UNIT1.docx



The word Administration is derived from the Latin word “administer” meaning “to serve”
the people.

MEANING OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
According to J.M.Pfiffner, “administration is the organization and direction of humans and
natural resources to achieve desired ends”
 According to Marx, “administration is a determined action taken in pursuit of a conscious
purpose. It‟s a systematic ordering of affairs and the calculated use of resources aimed at
making those things happen which one wants to happen”.
 In general public administration is a co-operative effort and collective activity.


NATURE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRAION:ᶀ
There are two views to understand the nature of the public administration. They are,
1. INTEGRAL VIEW:
 “Administration is the sum total of all activities”. Like clerical, managerial, technical,
and manual activities.
 The objective of integral view is the implementation of the policy of state, at national,
state and local level.

2. MANAGERICAL VIEW:
 “The work of only top officials. They do the management functions in an enterprise to
be considered as an administration.”
 The management here is to control, co-ordinate and uniting efforts of top officials to
achieve the goal.
 Administration is not doing things but getting them done.
 Administrator: one who gets things done by others by directing and supervising their
work.
Luther Gullick sums up a technique and coined a word “POSDCORB”.








P-Planning [drawing a broad outline of a thing to be done]
O-Organizing[formula structure of authority]
S-Staffing [how much staffs needed? What are their qualifications?]
D-Directing [instructions to the subordinates.]
CO-CO-ordination[all units should work together]
R-Reporting [executive ensures periodical reports, records and inspection.]
B-Budgeting[proper finance allocation is to be done to control expenditure]

SCOPE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
 L.D.White “public administration consists of all those operations having for their purpose the
fulfillment or enforcement of public policy”.
 Woodrow Willson- father of public administration “public administration is a detailed and
systematic application of law”
 Nigro “it‟s a co-operative effort in public setting. It covers all three branches of government.
(Legislative, executive and judicial and inter relationship).
 In short ,
 Implementing public policy,
 The executive branch of government,
 An administrative process,
 Bureaucracy and its activity,
 Co-ordination of activity,
 Interaction between organization and environment.

EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
 In epics like kautilya‟s Arthasastra, Mahabaratham a Ramayana there are references to the king
and their duties.
 Modern public administration after world war-I. It was first taught as a part of training course
for public officers in Prussia.
 The study of public administration began in U.S.
There are five stages for the evolution of public administration. They are,
I.

II.

III.

Stage-I (1887-1926):
 Woodrow Willson in 1887 in U.S published „the study of administration‟.
 In 1900 Frank J.Goodnow argued that „politics has to do with policies or expression of
the state will‟. Administration is concerned with the execution of these policies.
 In 1926 the first book on public administration – „introduction to the study of public
administration‟-by Leonard D White.
 Efficiency, economy are the watch word of public administration.
 The first period was a demand for separate identity for public administration from
politics.
Stage-II (1927-1937):
 In 1927 W.F.Willoughy wrote “principles of public administration”,
 Henri Fayol‟s in 1927-„industrial and general management‟,
 Luther.H. Gullick and Lyndall Urwick‟s papers on science of administration,
 POSDCORB- seven principles of administration,
 There is science in administration.
Stage-III (1938-1947):
 Chester L Barnard in his work, “Functions of an Executive” challenged these principles.
 In 1946 Herbert a Simon wrote „the proverb of administration‟.
 Robert A Dhal in 1947 challenged the claim that „public administration is a science‟.
 By this there was no significant progress or contribution in public administration.

IV.

V.

Stage-IV(1948-1970):
 It is a period of crisis of identity for public administration.
 True object of teaching in the field was “intellectualizations understanding” of the
executive
 In this period political science got accelerated but not public administration.
Stage-V(1971-till date):
 It‟s a period of public administration. It achieved a great progress and entered in to 70‟s.
 Public administration is more and more concerned with the dynamics of administration.
 It has come closer to policy science.

APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
There are two approaches. They are,
i.
ii.

Normative: concentrates on what public administration should be.
Empirical: sets its eye on description and analysis of actual administrative structures.

The empirical approach includes,
a. The Philosophical approach: oldest and ancient approach. All the aspect of administration
activities to taken into consideration.
b. The legal approach: believe public administration as a part of law. It was formulated when
functions of the sate were limited to law making and maintaining peace.
c. The Historical approach: insists on studying the public administration past. Organizing and
interpreting the information in chronological order.
d. The case method approach: become popular in 50‟s of the present century. Seems to
reconstruct the administrative realities.
e. The Institutional or structural approach: it limits and study to the description of organization
and functions of public organization.
f. The behavioral approach: studying the behavior of individuals and groups in organization.

IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION:
It is not only as an important instrument of governance but also an agent for bringing and
promoting the culture of community.
It has become an educator, distributor, manufacturer, helper and servant in different direction.
The standards of efficiency are essential in administration to ensure peace, progress and welfare
of the people.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………