Public administration is a field that has encountered and preserved numerous changes over the years. These unique changes and challenges justify the need to make public administration a discipline on its own, different from business administration. This paper discusses a brief history of public administration, followed by examining the similarities and differences between business administration and general administration. It is followed by theories, purposes, and practical realities unique to each of these fields. Therefore, the paper presents a rationalized examination that provides a better understanding of what public administration is all about. It gives the theories that have placed it in its domain.
II. History of Public Administration
Definition
According to the Meriam Webster dictionary, public administration is “a branch under political sciences that primarily deals with agencies' workings and structure with the responsibility of administering government functions. Page et al. (2017) indicates that Britannica defines public administration elaborately as “the directing, organizing, planning, controlling and coordinating of government operations”.
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Outcomes of Woodrow Wilson’s Contributions
Woodrow Wilson is considering the founder of the public administration field. He recognized that though the government sets deal and policy in the universal and excellent matter, the administration hands the small things and individual activities at the state level. Therefore, there was no need to subject the task implementation to the same policy-making forces as a public opinion (State University, n.d.). During that time, this early observation by Woodrow identified early that there was a need to have a separate branch of public administration different from other disciplines because the task identified as isolated and unique. Wilson’s idea did not stop with the need to appreciate and administration as a spate entity, but he also recognized the methodologies, making public administration successful. The first suggestion was the need to separate administration from politics.
C. The Role of Civil Service Reforms
Under Thomas Jefferson's regime, civil service reforms began that had a profound impact on the establishment of public administration with high standards all across the United States. Hyde et al. (2017) show that many changes took place during this time, including the goal of disbanding the spoils systems and shifting attention to the office rotation from office stability. The suffrage movement further contributed to better changes in justifying the social legitimacy for reforming proposals with the shift and evolution of the public moral overtone. As a result, the public was in support of these changes rather than opposing them. Therefore, the patronage decline assisted in the establishment of public administrates of high standards in the U.S Hyde et al. (2017) points out that from the drop, there was also the establishment of the Civil Service Commission that further perpetuated the association of the administration with its public personnel on matters of morality.
III. Business Administration Vs Public Administration
Theories
By looking at how the business administration theories have become incorporated into public administration, it is crucial to note the way classical theory of organizational management has influenced the current organizational management and culture. For example, the classical theory of organizational-management, according to Hyde et al. (2017), continues to be the foundation on which other organization theory schools have built their basic tenants in industrial engineering, economics and mechanical engineering. Their early theories' beliefs were a direct reflection of the values held by society in their times. Hyde et al. (2017) say that their views were harsh. The engineering, mechanical perspective on management considered employees as interchangeable parts to another to the whole, unlike considering them as individual people with unique strengths and talents. These early theorists also believed that employees should work like machines. Therefore, Hyde et al. (2017) conclude that the previous theories' primary concern was formal organizations' structure and anatomy.
On the other hand, modern structural organization theory has a more interpersonal perspective in viewing employees as human and not the organization's units. Current approaches consider employees as people and not objects, which is one-way organizational culture and management have correct the issues present in classical theories of executive leadership. Therefore, Baker (n.d) points out that the role of culture within an organization plays a significant role in facilitating organizational innovation, in accepting new perspectives and ideas. The modern theories have given the classical organizational-management theories the much-needed upgrade in valuing the employee’s creativity and innovation.
In my experience, I have come across the modern approach of organization-management, which places value on employees' creativity and innovation. I was working in a non-profit organization, where my colleagues and I had the opportunity to collaboratively work with each other in coming up with new ideas that would attract consumers, improve efficiency in the workplace and disseminate information on various critical issues to the public.
The purpose of public administration
The main focus of public administration in finance and marketing may involve making the company more competitive and increasing profits and sales.
Practical realities of public administration
People doing public administrations often work in local, state and federal government sectors. At the same time, those in business administration work in the private sectors.
IV Conclusion
There is a wide range of differences between public administration and business administration. The differences support and justify that there is a need for public administration to be a field on its own because of its unique contrasting, methodological business administration aspects.
References
Baker, K. (n.d.). Chapter 11. Organizational Culture. Retrieved on 21, March 2021 from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.439.8759&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Hyde, J.M.S.E.W.R.C.P.B.A. C. (2017). Introducing Public Administration. Retrieved from https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com#/books/9781317213925/
Kent State University. (n.d.). Woodrow Wilson: The Father of Public Administration.
Retrieved from https://onlinedegrees.kent.edu/political-science/master-ofpublic-administration/community/father-of-public-administration
Merriam-Webster.com. (n.d.). Public Administration. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/public administration
Page, E. C., Chapman, B., & Mosher, F. (2018) Public administration. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/public-administration
