Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Traditional public administration is traced back to the works of scholars like Max Weber,
Woodrow Wilson and Fredrick Taylor. This form of administration was mostly influenced
by Max Weber with his bureaucratic model and theory. Max Weber was a well-known
sociologist born in Germany in the year 1864. He came up with his bureaucratic model as
a way to trying of improve management in organizations.
‘Weber emphasized on top-down control in the form of monocratic hierarchy that is a
system of control in which policy is set at the top and carried out through a series of
offices, whereby every manager and employee are to report to one person in top
management and held accountable by that manager’ (Pfiffner, 2004, p. 1).
He encouraged that each manager should be accountable for whatever took place in their
office and that all should have one superior whom they reported to. Organizations had a
system of rules and regulations which they had to abide by for as long as they were in
those organizations. Employees when they joined organizations they were oriented of
how they should behave in the organization and what was expected of them.
Woodrow Wilson established the theory of the politics-administration dichotomy. His
argument was that there should be separation between politics and public administration.
He did not want administrationto beinfluenced by political interest instead of operating in
the interest of the people in a country.
‘The doctrine of dichotomy implied that the politicians and their direct appointees have the
right to make policy decisions for the polity but it is the duty of the bureaucrats to carry
those policies in good faith’ (Pfiffner, 2004, p. 2).
What is here called the traditional model of public administration was once a major reform
movement in its own right. Prior to the embedding of the traditional model into the public sectors of
many countries, starting in the latter part of the nineteenth century, public administration was carried
out largely by amateurs bound by personal loyalties to their leaders, sovereigns and politicians. With
the advent of the traditional model, the task of administration became a professional occupation
carried out by a distinct merit-based public service. Serving the public became a high calling, one
that required the best people available to form a distinct administrative elite within the society, and
that would always act according to the law and established precedents. Politicians might come and
go, but while the apparatus of government was in the hands of permanent officials, the transition
between regimes could be handled smoothly. Public administration as both theory and practice lasted
in most Western countries with remarkably little theoretical change until around the last quarter of
the twentieth century. Change did occur — public administration was not entirely static — but it did
not threaten the established paradigm.
Vacations. …
Leaves of absence. …
Busy seasons and special projects. …
The unexpected loss of an employee. …
Increased workloads. …
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Transportation.
Community and economic development.
Public health/social services.
Education/higher education.
Parks and recreation.
Housing.
Law enforcement and public safety.
Stops any further legal action being taken against the company by the creditors.
The business can continue to trade.
Employees jobs can be saved.
Stops the financial position of the company becoming worse, which in turn
reduces the risk to directors of wrongful trading claims.