MG214

Principles of Public Sector Management

Chapter 3: Traditional Model of Public
Administration

By:
Dr. Suwastika Naidu, School of Management and
Public Administration, Private Mail Bag, Suva,
Fiji Islands
 1.0 Learning Objectives
1. Explain the phases of government intervention
2. Outline the early evolution of public
administration.
3. Critically examine the six major principles of
authority as polarized by Max Weber.
 2.0 Introduction
• Public administration as both theory and practice
lasted in most Western countries with
extraordinarily little theoretical change until last ¼
of the 20th century.
• Change occurred but did not threaten the
established paradigm
• Traditional model remains the longest standing
and most successful theory of management in the
public sector.
 Adam Smith also believed
that govt. should stay out of
economic life

Began in Germany in 188

Chancellor Otto von Bisma
saw electrol advantage
expanding welfare
Phases of
government
Intervention

Reaction to excesses of laissez-faire

capitalism which Marx & others asserted in
the mid 19th century as there were
contradictions within capitalism that led
permanently to exploitation of labor
3.0 Early Administration
4.0 Reforms of the 19th century
• Traditional model
influenced by
Woodrow Wilson
in USA key activist
in the US reform
movement and Max
Weber in Europe
 4.0 Reforms of the 19th century
Wilson Weber

Politicians should be responsible for Set out theory of bureaucracy, the idea
making policies . of a distinct, professional public
Administration would be responsible service, recruited and appointed based
for carrying it out. on merit and politically neutrality.
4.0 Reforms of the 19th century
• Later principles of scientific management
developed by Fredrick Taylor were adopted
in public Sector (Kettl, 2002).

• All 3 were responsible for the main

influences on the traditional model of
public administration.
 5.0 Weber’s theory of
bureaucracy
• Most important theoretical principle of
traditional model of administration
• 3 types of Authority:
– Traditional – authority of tribal chief
– Charismatic- appeal of an extraordinary leader
– Rational and Legal Authority- legal statute,
rationally created rules
 5.0 Weber's Principles of
Authority
• Weber noted six major principles.
1. A formal hierarchical structure
Each level controls the level below and is controlled by
the level above. A formal hierarchy is the basis of
central planning and centralized decision making.
2. Management by rules
Controlling by rules allows decisions made at high levels
to be executed consistently by all lower levels.
 5.0 Weber's Principles of
Authority
• Weber noted six major principles.
3. Organization by functional specialty
Work is to be done by specialists, and people are organized into units
based on the type of work they do or skills they have.
4. An "up-focused" or "in-focused" mission
If the mission is described as "up-focused," then the organization's
purpose is to serve the stockholders, the board, or whatever agency
empowered it. If the mission is to serve the organization itself, and
those within it, e.g., to produce high profits, to gain market share, or to
produce a cash stream, then the mission is described as "in-focused."
 5.0 Weber's Principles of
Authority
Weber noted six major principles.
5. Purposely impersonal
The idea is to treat all employees equally and customers
equally, and not be influenced by individual differences.
6. Employment based on technical qualifications
(There may also be protection from arbitrary dismissal.)
The bureaucratic form, according to Parkinson, has another
attribute.
 5.0 Weber's Principles of
Authority
• Weber noted six major principles.
• 7. Predisposition to grow in staff "above the line."
• Weber failed to notice this, but C. Northcote Parkinson found it so
common that he made it the basis of his "Parkinson's law." Parkinson
demonstrated that the management and professional staff tends to
grow at predictable rates, almost without regard to what the line
organization is doing.
• The bureaucratic form is so common that most people accept it as the
normal way of organizing almost any endeavor. People in bureaucratic
organizations generally blame the ugly side effects of bureaucracy on
management, or the founders, or the owners, without awareness that
the real cause is the organizing form.
 6.0 Key Concepts
• Webers Principles of Authority
• Left wing
• Right wing
• Public sector
• Private sector
• Collective goods
• Externalities
• Natural monopoly
 7.0 End of Chapter Questions
• What are the key Weber's Principles of Authority?
• What are the three important phases of
government intervention?
• What are the three main types of authority as
postulated under the Weber's Theory of
Bureaucracy?
• Discuss the contribution by the Wilson and Weber
to the Traditional?