THEORIES OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

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Sub-Topics
Public Administration as an Organisation
What is Theory?
Classical Theories of Public Administration
• Theory of bureucracy – Max Weber & Woodrow Wilson
• Scientific Management – Frederick Taylor; Luther Gullick, Henry Fayol
Human Relations Movement
• Herbert Simon, Mary Parker Follet, The Hawthorn Study, Maslow
Hierrachical Needs, Theory X and Theory Y
Contemporary Theories of Public Administration
• New Public Management;
• New Public Service.
• Good Governance
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The concept of organization and theory

Organization: a group of people who work

together to pursue a goal. They use resources
and technologies to achieve effective
performance of their goals. Uncertainties and
risks manage by organizing activities, leadership
process, and structures (Rainey, 2009; p. 20-21)

Theory use to understand how Public

Administration as an organisation could be
efficiently operate to fulfil various demands for
Public Administration
Example: just, equity, equality, efficient and
effective public service, strengthen the socio-
economic condition, controlling people behaviour,
minimising health risk (ie COVID-19), security of the
people from any threat, to protect sovereignty of the
country etc
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What is Theory?
• derived from Latin word theoria and the Greek word theoro
• theory for scientific study is a frame of reference; or in easy word
refers as contemplation, speculation, hypothesis and sight thoughts,
conjectures or ideas; an abstracted generalization or a kind of
shorthand that may be used as a fact; a summary statement providing
an explanation of a phenomenon or range of phenomena that co-
varies under particular conditions.
• Teori dalam kajian saintifik merujuk kepada satu kerangka sistematik
atau dalam bahasa mudah jangkaan, andaian, idea, spekulasi yang
digunakan sebagai fakta, atau membuat kesimpulan terhadap mana-
mana fenomena

(Marume, Jubenkanda, Namusi & Madziyire, 2016; Thornhill & van Dijk, 2010)
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The Necessity For Theory In
Public Administration
• to understand on Public Administration as an efficient organization.
• to appreciate the significance, purpose, means and ends of Public
Administration in the social system.
• To strengthen Public Adminbistration. Relatively a new field of study,
being only 100+ years in existence, and still in the same state of
change, chaos and confusion about the modern administrative world,
• need for wider knowledge of administrative phenomena
• to develop a reasonably coherent conceptual system for classifying of
data, that will make it possible to deal with universals & realities
• to find the truth in Public Administration
• to develop a theory

(Marume, Jubenkanda, Namusi & Madziyire, 2016)

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CLASSICAL THEORIES of PA

Classical theories (1887-1926)

 labelled by Herbert Simon as the ideas and contributions of end of the 19th century
and early 20th century.
 PA is a science as a Science / scientific = specific process, systematic process,
construct or principles, a concept with specific values for PA to be efficient and
separate from politics
 Could be divided into two categories: (A) bureaucratic approach, and (B) scientific
management:
A. BUREAUCRATIC APPROACH
1.1 Theory of Bureaucracy – (a) Max Weber & (b) Woodrow Wilson
B. SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
promoting the one best way of performing a task : Scholars:
1.2 Frederick W. Taylor Scientific Management
1.3 Luther Gulick (POSDCORB (the 7 Principles of Management)
1.4 Henry Fayol (The 14 Management Principles)
Theory of Bureaucracy-Max Weber 7

 Max Weber  Introduced the concept of ideal bureaucracy-

(1864-1920) (birokrasi ideal)
 German scholar to
make a systematic  Bureaucracy = organisation (ideal organisation)
analysis on  The idea of ideal bureaucracy is widely adopted
bureaucracy
by most countries.
 According to Weber, the ideal bureaucracy work
on several principles: (birokrasi yang ideal
berfungsi dengan beberapa prinsip)
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Principles of Bureaucracy
1. managers formal authority > managers formal authority; is the power to
hold people accountable for their actions and to make decisions concerning
the use of organizational resources
2. Rules, regulation standard operating procedures for unity of command /
create norms / to effectively control behaviour within an organization
3. hierarchical system > whom to report to and who reports to them
4. designated tasks and authority associated with various positions in the
organization should be clearly specified for managers and workers to know
what is expected of them
5. Appointment and Promotion Base on Competency not Base on
Sentiment > appointed on the basis of professional qualifications

2. Theory of Bureaucracy- Woodrow Wilson
Photo: Woodrow Wilson
1. the 28th president of the
United States from 1913 to
1921.
2. A member of the Democratic
Party,
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• Expanded Weber’s the idea of bureaucracy – In 1887
produced an essay, "The Study of Administration”
which introduced the politics-administration
dichotomy (separation).
• In Wilson’s words, public administration is "the detailed
and systematic execution of public law" and he believes
there should be a strict separation of politics from
administration because administration lies outside politics
and administrative
• eliminate the arbitrariness and corruption in the
administration (elak pertimbangan ikut kehendak hati &
rasuah)
• Critique: there has not been completed and clear separation
between politics and administration. These days both
elements are overlapping and works together to achieve
various PA goals
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4. Luther Gulick : POSDCORB
(the 7 Principles of Management)
• Provide view on keeping organization
efficiency and increased productivity.
• Originally derived from an essay entitled
“Notes on the Theory of Organization written
by Luther Gulick and Lyndall Urwick
published in collection “The papers on the
Science of Administration (1937)
• Invented the famous mnemonic POSDCORB to
explain the key responsibilities of a public
manager
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Luther Gulick : POSDCORB
P (the
Planning (perancangan) : Working 7 Principles
out the of Management)
board outline the things that need to be done and the
methods for doing them to accomplish the purpose which is set for the enterprise.

O Organising (pengorganisasian) formal structure of authority through which work

subdivisions are arranged, defined and coordinated for the defined objective of
the organization

S Staffing (penstaffan): function of bringing in and training the staff and maintaining
favorable conditions of work. Both qualitative and quantitative
D Directing (arahan): The continuous task of making decisions and embodying
them in specific and general orders and instructions and serving as the leader
of the enterprise

Co Coordinating (koordinasi): Interrelating the various entities and processes of the

work
R Reporting: Keeping those to whom the executive is responsible as well as
subordinates informed through records, research and inspections
B Budgetting: budgeting in the form of planning to ensure sources of income,
accounting and control on expenditures
(Agrawal & Vashistha, 2013; Marijani, 2018)
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H U M A N R E L AT I O N S M O V E M E N T
Also refers as neo-classical
theories
(Inclusion of behavioral sciences(human behavior) into Public
Administration)
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1. Herbert Simon
• Produced a book ‘Administrative Behavior’, Herbert
Proposed the concepts of:
(i) bounded rationality and (ii) satisficing > both are
the social and behavioral sciences concepts
introduced to strengthen Public Administration as a
scientific field of study.
• Bounded Rationality (Rational behaviour made decision
rationally. Have ALL information in hands.
• Satisficing Bounded Rationality (constrains faced by
administrator in making decision to make decision) –
Administrator normally do not access ALL information to
make decision
Rationality requires a complete knowledge and anticipation of the consequences
that will follow on each choice. In fact, knowledge of consequences is always
fragmentary.

(Mintrom, 2015; Nor Azizah, 2005)

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Mary Parker Follett
• believed that management was "the art of
getting things done through people.“
• Introduced the concept the law of situation
rather than positional authority.
• Orders are given because they are
demanded by the logic of the situation
incorporating input from those with
expertise in the area
• for subordinate to accept the order given
to them the situation must be conducive

(Feldheim, 2004)
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The Hawthorne Study

Hawthorne experiments sought to determine

the motivating factors behind success and
productivity in the work place. Found that
employee were motivated not only by physical
factors (ie surroundings, salary) but also by
the human aspects of their work.
(motivasi pekerja dikaitkan dengan aspek
kemanusian, tidak sekadar wang, dan
persekitaran)

Student will watch video on Hawthorne Study:

Video link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEwCWR5Vkpw
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The Hawthorne Study

 Based on series of experiments, found that

the basic principles of human relations are
as follows:
1. workers are social being, therefore must
be understood as people
2. work is a group activity.
3. the importance of recognition, security,
and sense of belonging
4. non-economic incentive (social rewards)
versus economic incentive (money)
5. informal group within formal organisation
has potential in controlling employee
habits and attitudes
6. consultation considered as the most
effective supervision style
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Maslow Hierarchical Needs
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Theory X & Theory Y

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CONTEMPORARY THEORIES
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NEW PUBLIC
MANAGEMENT
( P E N G U R U S A N AWA M
BA HARU)
• known with various names: the post-bureaucratic paradigm,
entrepreneurial government, and reinventing government
• Introduced for enhancing the effectiveness of the sector in
fulfilling and satisfying the needs of the state, public, and
industry
• Firmly disagree with old Public Administration (highly use of
rules and regulations to govern a country). Believe on higher
education degree of flexibility
• Led to the adoption of economic and market in Public
Administration
• Which later brought into business and corporate principles in
Public Administration
(Sharifuzah, 2019; UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, 2015)
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• Adoption of ‘techniques’ of
business administration and
business ‘values’, which include
the values of competition, a
preference for market
mechanisms as a means of social
choice, and respect for the To improve the
entrepreneurial spirit in public efficiency and
administration effectiveness of
products and
• to move from rules of thumb, services provided
customs and traditions, and ad by public
hoc approaches to business
organizations
management

• cluster of contemporary ideas and

practices that seek the use
private sector and business
approaches in the public sector
(Denhardt & Denhardt, 2007; Frederickson et al 2012; Xu, Sun & Si, 2015)
 9 Performance Culture / Result-

NPM
Importance elements in
1 Budget Cuts
Based Management /
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2 Downsizing Management By Result/
3 Privatization Performance-Based
Accountability /
4 Incorporatisation /
Corporatisation 10 Strategic Plan
5 Autonomous Agencies / 11 Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
The Creation of “Arms
length” Executive Agencies 12 Quality Culture
13 Customer
6 Contracting-Out 14 User charges
7 promotion of competition 15 More use of information
in the technology
effective delivery of public 16 Personnel management
services (incentives)
8 Decentralization / 17 Commercialization
Delegation of autonomy / 18 Corporate governance structure
Empowerment and transparent manner.
Let Manager Manage 19 Internationalization

(Sharifuzah, 2019; Xu, Sun & Si 2015; UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, 2015)
New Public Service (NPS)
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(Perkhidmatan Awam Baharu)

• Approaches do not yet form a coherent
paradigm and they have different frames of
reference.
• Emphasize on the role of PA focus of on
citizens, community and civil society.
• Public Servants are to assist / to help people
to articulate and meet their needs rather than
to control or steer society (Denhardt &
Denhardt, 2000)
• Citizens look beyond narrow self-interest to
the wider public interest and the role of public
officials is to facilitate opportunities for
strengthening citizen engagement in finding
solutions to societal problems.

(UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, 2015)

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(UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence, 2015)

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Good Governance
( Ta d b i r U r u s B a i k )
• to fulfil various political means to be transparent, equitable,
incl
• Good governance has EIGHT (8) major characteristics: (1)
participatory, (2) consensus oriented, (3) accountable, (4)
transparent, (5) responsive, (6) effective and efficient, (7)
equitable and inclusive and (8) follows the rule of law.
• Public Administration as an organization with minimal taken
into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in
society are heard in decision-making; responsive to the
present and future needs of society. inclusive

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific