PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION MEANING ,NATURE AND SCOPE by Biju
P R
Lecture Notes, by Biju P R, Assistant Professor in Political Science, Govt. Brennen College, Thalssery. Kerala, India
Introduction
Public Administration is a newly emerged discipline compare to other Social Sciences discipline. Public Administration
has gained immense importance since the emergence of Administrative state. In Ancient Greek, Roman and Indian
political system gave more importance to the concept of Administration. Kautilyss Arthasathra contributed large
scale in the administrative system; it deals every aspect of the state and its relation to subjects. In simple sense Public
Administration is state mechanism. In every Political System administration have significant role.
Meaning of Public Administration
The word Administration has been derived from the Latin words ad and ministiare which means to serve. In simple
language it means the management of affairs or looking after the people. In general sense Administration can be
defined as the activities of groups co-operating to accomplish common goals. It is a process of management which is
practiced by all kinds of organisations from the household to the most complex system of the government. According to
L. D. White, Administration was a process common to all group effort, public or private, civil or military, large scale or
small scale.
Public administration is "centrally concerned with the organization of government policies and programmes as well as
the behavior of officials (usually non-elected) formally responsible for their conduct. Generally Public Administration
has been used in two senses. In the wider sense it includes all the activities of the government whether falling in the
sphere of legislature, executive or judicial branch of the government, in the narrow sense Public Administration is
concerned with the activities of the executive branch only.
Definitions of Public administration
L D White observes, Public Administration consist of all those operations having for their purpose the fulfilment or
enforcement of public policy.
Pliffner defines It would seem that Public Administration consists of getting the work of government done by co-
ordinating the efforts of the people so that they can work together to accomplish their set tasks.
Prof: Woodrow Wilson defined Public Administration as detailed and systematic execution of public law; every
particular application of general law is an act of administration.
Luther Gullick Public Administration is that part of the science of administration which has to do with Government
and thus concerns itself primarily with the executive branch where the work of the government is done.
Dwight Waldo, defines Public Administration as the art and science of management as applied to the affairs of
state.
NATURE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
There are two divergent views regarding the nature of the Public administration. These views are following
Integral View. According to this view, Public administration is a sum total of all the activities undertaken in pursuit of
and in fulfillment of public policy. These activities include not only managerial and technical but also manual and
clerical. Thus the activities of all persons from top to bottom constitute administration although they are of varying
significance to the running of administrative machinery. Prof: L D White adopts this view of Public administration.
According to him, Public Administration consists of all those operations having for their purpose the fulfilment or
enforcement of public policy. This definition covers a multitude of particular operations, many in fields. Another
scholar Marshal E Dimock also shares the same view. He holds that administration is concerned with the what and
how of government. The what is the subject matter, the technical knowledge of a field which enables the
administrator to perform his tasks. The how is the technique of management, the principles according to which
cooperative programmes are carried to success.
Managerial view. According to this view, the works of only those persons who are engaged in the performance of
managerial functions in an organisation constitute administration. In this managerial view the administration has the
functions of planning, programming and organise all the activities in an organisation so as to achieve the desired ends.
Luther Gullick and Herbert Simon subscribe this view. Gullick says Administration has to do with getting things done;
with the accomplishment of defined objectives.
These two views are deals the nature of public administration. In simply the nature of Public Administration deals the
execution.
SCOPE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
In the modern time Public administration have a pivotal role. There are many discussions about the scope of Public
Administration, some scholars are argued that in the Neo-liberal time the scope of Public administration is very less
and Private administration have growing importance. Some argues that the neo-liberal time the term Public
administration has significant one because the neo liberal state has faced many problems like environmental and
technological issues. The scope of Public administration deals in many ways
v Public Administration and People.
o Public Administration is an organisational effort it needed a close relation to people. In every Administrative system
they have good relation between people and administrative agencies. It influenced the day to day life of the common
people.
v Public Administration and Democracy
o In a Democratic political system scope of public administration is related in many ways. It have close link to people
and at the same time they are the watch -dog of the political system. The Modern democratic state gave more
important to the welfarism, In a welfare democracy the effective administration is essential.
There are many other reasons also contribute the scope of Public Administration.
Development of Communication and Technology
The Development of Neo-Liberal State
The concept of Participatory Development
Good Governance.
E-Governance
Environmental concerns
Human rights approach
New Social Movements and State
EVOLUTION AND GROWTH OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The growth of public administration has many facets. As a discipline the term Public Administration has
emerged in the late 19
th
and beginning of 20
th
century. American President Woodrow Wilson contributed very much to
the subject of Public Administration, he also known as the father of Public Administration. As a discipline Public
Administration is not very old it is emerged during the 19
th
century last. During these years Public Administration has
passed through several phases of development. We can broadly divide the growth of Public Administration into the
following five stages.
Period I 1887 1926
Period II 1927 - 1937
Period III 1938 - 1947
Period IV 1948 - 1970
Period V 1971 - continuing
Period I (1887 1926) Public Administration Dichotomy :
The discipline of Public Administration was born in the USA. The credit for initiating as an academic study of Public
Administration goes to Woodrow Wilson. He is regarded as the father of the discipline of Public Administration. In his
article entitled The Study of Administration, published in 1887, he emphasized the need for studying Public
Administration as a discipline apart from politics. This is known as Principle of politic administration dichotomy, i.e., a
separation of Politics and Administration. Wilson argued that, Administration lies outside the proper sphere of
politics. According to Frank J.Goodnow, politics has to do with the expression of the state will while administration
has to do with the execution of these policies. In short, Goodnow posited the politics-administration dichotomy and
he developed the Wilsonian theme further and greater courage and conviction.
Period II (1927 - 1937) Principles of Administration :
The central belief of this period was that there are certain principles of administration and which is the task of the
scholars to discover and applied to increase the efficiency and economy of Public Administration. Scientific
management handled the business of administration becomes a slogan. Administrative practitioners and business school
join hands to mechanistic aspect of management. They claim that Public Administration is a science. The great
depression in the America contributed a lot to the development. These periods were the golden years of principles in
the history of Public Administration. This was also a period when Public Administration commanded a high degree or
respectability and its product were in great demand both in government and business.
Period III (1938 1947) Era of challenge:
The main theme during this period was the advocacy of Human Relationship Behavioural Approach to the study of
Public Administration. The idea of administrative dichotomy was rejected. It was argued that Administration cannot be
separated from politics because its political nature and role, Administration is not only concern with policy decision but
it deals with the policy formulation. Similarly, the principle of Administration was challenge
Period IV (1947-1970):
The mid-1940s theorists challenged Wilson and Gulick. The politics-administration dichotomy remained the center of
criticism. In the 1960s and 1970s, government itself came under fire as ineffective, inefficient, and largely a wasted
effort. There was a call by citizens for efficient administration to replace ineffective, wasteful bureaucracy. Public
administration would have to distance itself from politics to answer this call and remain effective. Concurrently, after
World War II, the whole concept of public administration expanded to include policy-making and analysis, thus the
study of administrative policy making and analyses was introduced and enhanced into the government decision-making
bodies. Later on, the human factor became a predominant concern and emphasis in the study of Public Administration.
This period witnessed the development and inclusion of other social sciences knowledge, predominantly, psychology,
anthropology, and sociology, into the study of public administration. Fritz Morstein Marx with his book The Elements of
Public Administration (1946), Paul H. Appleby Policy and Administration (1952), Frank Marini Towards a New Public
Administration (1971), and others that have contributed positively in these endeavors.
Period V (1971) Continuing.
After the 1970s the evolution of Public Administration has gained new ways. The emergence of Development
Administration, Comparative Public administration and New Public Administration etc were contributed to the
evolution of Public Administration. The emergence of globalisation further contributed to this growth.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION
Private administration is a concept newly emerged one. Private Administration challenged the development of Public
Administration. After 1970s the term private administration gained immense importance. There are many differences
between these administrations.
The most apparent difference between the two sectors is their organizing principles or goal. While private
administration has a definite mission, which is the pursuit of profit or stability or growth of revenues, public
administration, on the other hand, has ambiguous purposes. Furthermore, the dilemma in ambiguity of purposes is
exacerbated by too many unnecessary and inoperable agencies, with purposes that overlap and bloated bureaucracies.
Another factor that makes the public sector different from the private is decision making. In public administration,
the decision must be and should be pluralistic. The founding fathers intentionally created a democratic republic where
all key decisions are made in politicized environment. This allows for maximum participation: open debate, multiple
veto points - a decision making hierarchy where consensus must be achieved at each level, ideally, an informed
decision. While private administration's decision-making is much simpler- it's monopolistic or close to monopolistic. This
type of decision-making would avoid any conflicts in interest; hence, the goal is clearly defined.
Public Administration is not characterized solely by profit motive; In fact in Private administration mainly functioned
on the basis of profit motive.
Public Administration is strictly in accordance with certain legal safeguards in a manner to sustain the confidence and
trust of the general public. In Private Administration no legality, it only considered about the owner.
Public Administration is not concerned about the time factor but private administration strictly follow time factor.
Private Administration focussed to the efficiency, transparency, accountability and credibility but in public
administration these functions are only in nominal level.
NEW PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (NPA)
The 1960s and 1970s were the periods of turbulence, instability in public administration. The earlier dogmas of public
administration economy and efficiency were found inadequate and incomplete objectives of administrative activity.
It began to be said that efficiency is not the whole of public administration. Man is the centre stage of all
administrative activity who cannot be subjected to the mechanical test of efficiency. The term New Public
Administration was used to describe the new trends in administration.
The two books Towards a New public Administration, the Minnowbrook perspective edited by Frank Marini and
published in 1971 and Public Administration in a time of turbulence edited by Dwight Waldo and published
simultaneously gave seeds of the concept of new public administration.
The major factors for the emergence of New public administration
1. Philadelphia Conference
2. Minnow brook Conference
Features of New Public Administration
Change and Administrative Responsiveness
The social, political, economic and technological environments are changing rapidly. Administrative organisations
should, therefore, develop clear criteria by which the effectiveness and relevance of their decisions and actions can be
judged in the changing context.
Rationality
In Public Administration there is a good deal of emphasis on rationality as the main criterion for administrative
dimensions and actions. But this rationality really refers to the rationality of, the administrator and not as people
would interpret it. The administratorneeds to consult the citizens as well not only about what'is proposed to be done
but also about what ought to be done and by whom.
Management- Worker Relations
It is true that human relations approach within an administrative organisation enhances both morale and productivity
(efficiency) among employees but these are not to be end in them. The main objective should be the satisfaction of
the citizens with the performance and attitudes of the administrative employees whose morale and productivity would
have risen due to any human relations approach within an organisation
Structures
There is 'a need in adopting a dynamic approach to organizational structure. Appropriate Decentralization of authority
and modification of hierarchies of control and subordination for instance, need continuous review so that the structure
becomes relevant to the changing needs of environment.
Goals of New Public Administration
New Public Administration literature has stressed four important goals - namely, relevance, values, equity and change
Relevance
Public Administration has always emphasized efficiency and economy. Public Administrationis criticized as having little
to say about contemporary problems and issues. At the Minnow brook Conference, the participants focused attention
on the need for policy-oriented.Public Administration must explicitly deal with Political, and normative implications of
all administrative actions.
Values
New Public Administration is explicitly normative. It rejects value concealing behaviouralism as well as procedural
neutrality of traditional Public Administration. The participants at the Minnow brook Conference clearly espoused that
value neutral Public Administration is Impossible. They emphasized that public officials have to advocate the interests
of the disadvantaged people.
Social Equity
Public Administration is indicated as an instrument of status quo, denying social justice to the less privileged groups.
The leaders of New Public Administration emphasis the principle of social equity and it considered more welfare
oriented administration.
Change
Achievement of social equity requires promotion of change by the public administrators.
Change is necessary to prevent Public Administration from coming under the dominance of powerful interest groups.
New public administrators should regard change as a constant fact of administrative life.
COMPARATIVE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (CPA)
Comparative Public Administration (CPA) is an applied, intercultural, interdisciplinary, explanatory field of study which
carries out cross-cultural investigations in order to provide solutions for management problems sooner and develop
management technologies further. It is no accident that the field focuses upon growth, reform and capacity building
since CPA is in many ways about identifying those "best practices" which promote the most desirable organizational
structures and processes. CPA attempts to find universal patterns and regularities through comparison, irrespective of
level of development and irrespective of place and time, although it is certainly the case that CPA is the field in which
the modernization vs. development debates took place from 1959-1973. Those debates crossed over the fields of
sociology, political science, and public administration and involved argument over grand schemes of nation-building for
making some parts of the world.
The comparative administration group of the American society for P A which was set up in 1963 under the chairmanship
of F W Riggs to study the administrative problems of developing countries viewed in the systematic context of their
social, cultural, political and economic environments has defined CPA as the theory of P A applied to diverse cultures
and national setting and the body of factual data, by which it can be examined and tested
Features of C P A
1. Studies different administrative systems in their ecological settings.
2. It emphasized empirical study based on rigorous methods such as field observation, field experiments.
3. It developed inter-disciplinary orientations
4. It lays stress on the inter-action between administration and socio, economic, cultural and political
phenomena.
5. It highlights the multi-organisational nature of P A and importance of interaction among organisations at
different levels of government.
Development Public Administration (D A)
The term Development administration first coined by U L Goswami in 1955, however the term popularised by F W Riggs,
Joseph La Palambara etc. The emergence of welfare state and the end of colonial era are the two significant factors
contributed to the concept. The third world countries were moved to underdevelopment to development, these
countries face many problems in this time. Development administration is focussed to their administrative problems.
Development administration is process of guiding an organisation toward the achievement of progressive political,
economic and social objectives that are authoritatively determined one manner the other. Development administration
is concerned with following matters
1. The formulation and implementation of plans, policies, programmes and projects for national development.
2. D A focussed to the national development; it is action oriented and goal oriented administrative system.
3. Socio-economic change
4. Time Frame work
5. Client Orientation
6. Goal Orientation and innovation
