Fundamental Principles of Traditional Public Administration

The traditional model of public administration remains the longest standing and most successful theory of management in the public sector ₇, but is now being replaced. It has not disappeared overnight and elements of it still exist, but its theories and practices are now considered old-fashioned and no longer relevant to the needs of a rapidly changing society. There has been a transformation in the management of the public sectors of advanced countries. The traditional model of public administration, which predominated for most of the twentieth century, has changed since the mid-1980s to a flexible, market-based form of public management ₈. This is not simply a matter of reform or a minor change in management style, but a change in the role of government in society and the relationship between government and citizenry ₉. Traditional public administration has been discredited theoretically and practically, and the adoption of new forms of public management means the emergence of a new paradigm ₁₀ in the public sector.

This new paradigm poses a direct challenge to several of what had previously been regarded as fundamental principles of traditional public administration.

· The first of these was that of bureaucracy, that governments should organize themselves according to the hierarchical, bureaucratic ₄ principles most clearly enunciated in the classic analysis of bureaucracy by the German sociologist Max Weber. Although adopted by business and other institutions, these precepts were carried out far more diligently and for longer in the public sector.

· Secondly, there was one-best-way of working and procedures were set out in comprehensive manuals for administrators ₁ to follow. Strict adherence to these scientific management principles (Taylor, 1911) would provide the single best way of operating an organization.

· The third principle was bureaucratic delivery ₁₁; once government involved itself in a policy area, it also became the direct provider of goods and services through the bureaucracy.

· Fourthly, there was general belief among administrators in the politics/administration dichotomy ₁₂, that is, where political and administrative ₁ matters could be separated. The administration would be an instrument merely to carry out instructions, while any matters of policy or strategy were the preserve of the political leadership (Wilson, 1941).

· Fifthly, the motivation of the individual public servant ₁₃ was assumed to be that of the public interest; in that service to the public was provided selflessly.

· Sixthly, public administration was considered a special kind of activity and, therefore, required a professional bureaucracy, neutral, anonymous, employed for life, with the ability to serve any political master equally.

· Seventhly, the tasks involved in public service were indeed administrative in the dictionary sense, that is, following the instructions provided by others without personal responsibility for results.

 

Key Terms and Common Collocations

7. public sector - государственный сектор, обобществленный сектор 

8. public management   - управление государственными и местными органами; управление на государственном и местном уровне

9. citizenry (old use) -гражданское население, граждане

10. paradigm [`pxrqdaim] - парадигма, система взглядов и понятий; научный образец

11. deliver (v) - 1) (deliver on) выполнять (обещание), успешно справляться, добиваться желаемого, обещанного результата 2) предоставлять услугу

to deliver services - предоставлять, оказывать услуги

delivery (Syn: procurement, supply, provision) - 1) предоставление услуг 2) питание, снабжение (током, водой), подача (угля и т.п.)

12. dichotomy [daI`kPtqmI] - дихотомия, противопоставление двух объектов

13. public servant (British equivalent: civil servant) - государственное или муниципальное должностное лицо; государственный служащий (обычно выборный), чиновник

Ex.10. ► Find the words in bold italics marked by reference figures in the Key Terms and Common Collocations section. Study their meanings and the word collocations they form.

Ex.11. ► Find in the text English equivalents to the following words and phrases:

1) преобладать, господствовать –

2) бросать прямой вызов чему-л. –

3) строгое соблюдение принципов –

4) управление, основанное на результатах деятельности – 

5) предоставлять общественные блага –

6) установленный порядок действий –

  

Ex.12. ◄► Paraphrase the expressions from the text and translate them into Russian.

1) a flexible, market-based form of public management – 

2) politics/administration dichotomy [daI`kPtqmI] –

Ex. 13. Summarize the text.

Ex.14. Skim the text below to find out

· what has been challenged in Public administration

· what kind of change is taking place

Demand for Changes

These seven seeming verities in Public administration have been challenged.

§ First, bureaucracy is indeed powerful but does not work well in all circumstances and has some negative consequences.

§ Secondly, trying to find the one-best-way is elusive and can lead to rigidity in operation. Flexible management systems pioneered by the private sector are being adopted by governments.

§ Thirdly, delivery by bureaucracy is not the only way to provide public goods and services ₁₄; governments can operate indirectly through subsidies ₁₅, regulation ₁₆ or contracts, instead of always being the direct provider.

§ Fourthly, political and administrative matters have in reality been intertwined for a long time, but the implications of this for management structures are only now being worked through. The public demands better mechanisms of accountability ₁₇ where once the bureaucracy operated separately from the society.

§ Fifthly, while there may be public servants motivated by the public interest, it now seems incontrovertible that they are political players in their own right. They may also be assumed to work for their own advancement and that of their agency ₁₈, instead of being pure and selfless.

§ Sixthly, the case for unusual employment conditions in the public services ₁₉ is now much weaker, especially given the changes that have taken place in the private sector where jobs for life are rare.

§ Finally, the tasks involved in the public sector are now considered more managerial, that is, requiring someone to take responsibility for the achievement of results, instead of being regarded as administrative and with public servants merely following instructions.

Economic problems in the 1980s meant governments reassessed their bureaucracies and demanded changes. As Caiden⁴ argued, ‘All blamed the dead hand of bureaucracy, especially the poor performance of public bureaucracies and the daily annoyances of irksome restrictions, cumbrous red-tape, unpleasant officials, poor service and corrupt practices ₂₀,’ (1991). A radical change in organizational culture is occurring, but not without cost. The new approach has problems, not the least of them the disruption to standard operating procedures and poor morale. There seemed to be a long way to go before a new results-based management could emerge, although there was no going back to the traditional model of public administration.

Source: condensed from http://do.gendocs.ru/docs/index-206555.html

Notes

 [4] Gerald Caiden – Джеральд Кайден, доктор философских наук, профессор университета Южной Калифорнии, написал более 29 книг и более270 статей по различным проблемам государственного управления.