REVIEWER | BPA2003 Critiques
LECTURE #1 (1) Over-Simplifcation
INTRODUCTION
● Public administration plays a crucial role in
implementing laws, delivering public services,
regulating various activities, and essentially
maintaining the societal infrastructure.
● Effective public administration can contribute
to good governance, which in turn can lead to
sustainable development and social cohesion.
DEFINITION OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
(1) Leonard White (1995)
● “Public Administration consists of all those
operations having for their purpose, the
fulfillment or enforcement of public policy as
declared by competent authority”
(2) Woodrow Wilson (1889)
● “Public Administration is a detailed and
systematic application of law”.
● Every particular application of law is an act of
administration.
(3) Luther Gulick (1937)
● “Public administration is that part of the science
of administration, which has to do with the
government; it concerns itself primarily with the
executive branch where the work of the
government is done; though, there are obviously
problems also in connection with the legislature
and judicial branch”.
(4) Dwight Waldo (1967)
● “Public administration is the art and science of
management as applied to the affairs of state”.
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES
ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
● The idea of separating politics and
administration is a foundational concept in the
field of public administration and governance.
● This separation is often regarded as essential for
ensuring that administrative functions are
carried out effectively, efficiently, and without
undue influence from political considerations.
WOODROW WILSON’S DICHOTOMY
● President of the United States
● One of the first to articulate the need for a
separation between politics and administration
in his 1887 essay "The Study of Administration."
● Argued that politics is concerned with policy and
its formulation, while administration is
concerned with executing these policies.
● Separating the two would make administration
more scientific and professional, thus
improving government performance.
● One of the main criticisms is that Wilson's
dichotomy between politics and administration is
too simplistic. In real-world governance, politics
and administration are deeply intertwined
(2) Elitism
● Wilson’s notion of a professional administrative
class that is separate from the political system
can be seen as elitist and antidemocratic, since it
places significant power in the hands of
unelected officials.
(3) Ambiguity
● Wilson’s work leaves unclear the exact
mechanisms for ensuring that administrators,
although supposedly neutral, would be held
accountable for their actions.
(4) Cultural Bias
● Wilson's model was based on the American
system and often presumed to be universally
applicable, which critics argue is not always the
case, especially in non-Western countries with
different historical and cultural contexts.
FRANK GOODNOW’S IDEA
● Frank Goodnow, a legal scholar, expanded on
Wilson's ideas in his work "Politics and
Administration" (1900).
● Goodnow provided a detailed theoretical
framework for the separation of politics and
administration.
● He identified politics as the realm that
determines the state's will and administration
as the realm that puts that will into practice.
Critiques
(1) Prescriptive, Not Descriptive
● Goodnow's framework is often criticized for
being too normative, focusing on how things
should be rather than how they are
(2) Democratic Deficit
● Goodnow's approach can also be critiqued for
potentially sidelining the role of democratic
oversight in administration
(3) Legal Formalism
● Goodnow’s background in law led him to a
framework that highly respects formal legal
structures, but this can be critiqued for not fully
grappling with the messy realities of
governance, such as the influence of informal
networks and power dynamics.
(4) Lack of Emphasis on Skill Sets (1) Interconnectedness
● Goodnow was concerned more with the ● Policies often require administrative expertise
structural division between politics and for their formulation and political skills for their
administration rather than the skills and implementation.
competencies required for effective
administration. (2) Accountability
● If administration is completely separated from
(5) Historical Context political oversight, there could be a democratic
● Both Wilson and Goodnow wrote at a time when deficit where unelected bureaucrats make
administrative structures and theories were significant decisions without public input or
much less developed than they are today, and accountability.
so their works might not fully capture the
complexities and challenges of modern (3) Complexity
governance. ● Modern governance is too complex to neatly
divide into separate realms of politics and
DWIGHT WALDO’S CRITIQUE administration
● Dwight Waldo, in his 1948 work "The
Administrative State," argued that MODIFIED APPROACHES
administration is inherently political because it ● Because of the criticisms and complexities,
involves discretion, judgment, and modified approaches like the
decision-making that can't be completely "Politics-Administration Continuum" have been
separated from the policy or political realm. developed.
● He noted that many decisions administrators ● This approach suggests that politics and
make have political consequences, thus administration are not dichotomous but rather
blurring the lines between the two. exist on a continuum where some activities are
more political or administrative than others.
MAX WEBER’S BUREAUCRATIC THEORY
● A German sociologist
● Contributed significantly to the field of public
administration through his theory of
bureaucracy.
● Weber argued for a hierarchical, rational-legal
model of bureaucracy that is separate from
political interference.
● His ideal bureaucracy is characterized by
specialization, clearly defined roles, and
decision making based on rational principles
rather than political considerations.
● In Weber's model, bureaucrats are professionals
who execute their tasks in a neutral and efficient
manner.

DICHOTOMY MODEL
● This model reinforces the idea that politics and
administration should be separate spheres.
● According to this model, elected officials make
decisions based on values and the will of the
people (the “politics” side), and administrators
implement those decisions neutrally and
efficiently (the “administration” side)
● This model forms the foundation of what is often
taught in public administration programs.

CHALLENGES TO THE THEORY

Critics argue that it is impractical and even undesirable
to completely separate politics from administration for
several reasons:
 LECTURE #2
INTRODUCTION
● Management and bureaucracy have been
subjects of extensive study and theorization for
more than a century
● Several foundational theories have shaped our
understanding of organizations, their
functioning, and the management of people
within these entities.
FOUNDATIONAL THEORIES ON PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
● Scientific Management Theory
● Administrative Theory
● Bureaucratic Theory
● Human Relations Theory
● Contingency Theory
● Systems Theory
SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT THEORY
● Frederick Winslow Taylor
○ March 20, 1856 - March 21, 1915
○ American mechanical engineer
○ Father of Scientific Management
● Known as the father of scientific management,
also called "Taylorism.“
● The theory focused on improving economic
efficiency, especially labor productivity
● Believed that there is "one best way" to perform
a task and advocated for the use of scientific
methods to study work and determine the most
efficient way to perform specific tasks.
● Emphasized the importance of selecting,
training, teaching, and developing workers.
4 PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
● Using scientific methods to determine and
standardize the one best way of doing a job
● A clear division of tasks and responsibilities
● High pay for high-performing employees
● A hierarchy of authority and strict surveillance
of employees
ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY
● Henri Fayol (1841-1925)
● He proposed 14 principles of management,
such as unity of command (an employee should
have only one supervisor) and division of work
(specialization increases output by making
employees more skilled).
14 PRINCIPLES OF MANAGEMENT
● Division of Work
● Authority and Responsibility
● Discipline
● Unity of Command
● Unity of Direction
● Subordination of Individual Interest
● Remuneration
●
●
Centralization
Scalar Chain
● Order
● Equity
● Stability
● Initiative
● Esprit de Corps
CRITICISMS OF THE SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT
THEORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY
● Lack of Empirical Evidence
● Limited Applicability
● Overemphasis on the Structure
● Neglect of Human Factors
● Lack of Attention to External Environment
● Universality of Principles
● Lack of Flexibility
● Incomplete Management Framework
BUREAUCRATIC THEORY
● Weber described an ideal type of organization
he called a bureaucracy.
● It's characterized by a hierarchical structure,
formalized rules and regulations,
specialization, and an impersonal orientation.
● He believed that bureaucracy, when done right,
was the most efficient and rational way an
organization can be structured
HUMAN RELATIONS THEORY
● Emerged as a reaction to the mechanistic
perspective of earlier theories.
● Pioneered by Elton Mayo through the
Hawthorne Studies
● Emphasizes the importance of social factors at
work, such as group norms and relationships, as
opposed to just the physical and economic
conditions.
● Postulates that employees have social and
psychological needs, and addressing these
leads to increased motivation and productivity.
CONTINGENCY THEORY
● Fred Edward Fiedler was one of the leading
researchers of industrial and organizational
psychology in the 20th century
● Contingency theorists believe there's no
one-size-fits-all approach to management
● The optimal organization, leadership, or
decision-making style depends on various
internal and external constraints or
contingencies
SYSTEMS THEORY
● Views an organization as a complex set of
interrelated parts
● Emphasizes the importance of understanding
the interrelationships among these parts and
how changes in one part can impact others.
 ● Recognizes that organizations are open
systems that are in a constant state of
interaction with their environment.
CHALLENGES TO THE THEORY
Over the years, various theories have been developed to
understand and improve public administration, but like
any field of study, these foundational theories face
certain challenges.
(1) Complexity of the Modern State
● Modern public organizations operate in highly
complex and uncertain environments that may
not fit neatly within the classical bureaucratic
paradigm.
(2) Globalization
● The impact of globalization means that many
public administration challenges are no longer
purely local or national but have international
implications
● Theories need to adapt to this new reality,
integrating international cooperation,
standards, and networks
(3) Rise of New Public Management
● New Public Management emerged as an
alternative to traditional public administration,
emphasizing efficiency, competition, and
market based approaches
● That raises debates about the balance between
efficiency and other public values.
(8) Ambiguity in Roles
● The boundary between the public and private
sectors is becoming increasingly blurred, with
more public services being delivered by private
entities or through public-private partnerships.
● This challenges traditional notions of public
administration.
(9) Changing Nature of Leadership
● Traditional hierarchical models of leadership are
being challenged by more collaborative,
network-based approaches
(10) Crisis Management
● Increasingly, public administrators are required
to deal with emergencies and crises, from
pandemics to natural disasters, which might not
be adequately addressed in older models of
public administration
(11) Evolving Public Expectations
● As societies change, so do their expectations of
public services.
● Citizens increasingly demand more
personalized, efficient, and transparent
services.

(4) Technological Change

● Digital transformation, big data, and AI bring
both opportunities and challenges.
● While technology can enhance efficiency and
responsiveness, it also presents challenges
related to privacy, data security, and digital
divide issues

(5) Democratic Participation and Accountability

● There's a push for more direct citizen
involvement in governance, which challenges
traditional representative models.
● This raises questions about the role of
bureaucrats and their relationship with the public

(6) Ethical Challenges

● Issues like corruption, whistleblowing, and the
balance between transparency and secrecy
continually challenge the ethical frameworks of
public administration.

(7) Diversity and Inclusion

● Modern societies are diverse, and there's
increasing pressure for public organizations to
reflect that diversity and be inclusive.
● This requires theories to evolve to address these
issues adequately