Meaning, Scope and Significance of Public Administration | Public Administration Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

The term "administration" has been in use for a long time, dating back to the 15th century when it referred to the management of public affairs, particularly in relation to the church. The Roman Catholic Church was one of the earliest organizations to develop a formal administrative structure, with the Pope at the top and various officials overseeing different aspects of church governance. 

•  Over time, the concept of administration expanded beyond the church to include the management of state affairs. The Roman Empire, for example, had a complex administrative system to govern its vast territories. Similarly, the British Empire developed a sophisticated administrative framework to manage its colonies. In India, the Mughal Empire had a well-organized administrative system, which was later adopted and modified by the British during their rule.
• Today, administration is a critical aspect of governance at all levels, from local to global. Modern administrations are often characterized by bureaucracy, a system of government in which most of the important decisions are taken by officials rather than by elected representatives. Bureaucracy is based on the principles of rationality, legality, and impersonality, ensuring that decisions are made based on objective criteria rather than personal preferences. 

 In summary, administration has a long history and has evolved from the management of public affairs in the church to a complex system of governance in modern states. The principles of bureaucracy have become central to contemporary administration, ensuring efficiency and objectivity in decision-making. 

What is Administration?

1. As a Discipline:. field of study taught in colleges and universities.
2. As a Vocation:. profession requiring knowledge and training in a specialized area.
3. As a Process: The activities involved in implementing public policies to produce goods or services.
4. As a Synonym for 'Executive' or 'Government': Referring to a body in charge of affairs, like the Manmohan Singh Administration.

Definitions by Noted Writers:

E.N. Gladden: Administration means caring for people and managing affairs to achieve a conscious purpose.

Brooks Adams: Administration involves coordinating conflicting social energies into a unified organism.

Felix A. Nigro: Administration is organizing and using people and materials to accomplish a goal.

J.M. Pfiffner and R. Presthus: Administration involves organizing and directing resources to achieve desired outcomes.

L.D. White: The art of administration is directing, coordinating, and controlling people to achieve a purpose.

Luther Gullick: Administration is about getting things done and achieving defined objectives.

F.M. Marx: Administration is systematic action taken to achieve a conscious purpose by ordering affairs and using resources.

Herbert Simon, D.W. Smithburg, and V.A. Thompson: Administration is the activities of a group cooperating to accomplish common goals.

Essentials of Administration:

• Cooperative Effort: Administration involves collective effort towards a common purpose.
• Pursuit of Common Objectives: There must be a shared objective for administration to exist.

Technology of Social Relationships: Administration is considered a technology of social relationships, applicable to various settings like department stores, banks, universities, hospitals, and local governments.

Administration, Organisation, and Management

• Administration refers to the process of setting goals and objectives for the organization. It involves determining the broad policies under which the organization and its management will operate. Administration lays the foundation for what the organization aims to achieve.
• Organisation involves bringing together the necessary human resources, materials, tools, equipment, and working space in a systematic and effective manner. It is about creating a structure where all these elements are coordinated to achieve the desired objectives. The organisation is essentially the framework within which management operates.
• Management is the process of leading, guiding, and directing the organization towards the achievement of its goals. It involves making decisions, allocating resources, and ensuring that the organization operates efficiently and effectively. Management is responsible for the day-to-day operations and the implementation of the policies set by the administration. 

In simple terms:

• Administration sets the goals,
• Organisation provides the structure, and
• Management drives the process to achieve the objectives.

Different Views on Administration and Management:

• According to Peter Drucker: Management is linked to business activities that require economic performance, while administration is related to non-business activities like government functions. 
• Another Perspective: Administration involves routine tasks in familiar settings following established procedures, rules, and regulations. Management, on the other hand, is about dynamic, creative, and innovative functions like risk-taking. 
• Some Scholars' View: Administration is seen as a determinative function, setting the direction. Management is considered an executive function, focusing on implementing the broad policies set by administration. Organisation serves as the mechanism for coordination between administration and management. 

Public Administration: Meaning and Definitions

• Woodrow Wilson:  Public administration is the detailed and systematic application of law. Every specific application of law is an act of administration. 
• L.D. White:  Public administration consists of all operations aimed at fulfilling or enforcing public policy. This includes a wide range of activities such as delivering mail, selling public land, negotiating treaties, and more. It encompasses military and civil affairs, judicial work, and various government activities like police, education, health, and social security. Advanced civilizations require diverse professions and skills for public administration, including engineering, law, medicine, and teaching. 
• Percy Mc Queen: Public administration is related to the operations of government, whether at the local or central level. 
• Luther Gulick: Public administration is a part of the science of administration focused on government activities, primarily in the executive branch, but also includes aspects related to the legislative and judicial branches. 
• J.M Pfiffner: Administration involves coordinating people’s efforts to accomplish government tasks. 
• M. Ruthanaswami:  Public administration refers to the management of state affairs or local political institutions like municipal or district councils. It includes the actions of all government officials, from low-level staff to the head of state. 
• H.A. Simon, D.W. Smithburg, and V.A. Thompson:  Public administration, in common usage, refers to the activities of the executive branches of national, state, and local governments, government corporations, and certain specialized agencies. It excludes judicial and legislative agencies within the government and non-governmental administration. 
• Corson and Harris: Public administration is the action part of government, the means by which government purposes and goals are realized. 
• Dwight Waldo: Public administration is the art and science of management as applied to state affairs. 
• M.E. Dimock: Public administration concerns the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of government. The ‘what’ refers to technical knowledge of a field necessary for administrators to perform their tasks, while the ‘how’ refers to management principles guiding cooperative programs to success. Both aspects are essential and together form the synthesis called administration. 
• Nicholas Henry: Public administration is a combination of theory and practice aimed at understanding government and its relationship with society, promoting responsive public policies, and encouraging effective and efficient managerial practices. 
• F.A. Nigro and L.G. Nigro: Public administration is cooperative group effort in a public setting. 
  (i) It covers all three branches of government - executive, legislative, and judicial - and their inter-relationships. 
  (ii) It plays an important role in formulating public policy and is part of the political process. 
  (iii) Public administration is different from private administration in significant ways. 
  (iv) It is closely associated with private groups and individuals in providing community services. 

Scope of Public Administration

• Public Administration covers all government activities, making its scope as broad as state activity. 
• In modern welfare states, there are growing expectations for a variety of services and protections from the government. 
• Public Administration is responsible for providing welfare and social security services, managing government-owned industries, and regulating private industries. 
• It encompasses every area and activity within public policy, indicating a very wide scope in contemporary states. 

Scope of Public Administration as a Discipline:

• The scope of Public Administration as a discipline includes various aspects of study and analysis within the field. 
• (a) The POSDCoRB View
• Gullick defines the scope of Public Administration using the acronym POSDCoRB, which stands for: 
• (i) Planning: Outlining what needs to be done and how to do it. 
• (ii) Organisation: Establishing the structure of authority and coordination. 
• (iii) Staffing: Recruiting and training personnel. 
• (iv) Directing: Making decisions and issuing instructions. 
• (v) Coordinating: Integrating the work of various parts of the organization. 
• (vi) Reporting: Informing superiors about the progress and activities. 
• (vii) Budgeting: Planning and controlling finances. 
• (b) The Subject Matter View
• (i) Public Administration deals with both processes (like POSDCoRB) and substantive matters (like Defence, Education, Public Health, etc.).
• (ii) Different services have specialized techniques that are crucial for their efficiency, such as crime detection in Police Administration.
• (iii) Both POSDCoRB techniques and substantive concerns should be included in the study of Public Administration.

Conclusion on Scope:

• Public Administration is a mix of theory and practice, involving both decision-making and implementation. 
• (a) Lewis Meriam: Public Administration requires knowledge of both POSDCoRB techniques and the subject matter where these techniques are applied. 
• (b) Herbert Simon: Public Administration involves deciding and doing things, highlighting the importance of both aspects. 

Public and Private Administration

• Public administration is concerned with achieving state purposes as determined by the government, while private administration focuses on the administration of private business organizations. 
• Public administration is bureaucratic, political, and characterized by red tape, whereas private administration is business-like and non-political. 
• Public administration is regulated by common laws and regulations, controlled by legislative bodies, accountable to political masters, and operates on principles of marginal return. 
• Private administration, on the other hand, aims for profit, which is the main objective of business ventures. 
• Public administration has a broader scope, impact, and public accountability, and is subject to political direction and control. 
• Public administration is also differentiated by its public nature, subject to public scrutiny and outcry, and its involvement in policies and actions of immense complexity. 
• Public administration operates within a legal framework, ensuring consistency of treatment and public accountability, while private administration enjoys more flexibility and efficiency. 
• Public administration is larger in scale, complexity, and diversity of activities compared to private administration, which is often more efficient due to its profit motive and control over personnel. 

Similarities between Public and Private Administration:

• Both rely on common skills, techniques, and procedures, and have similar hierarchy and management systems. 
• The principle of profit motive is now applicable to public sector enterprises as well. 
• Private organizations have been influenced by public sector practices in personnel management, and both are subject to legal constraints and regulatory legislation. 
• Continuous improvement of internal working and service delivery is a common objective for both public and private administration. 
• Both serve the people, maintaining close contact for feedback and improvement of services. 

Overall, while public and private administration have distinct characteristics, they are becoming more alike in many respects, especially in the context of liberalization, privatization, and globalization.

Importance of Public Administration 

Importance of Public Administration as a Specialized Subject of Study:

• Woodrow Wilson emphasized the need to study administration due to the increasing complexities of society, the growing functions of the state, and the expansion of governments along democratic lines. He believed this necessitated a rethinking of how these functions should be performed effectively. 
• Wilson argued that the aim of studying administration is to determine what government can do successfully and how to do it with maximum efficiency and minimal cost, whether in terms of money or energy. 

Reasons for the Importance of Public Administration:

• Public Service Delivery: The primary objective of public administration is to deliver public services efficiently. Wilson's definition highlighted the importance of this discipline in promoting efficiency and pragmatism. 
• Historical Reforms: Various countries have established committees to address administrative issues and recommend improvements, such as the Haldane Committee in Britain and the Administrative Reforms Commission in India. 
• Evolving Perspectives: Reports and studies over the years, like the Fulton Committee Report and the World Development Report by the World Bank, have provided new insights into public administration, aligning it with contemporary needs. 
• Social Science Perspective: Public administration is seen as a cooperative social activity. Academic inquiry focuses on understanding the impact of government policies on society, inclusivity, and the effects of administrative actions on social structure, economy, and polity. 
• Interdisciplinary Approach: The discipline draws from various fields like History, Sociology, Economics, and Psychology to explain administrative phenomena rather than just prescribe solutions. 
• Special Status in Developing Countries: In post-colonial nations, public administration is crucial for rapid socio-economic development. This has led to the emergence of development administration as a sub-discipline aimed at studying and facilitating development in the Global South. 
• Significance in Daily Life: Public administration plays a vital role in citizens' lives, making its study essential for understanding government structure and activities. It fosters awareness of citizenship values. 

Importance of Public Administration as an Activity:

• Administrative State: Public administration has become a dominant and essential part of society, expanding its functions, which are increasingly positive and focused on human welfare, such as health, education, sanitation, and social security. 
• Government in Action: Woodrow Wilson and other scholars emphasized that administration is the most visible and operative part of government, crucial for social change, stability, and order. 
• Basis of Government: No government can function without administration, making it fundamental to governance. 
• Service Provision: Public administration is core to delivering basic services for the public, as highlighted by Felix A. Nigro. 
• Policy Implementation: Modern governments rely on public administration to translate policies, laws, and regulations into action, ensuring stability and continuity. 
• Social Change and Development: Especially in developing nations, public administration is expected to accelerate socio-economic change and development, requiring specialized and professional services. 
• Technical Expertise: The increasing number of government functions necessitates specialized technical services, with public administration encompassing a wide range of national occupations. 
• Preservation and Growth: Public administration is responsible for preserving polity, maintaining order, managing commercial services, ensuring growth, protecting vulnerable sections, and influencing public policies. 
• Welfare and Democratic State: The shift to a welfare and democratic state has expanded public administration's responsibilities to serve all societal sections and regulate private enterprises. 
• Industrial Revolution: The industrial revolution introduced new socio-economic challenges, requiring public administration to implement labour welfare laws and protect workers' rights. 
• Scientific and Technological Development: Advances in technology and communication have facilitated 'big government' and large-scale administration, improving service delivery. 
• Economic Planning: Centralized economic planning in developing countries demands extensive administrative machinery for effective implementation and monitoring. 
• Other Factors: Population growth, modern warfare, natural and manmade disasters, social unrest, and violence have further underscored the importance of public administration. 

 Overall, public administration is crucial not only as a governance instrument but also for community welfare, implementing developmental objectives, and ensuring public participation and accountability. 

Role of Public Administration under Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG) 

• Since the 1980s, many countries have embraced the concepts of liberalisation, privatisation, and globalisation (LPG). India also initiated LPG in the 1980s, leading to various forms of LPG, including the management of public sector enterprises by private companies and disinvestment in public sector enterprises. 
•  These changes have placed public sector enterprises in a competitive and challenging environment. However, the role of public administration under LPG remains significant. It requires dismantling old regimes of regulations, controls, and restrictions, and adopting a more investor-friendly, responsive, and transparent approach. 
•  This shift necessitates administrative reforms to eliminate redundant practices and corruption, affecting the role, values, and skills of public bureaucracy. The state’s functions are reduced, with minimal interference in individuals’ lives, transitioning to a regulatory role overseeing enterprises. Public administration is evolving towards governance rather than direct involvement, emphasizing enabling, collaborative, and regulatory roles. 
•  In core areas like defence, atomic energy, law and order, and foreign policy, the state retains a direct role. In sectors like telecommunications, airlines, and insurance, public administration competes with the private sector, requiring regulatory commissions for a level playing field. Partnerships with citizens and private sectors in areas like electricity, water, transport, and social welfare are also emerging, with public administration facilitating these collaborations. In the new millennium, public administration focuses on governance, coordinating efforts across governmental, market, and civil society sectors, with increased public participation and accountability for outcomes.

Conclusion

• The text discusses the significance of Public Administration as both a discipline and an activity. It highlights how developments in the field, driven by practical challenges and academic inquiries, have reinforced its relevance. 
• In today's world, the demands on government for public duties are increasing, making Public Administration essential for progress. Gerald E. Caiden's quote emphasizes the relationship between the activist role of government and the importance of Public Administration as a discipline. 
• As governments take on newer and wider responsibilities, the role of Public Administration becomes even more crucial, making it a vital branch of government. 
• Public Administration, as a growing field of knowledge and practice, strives to meet these challenges effectively.