Public Administration: Principles & Approaches

Public Administration: Principles & Approaches

Scientific Management Theory – F.W. Taylor

• Popularised by Taylor in 1911, coined by Louis Brandeis
• Mechanistic theory of organisation with 4 core principles: Science, Selection & Training, Cooperation, Sharing responsibilities
• Features: Time & motion studies, standardisation, separation of planning and execution, piece-rate system, functional foremanship
• Books: Shop Management (1900), On the Art of Cutting Metals (1906), The Principles of Scientific Management (1911), Two Papers on Scientific Management (1919)
• Other facts: Frank & Lillian Gilbreth were early proponents; Lillian Gilbreth called "Mother of Scientific Management"

Henri Fayol – Administrative Theory

• Book: General and Industrial Management (1916)
• 6 Managerial Abilities: Physical, Mental, Moral, Educational, Technical, Experience
• 5 Managerial Functions (POCCC): Planning, Organizing, Commanding, Coordinating, Controlling
• 14 Principles of Management: Division of Work, Authority & Responsibility, Discipline, Unity of Command, Unity of Direction, Subordination of Individual Interest, Remuneration, Centralization, Scalar Chain, Order, Equity, Stability of Tenure, Initiative, Esprit de Corps

Luther Gulick & Lyndall Urwick

• POSDCORB: Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, Budgeting
• 4 P Principle: Purpose, Process, Person, Place
• Influenced by Fayol; Papers on the Science of Administration (1937) contains classical theory

Weber’s Bureaucracy – Max Weber

• Bureaucratic Theory (1921)
• 3 types of Authority: Traditional, Charismatic, Rational-Legal (Modern org uses Rational-Legal)
• Features: Division of labour, hierarchy, impersonal rules, merit-based selection, career orientation
• Books: Ideal Type of Bureaucracy (1921), The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905)
• Other facts: Michels’ Iron Law of Oligarchy; Hegel praised bureaucracy; Marx saw it as class domination

Human Relation Theory – Elton Mayo

• Hawthorne Experiments (1924-32)
• Features: Organization as social system, workers as social man, social factors affect motivation
• Books: The Human Problems of an Industrial Civilization (1933), Human Problems of an Individual Civilization (1946), The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization (1945)
• Douglas McGregor: Theory X & Y; Abraham Maslow: Hierarchy of Needs; Herzberg: Motivation-Hygiene Theory

Rational Decision-Making – Herbert Simon

• Influenced by Barnard, Vienna School of Logical Positivism
• Rational Decision-Making Steps: Intelligence, Design, Choice
• Features: Hierarchical means-ends, value-fact dichotomy, bounded rationality, satisficing
• Books: Administrative Behaviour (1945), Public Administration (1950), Organisation (1958)
• Dwight Waldo opposed value-fact separation: The Administrative State (1948)

Ecological Approach – Fred Riggs

• Studied administrative systems in developing countries (Philippines, Thailand, India)
• Prismatic Society features: Formalism, Heterogeneity, Overlapping
• Models: Economic sub-system – Bazar Canteen; Administrative sub-system – Sala Model (Clects)
• Books: Agraria and Industria (1955), The Ecology of Public Administration (1961), Administration in Developing Countries (1964)

Entrepreneurship & Innovation – Peter Drucker

• Entrepreneurs create new values; Innovation converts ideas into methods to improve life
• Entrepreneurial strategies: Fustest with the Mostest, Creative Imitation, Entrepreneurial Judo, Ecological niche
• Concept: MBO – Management by Objective
• Book: Innovation and Entrepreneurship (1985)

Feminist Perspective

• Camilla Stivers: Gender Images in Public Administration (1993), Bureau Men, Settlement Women (2000), Democracy, Bureaucracy, And the Study of Administration (2001)
• Kathy E. Ferguson: The Feminist Case Against Bureaucracy (1984)
• Mary Parker Follett: "Power with" rather than "Power over"; Non-hierarchical, partnership, transformational leadership

New Public Administration (NPA)

• Aim: Restore values, equity, public-spiritedness
• Core theme: Relevance, values, equity, change
• 4 Ds: Decentralization, Delegation, Democratization, Debureaucratization
• Key Figures & Books: Dwight Waldo – The Administrative State (1948), Frank Marini – Toward a New Public Administration (1971)

New Public Management (NPM)

• Tune public administration to neo-liberal economic system; adopt private sector management practices
• Features: Market principles, performance measurement, citizen as customer, result-oriented, entrepreneurial spirit
• Books/Contributors: Osborne & Gaebler – Reinventing Government (1992)

New Public Service (NPS)

• Serve citizens rather than steer
• Focus: Public interest, democratic citizenship, civil society
• Books/Contributors: Robert B. Denhardt – New Public Service: Serving, Not Steering (2003), Janet Denhardt – Street Level Leadership (1998)

Good Governance

• Emerged in 1990s; first by Harlan Cleveland in 1970s
• Features: Participation, Rule of Law, Transparency, Accountability, Social Equity, Inclusiveness
• Good Governance Index: HDI, QLI, Ease of Doing Business, Corruption Perception Index, EPI, Universal Human Rights Index