Student Led Readings Flashcards
(12 cards)
Author: Finer, H.
Year: 1941
Accountability in Public Administration: Emphasizing the importance of accountability for administrators in democratic systems. The author advocates that public officials must be held responsible for their actions to maintain public trust and the integrity of the administration.
Checks and Balances: The role of checks and balances is discussed, ensuring that administrative power does not become concentrated or unchecked, which could lead to authoritarianism or inefficiency.
These principles aim to ensure that democracy is preserved through responsible governance.
Author: Friedrich
Year: 1940
Public policy is the guiding principle behind governmental decisions and actions. It serves as a framework for administrative authorities to operate within. Public policy is not just a set of laws, but also the practices and decisions that implement them.
Administrative responsibility, dual in nature: objective and subjective.
Objective responsibility refers to the legal obligations of public officials, tied to formal laws and rules.
Subjective responsibility refers to the personal judgment, ethical considerations, and internal motivations of officials in carrying out their duties.
Author: Barnard
Year: 1938
The concept of the “economy of incentives” is introduced, stressing the need for organizations to balance the costs and benefits of providing incentives. This includes the strategic distribution of incentives in proportion to the value and effectiveness of the contributions sought.
While material incentives, such as money and physical goods, are necessary and can be powerful motivators, their effectiveness is limited once basic physiological needs are met. Beyond subsistence, material incentives alone are often insufficient to drive continued cooperation and effort.
Non-material incentives, including social factors like comradeship, prestige, and a sense of communion, are highlighted as being highly influential. These can be even more powerful motivators than material ones, as they appeal to psychological and emotional needs.
Author: Rosenbloom
Year: 1983
Public Administration must operate within the legal boundaries set by the Constitution and judicial precedents. Understanding and respecting these legal constraints is vital for public administrators, as they need to navigate the legal frameworks that define and limit their authority.
Tension between bureaucratic autonomy and democratic accountability, how public administrators need to be autonomous enough to function effectively while still being accountable to the public and other branches of government. This balance is crucial in ensuring that administration aligns with both efficiency and democratic principles.
Author: Gaus
Year: 1950
Interrelation of Theory and Experience: theory in public administration should not be viewed as abstract or superior to practical experience. Instead, theory is a central tool for deriving patterns and guidance from practical administrative experiences, particularly in light of changes in governance and administration during and after the war years.
Need for Comprehensive and Reflective Administrative Study: highlighting the complexity of public administration, urging a broad, reflective study that takes into account social sciences, law, and management. He stresses the importance of drawing on historical and modern experiences to refine the tasks and doctrines of administration, especially in light of evolving democratic values and global political shifts
Author: Waldo
Year: 1948
Public administration is not merely a technical function but a core political activity that shapes and is shaped by democratic values. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the relationship between administration, politics, and society, as these interactions guide effective governance.
continuous development of theory in public administration. He advocates for a more reflective approach that incorporates lessons from history, law, and the social sciences, helping to shape the practice of public administration in a way that aligns with evolving societal needs and democratic principles
Author: Lindblom
Year: 1959
The concept of “muddling through,” emphasizes that decision-making in public administration often occurs through incremental changes rather than large, comprehensive overhauls. This approach acknowledges the complexity of policy issues and suggests that small, step-by-step adjustments are more practical and effective in real-world settings.
Rather than relying on an exhaustive analysis of all possible alternatives, Lindblom argues for focusing on a few relevant options and making pragmatic decisions based on available information. This model contrasts with the rational-comprehensive model, recognizing the limitations in time, resources, and knowledge that policymakers face
Author: Cyert &. March
Year: 1959
Organizations make decisions similar to individuals, but with unique complexities.
Organizational objectives arise from a coalition of diverse members with varying preferences.
Objectives are formed through bargaining, internal control processes, and adjustments based on experience.
Key mechanisms include attention-focus, demand evaluation, and coalition selection.
Objectives often reflect aspiration levels rather than strict maximization, influenced by past achievements and environmental changes.
Author: Merton
Year: 1957
The chief merit of bureaucracy is its technical efficiency, which emphasizes precision, speed, expert control, continuity, discretion, and optimal returns on input.
The centrifugal tendencies and the need for management to maintain employment stability.
Explores bureaucratic structures emphasizing formal roles, authority, and impersonal relationships.
Addresses dysfunctions of bureaucracy, including trained incapacity and occupational psychosis.
Examines the conflict between bureaucratic norms and personal relationships, leading to issues like arrogance and favoritism.
Suggests the importance of studying the interplay between bureaucracy and personality in various organizational contexts.
Author: Barnard
Year: 1992
Organizations are cooperative systems where individuals work together toward common goals. The efficiency and effectiveness of an organization are rooted in its ability to coordinate and motivate people, which is a function of leadership and managerial skills.
Executives and managers are not just responsible for the technical functioning of the organization but also for the moral environment.
Leaders must balance the needs of the organization with the welfare of society. This means that their decisions should be based on what is ethically right, not just what is profitable or efficient.
Author: Simon
Year: 1946
Simon challenges the traditional principles of administration, particularly those put forth by earlier theorists like Fayol, Gulick, and Urwick. These principles include ideas such as unity of command, span of control, specialization, and hierarchical structures.
Simon refers to these principles as “proverbs” because they are often contradictory and lack empirical grounding.
Simon argues that the administrative principles are too vague and often provide conflicting advice. For example, the principle of specialization suggests dividing tasks to enhance efficiency, but the principle of coordination suggests integration, which can be at odds with specialization.
He also highlights how the proverbs like “centralization is good” contradict those that support decentralization, depending on the context.
Author: Selznick
Year: 1948
organizations are more than just formal structures for achieving specific goals. They are also social systems that develop distinct values, norms, and patterns of behavior over time.
As social systems, organizations take on institutional characteristics, meaning that they evolve to reflect the interests, needs, and values of their members, not just the official goals of the organization.
