. That’s when F.W. Taylor and Henri Fayol stepped in and generated their principles of administration/management. They were successful
administrators in their own right and therefore their views held a lot of water and were readily accepted by the industries world over. Frederich Winslow Taylor and Henri Fayol advocated for adopting engineering based scientific methods in the field of industrial work process in order to increase efficiency and economy. These schools of thought are grouped under the Classical theory of administration .
The third stage in the evolution of the theory of public administration is known as the era of challenge because the above mentioned principles and iron cage/mechanistic view of administration and workers were challenged. The Human relations theory brought about a pragmatic view to administrative issues. It emphasized on the human aspects of administration that sprung from the Hawthorne experiments conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues at Harvard Business School in the late 20’s and early 30’s of the twentieth century. The main focus of study in this approach was to study the psychological and social problems of the industrial workers . The scholars of this theory identified variables like informal organisation, Leadership, morale and motivation for maximum use of human Resources in industries. This led to a far vast study by Herbert Simon and others that developed the Behavioural Science theory.
The Fourth stage that is the crisis of identity stage is set in the late 20th century where many parts of the world, called the developing nations, were just out of wars and colonisation. This phase marked a debate for the return of values in public administration and cross cultural as well as cross national study of administration.there grew a need to reinvent public administration and lead to a question as to whether public administration that had been known as it is till then was relevant anymore. Thus was born the concept of ‘ New Public Administration’ It laid Stress on values in public administration and a commitedness by administrators and scholars of the discipline towards value formulation and their implementation. It developed the thought of Society and its welfare as the main goal of public administration in today’s times through the public policy approach. It brought democratic humanism and client orientation as well as the science perspective in New Public Administration. The collapse of the Soiet Union also strengthened this view.
The Fifth stage is the Public Policy theory in the development of Public
Administration theory. Public policy is an attempt by a government to address a public issue by instituting laws, regulations, decisions, or actions pertinent to the problem at hand. It is policy, as discussed by Stein (1952) that is made for the welfare of the people and their development. As a discipline public policy perspective is the study of government policies for the people and its pros and cons and how to better the same. Here it has come closer to political science again and also has incorporated many management principles to help public administration cope up with the
dynamics of its discipline and conduct.,
Public administration is the study of government operations and the management of public resources. It is a broad field that encompasses a wide range of topics, including organizational theory, policy analysis, and financial management.
The evolution of public administration as a discipline can be traced back to the early 20th century. In the early days, public administration was largely focused on the efficient management of government agencies. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, the field began to shift its focus to the needs of citizens. This shift was driven by the rise of the New Public Administration movement, which emphasized the importance of citizen participation and responsiveness in government.
The New Public Administration movement was followed by the New Public Management movement in the 1980s and 1990s. The New Public Management movement emphasized the importance of efficiency and effectiveness in government. It also promoted the use of private sector management techniques in government.
In recent years, there has been a renewed focus on the importance of citizen-centeredness in public administration. This focus is reflected in the emergence of the New Public Service movement, which emphasizes the importance of public servants serving the public interest.
The New Public Service movement is based on the following principles:
- Citizen-centeredness: Public servants should focus on meeting the needs of citizens.
- Performance measurement: Public servants should be held accountable for their performance.
- Decentralization: Public servants should be given the authority to make decisions at the local level.
- Privatization: Some government Services should be privatized.
- Marketization: Some government services should be delivered through market-based mechanisms.
- Reinventing government: Public servants should be creative and innovative in their approach to problem-solving.
The New Public Service movement is still in its early stages, but it has already had a significant impact on public administration. It has helped to shift the focus of public administration from efficiency and effectiveness to citizen-centeredness. It has also promoted the use of new technologies and management techniques in government.
The future of public administration is uncertain. However, it is clear that the field will continue to evolve in response to the needs of citizens and the changing political and economic Environment.
Here are some additional details on the subtopics:
- Classical Public Administration: Classical public administration is a theory of public administration that emphasizes the importance of efficiency and order in government. It is based on the principles of scientific management, which were developed by Frederick Taylor in the early 20th century. Classical public administration emphasizes the importance of hierarchy, rules, and procedures in government.
- Human Relations Movement: The human relations movement is a theory of public administration that emphasizes the importance of human factors in government. It is based on the work of Elton Mayo, who conducted a series of studies at the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company in the 1920s. The human relations movement emphasizes the importance of employee morale, motivation, and satisfaction in government.
- Systems Theory: Systems theory is a theory of public administration that emphasizes the importance of viewing government as a system. It is based on the work of Ludwig von Bertalanffy, who developed general systems theory in the 1930s. Systems theory emphasizes the importance of interrelationships and feedback loops in government.
- Contingency Theory: Contingency theory is a theory of public administration that emphasizes the importance of context in government. It is based on the work of James D. Thompson, who developed contingency theory in the 1960s. Contingency theory emphasizes the importance of adapting management practices to the specific context of each organization.
- New Public Management: New public management is a theory of public administration that emphasizes the importance of private sector management techniques in government. It is based on the work of Osborne and Gaebler, who published Reinventing Government in 1992. New public management emphasizes the importance of competition, deregulation, and decentralization in government.
- New Public Service: New public service is a theory of public administration that emphasizes the importance of public servants serving the public interest. It is based on the work of Denhardt and Denhardt, who published The New Public Service in 2000. New public service emphasizes the importance of citizen participation, collaboration, and ethics in government.
What is public administration?
Public administration is the implementation of government policy and also an academic discipline that studies this implementation and prepares civil servants for this work. As a professional field it overlaps with public policy, political science, public management, PUBLIC FINANCE, public law, and organizational theory.
What are the different types of public administration?
There are many different types of public administration, but some of the most common include:
- National government administration: This type of administration is responsible for carrying out the policies of the national government. It includes agencies such as the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Department of the Treasury.
- State Government administration: This type of administration is responsible for carrying out the policies of the state government. It includes agencies such as the Department of Transportation, the Department of Education, and the Department of Health.
- Local Government administration: This type of administration is responsible for carrying out the policies of the local government. It includes agencies such as the city council, the school board, and the police department.
- Nonprofit organization administration: This type of administration is responsible for carrying out the policies of a nonprofit organization. It includes agencies such as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and the United Way.
What are the key Principles of Public Administration?
The key principles of public administration include:
- Efficiency: Public administration should be carried out in a way that is efficient and effective. This means that it should use resources wisely and achieve its goals with minimal waste.
- Effectiveness: Public administration should be carried out in a way that is effective in achieving its goals. This means that it should produce the desired results and make a positive impact on society.
- Accountability: Public administration should be accountable to the public. This means that it should be transparent in its operations and be held responsible for its actions.
- Responsiveness: Public administration should be responsive to the needs of the public. This means that it should be willing to listen to the public and take action to address their concerns.
- Fairness: Public administration should be fair and impartial. This means that it should treat all people equally and not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, or other factors.
What are the challenges of public administration?
Public administration faces a number of challenges, including:
- Bureaucracy: Bureaucracy is a System of Government in which officials are appointed to positions based on their qualifications and experience, rather than their political connections. This can lead to inefficiency and a lack of responsiveness to the public.
- Corruption: Corruption is the abuse of power for personal gain. This can occur in any sector of government, but it is particularly problematic in public administration.
- Inefficiency: Public administration can be inefficient, due to a number of factors such as red tape, lack of coordination, and poor management.
- Ineffectiveness: Public administration can be ineffective, due to a number of factors such as poor planning, lack of resources, and poor execution.
- Unresponsiveness: Public administration can be unresponsive to the needs of the public, due to a number of factors such as a lack of understanding of the public’s needs, a lack of resources, and a lack of political will.
What are the future trends in public administration?
Some of the future trends in public administration include:
- The rise of the digital government: The digital government is a government that uses information technology to improve its services and operations. This trend is likely to continue in the future, as governments increasingly use technology to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness.
- The increasing importance of public-private partnerships: Public-private partnerships are arrangements in which governments and private companies work together to deliver public services. This trend is likely to continue in the future, as governments look for ways to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
- The growing importance of citizen engagement: Citizen engagement is the process of involving citizens in the decision-making process. This trend is likely to continue in the future, as governments look for ways to make their services more responsive to the needs of the public.
- The increasing importance of sustainability: Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This trend is likely to continue in the future, as governments look for ways to reduce their environmental impact and improve the Quality Of Life for all citizens.
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Which of the following is not a characteristic of the traditional public administration model?
(A) A focus on efficiency and effectiveness
(B) A hierarchical structure
(C) A focus on rules and regulations
(D) A focus on customer service -
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the new public management model?
(A) A focus on competition and markets
(B) A focus on customer service
(C) A focus on decentralization and devolution
(D) A focus on privatization -
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the new public governance model?
(A) A focus on collaboration and partnerships
(B) A focus on networks and networks of networks
(C) A focus on accountability and transparency
(D) A focus on performance measurement and evaluation -
Which of the following is not a challenge facing public administration in the 21st century?
(A) The rise of Globalization/”>Globalization-3/”>Globalization
(B) The aging of the Population
(C) The increasing complexity of public problems
(D) The decline of public trust in government -
Which of the following is not a strategy for addressing the challenges facing public administration in the 21st century?
(A) Reinventing government
(B) Performance management
(C) E-government
(D) Deregulation -
Which of the following is not a goal of reinventing government?
(A) To make government more efficient and effective
(B) To reduce the size and scope of government
(C) To empower citizens and businesses
(D) To improve customer service -
Which of the following is not a tool of performance management?
(A) Setting performance goals
(B) Measuring performance
(C) Reporting performance
(D) Using performance information to improve performance -
Which of the following is not a benefit of e-government?
(A) It can improve efficiency and effectiveness
(B) It can reduce costs
(C) It can improve customer service
(D) It can increase Transparency and Accountability -
Which of the following is not a challenge of e-government?
(A) The digital divide
(B) Security and privacy concerns
(C) The need for change management
(D) The need for technical expertise -
Which of the following is not a goal of deregulation?
(A) To reduce the cost of regulation
(B) To improve the efficiency of regulation
(C) To increase competition
(D) To reduce the burden on businesses