Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Administration
Upul Abeyrathne,
Senior Lecturer,
Department of Economics,
University of Ruhuna,
Matara
Objectives
To Introduce the academic discipline
of public administration
To distinguish between
administration activity and study of
public administration
To Examine the nature of public
administration
Expected outcomes
Capacity to demarcate between public
administrative activity and academic
discipline
Administrative Activity
As an activity, public administration is
old as the human civilization itself.
The academic discipline of public
administration is just hundred years
old.
However, modern public
administration differs considerably
from the ancient and medieval form
of public administration
Sample Definitions
Administration is determined action
taken in pursuit of a conscious purpose.
It is the systematic ordering of affairs
and calculated use of resources aimed
at making those things happen which
one wants to happen (F. M. Marx,1964)
This definition highlights
Administration is concerned with
achivement of given purpose
It involves organization
Economy
Effectiveness
Administration is getting thins done;
not doing.
Broader Perspective
Public Administration is detailed and
systematic application of law
(Woodrow Wilson, 1887)
Public Administration consits of all
those operations having for their
purpose the fulfillment or
enforcement of public policy as
declared by a competent authority
(L.D. White, 1926)
Broader Perspective
The above authors had equated the
sphere of activity with the
implementation of law and public
policy
Narrow Perspective
They equate the public
administration with the functions and
activities of the executive only.
Emphasizes the managerial aspects
Examples
Administration consist of getting
things done by coordinating the
efforts of the people so that they
can work together to accomplish set
tasks. (J.M. Pfiffner, 1960)
Specific Environment of
Public Administration
makes different from the
general study of
administration
Public administration
a) is a cooperative group efforts in a
public setting
B) covers all the three branchesexecutive, legislative and judicial
-and their interrelationships;
C) has an important role in the
formulation of public policy and is
thus a part of the political process,
The What
Technical knowledge of a field which
enables an administrator to perform
his task (Subject matter)
There are four groupings of subject
matter
1. What government doesdetermination of objectives, internal
administrative policies and plans and
range of governmental business.
Thank You