FACTORS INFLUENCE THE

ADMINISTRATION
(ENVIRONMENT)
SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
  Society – create conditions necessary to
stay/live together with common
identification.
 Network  Social interactions, social
interrelationship, patterned behaviour

SOCIAL  Social institutions; traditions, values, belief

systems  inherited/developed (taking into
ENVIRONMENT account  caste, colour, religion, language
etc
  social environment interacts with
administrative system and influences
administration as well as influenced by it
  Society – create conditions necessary to
stay/live together with common
identification.
 Network  Social interactions, social
interrelationship, patterned behaviour

SOCIAL  Social institutions; traditions, values, belief

systems  inherited/developed (taking into
ENVIRONMENT account  caste, colour, religion, language
etc
  social environment interacts with
administrative system and influences
administration as well as influenced by it
  What influence public administration of a
particular country?
 1. Social stratification – birth created division or
socio-economic inequalities
 Stratified on basis of class
 Open or closed society
 Open society  mobility between classes is
SOCIAL recognized
ENVIRONMENT  Closed society  no mobility
 Preferential treatment system designed to bring
equality  create internal tension of public
administration
 Formation of informal groups within the
organisation
 2. familial and kinship ties  extended family
 Nepotism, favouritism vs political patronage
 Due to familial and kinship ties 
functioning in accordance with the rule of
SOCIAL law  practice? Decisions of administrative
ENVIRONMENT functionaries are affected by familial or
kinship ties
  3. Social ethos and values –
 Values and norms cherished by society also
play a dominant role in influencing
SOCIAL administrative behavior

ENVIRONMENT  Integrity?
 Transparency Index
  4. Social and voluntary associations –
 Trade unions; professional bodies; social
groups
 Civil society
 Associations play important role in
aggregating and articulating the interests of
large number of people
SOCIAL  Act as vehicle to which differing interests are
ENVIRONMENT mediated from the citizens to government
 TWO(2) purposes:
 i) articulating demands of their members &
exert pressure to public authorities
 Ii) provide relevant information as well as
feedback to the administration
 Produce good linkages
  5. Societal ambitiousness – demanding
society (due to social consciousness); a
society who have people with high level of
ambitiousness, people will be more
demanding. --? Progressive and forward
looking  clarity vision and broader
perspective
 Expecting greater efficiency, efficacy,
SOCIAL responsiveness from administration

ENVIRONMENT  As a result, administration will be more

vigilant (attentive)
 Low societal ambitiousness  less demanding
and careful about their rights and duties  the
administration will adopt a non-responsive
and non-reactive posture (attitude); less
efficient as well as less effective
 Administrators more ambitious  promote
ambitiousness among people; generate
awareness about their rights and duties
  6. cultural environment – way of life
developed by society
 Mode of expression and communication as
well as system of values and beliefs that
regulate social behavior

SOCIAL  Values – expression of preferences  good

or bad; desirable or undesirable
ENVIRONMENT
 What is culture? –the storehouse of various
mediums and symbols which usually are
unwritten, and helps in communicating
messages

  Issue of languages – medium of expressing
and exchanging views and ideas.
 Regionalism – regional feelings
 Religion – faith/belief that binds people
SOCIAL together
ENVIRONMENT  Symbols – transmission of experiences
through horizontal and vertical transmission.
Medium and symbols are significant ways of
communication
  Economy of a country influences the form,
structure and nature of activities of public
administration and vice versa.
 1. Prioritisation through planning  the
ECONOMIC administration assess the existing resources,
list of priorities/problems, and allocates
ENVIRONMENT resources
 Reduces the possibility of wastage resources

  2. Level of economic development
 A yardstick to measure its level of overall
development
 If the level of economic development is
low the administration will be plagued by
serious problems
ECONOMIC  Low productivity and insufficient surplus
ENVIRONMENT generation  low salary or tendency to earn
money through unfair means (eg
administrative corruption)
 As a result low administrative capability and
finally, goal realization.
  3. Technology used in the production of
goods and services
 i) increases administrative efficiency
 Ii) develop new methods in management and
ECONOMIC organiation
ENVIRONMENT  4. Technical manpower (R&D) – constant
research and development on that technology
 Establish technical institutes
  5. Resources- availability of physical/raw
resources
 6. Infrastructure – means of transportation;
ECONOMIC communication; electricity; banking etc. to
ENVIRONMENT establish proper coordination among
administrative units at various levels
  Public administration functions under the
direction and control of polity (state/political
entity)
 Impact of politics on public administration is
direct and immediate
 The relations between the two is intimate and
inseparable  close, constant and intimate
POLITICAL interaction between administration and
ENVIRONMENT politics
 Administrative structures, functions, process,
rules and regulations are shaped by the polity
of the country
 Written constitutions
  1. nature of state: THREE (3) main
functions
 Collection of revenue
 Maintenance of internal order
 Protection of the State from external
aggression
POLITICAL  Welfare state – expected to work for the
ENVIRONMENT welfare of the society
 Totalitarian – administration to perform all
functions for the survival of individuals 
role of administration becomes holistic
  2. Constitution – document containing laws,
rules and regulations enacted by a
constituted body governing a country.
 Provide fundamental rights for its citizens
 Administration are guided, directed ,
POLITICAL governed and controlled by the constitutions
ENVIRONMENT and vise versa
 Constantly reviewed, amended and reshaped
by the administration of the country
  3. Political leadership
 The authority to control and direct the
administration
 Polity – temporary executive vs administrative
– permanent executive
 The character of political leadership influences
the administration
 Dynamic, progressive leaders  direct
POLITICAL administration in desired direction
ENVIRONMENT  Administration works efficiently and
effectively; result oriented; action oriented as
well as responsive to the public needs and
demands
 Weak political leadership – unable to exercise
control over the administration
 Administration may not extend full support and
co-operation; create obstacles
  4. Political parties – trying to capture power
through legal and authentic means and have
ideological base.
 Role of political parties in shaping
government policy and influencing the
working of administrative system
POLITICAL  One party system; two party system and multi
ENVIRONMENT party system;
 Party ideology – frame the policies and
programmes in the light of its ideology
 Structural base – geographical spreads
 Party manifesto
  5. Pressure groups – formal structure whose
members share common objectives
 Exerting pressure on political and
administrative functionaries
 As instrument to aggregate and articulate
POLITICAL interests to help in framing the governmental
ENVIRONMENT policies
 Supply public officials with much
information technical sort; the nature and
possible consequences of policy proposals
  6. Public opinion and mass media as well
as social media
 Public opinions  sometimes sufficiently
strong to impel government towards
particular policies; often imposes restraints
POLITICAL on what government can do
ENVIRONMENT  Mass media plays a significant role in
generating mass opinion regarding the wrong
deeds of the administration
  7. Coalition government – various coalition
partners try to pull the government in different
directions
 Create several compulsions (pressures) in the
smooth working of government
 Threaten to walk-out the coalition in the event
of non-acceptance of their demands
 Administration also influences the operation of
POLITICAL coalition government
ENVIRONMENT  Play a role in the smooth functioning of
coalition governments through the informal
groups in the administration which have liason
with different segments of the coalition
government
 Administration participates or retards the
coalition conflicts  whether the conflict is in
favour or against the interest of the
administration
 Utilising knowledge of your country case study,
explore the issues related to
 recruitment and training,
 administrative accountability and
DISCUSSION responsibility, and
 government administration.
How do these factors mesh with the political
ideology, social values, administrative
efficiency and overall development of the
country concerned
  STRUCTURAL FEATURES
 i). complicated organizational structures
 ii) transition
 iii) powerful bureaucracy
ADMINISTRATIVE
 iv) lacked of trained manpower
FEATURES:
 v) lack of advanced technology
DEVELOPING  vi) centralized administrative mechanism
COUNTRIES  vii) lack of popular participation
 viii) inadequate information machinery
  FUNCTIONAL FEATURES
 i) formalism
ADMINISTRATIVE
 ii) administrative corruption
FEATURES:
 iii) redtape
DEVELOPING  iv) nepotism
COUNTRIES
What's the origin of the phrase 'Red tape'?
Red tape - Legal and official documents have been bound with
red tape since the 17th century and continue to be so. The first
reference  the 1696-1715 Maryland Laws:

"The Map upon the Backside thereof sealed with his Excellency's
Seal at Arms on a Red Cross with Red Tape."

We now usually mean fussy or unnecessary bureaucracy when we

refer to 'red tape’.
  STRUCTURAL FEATURES
 stress on efficiency and management
 impact of technology

ADMINISTRATI  rational bureaucracy (norms and methods)

VE  responsible administration
FEATURES:  tendency towards more democratization
DEVELOPED  growing specialization – each structure
COUNTRIES performing or carrying out specific function
(mre differentiation among its structures and
functions)
 growing popular participation
  FUNCTIONAL FEATURES
ADMINISTRATI
 fair and impartial administration
VE  responsive administration
FEATURES:  administrative realism
DEVELOPED  procedural simplicity
COUNTRIES