Methodology or Approaches of public administration
To study different branches of knowledge we use two methods deductive and inductive. Under deductive method we proceed from general to the particular; on the contrary, in the inductive method the procedure is from particular to the general through Observation for collecting the data, its classification and the verification of hypothesis. No single method is enough for the study of Social Science. There we have to examine all possible methods or approaches to see which suits us most to reach the desired result. The different sets of results so obtained progressively illuminate our problems and give us an insight into the possible solutions. In case of Social Sciences, the word method is rather loosely used to connote a particular approach from which the discipline is studied. Therefore, we can only discuss the various approaches to the study of public administration rather than its method in the scientific sense of the term.
There are different schools regarding methodology of public administration. The chief among them can be classified as such:
1. Traditional Or Structural approach
2. Behavioural approach
3. System approach
1. Traditional approach
The traditional approach is called by various name like structural, legal, formal, historical, normative and descriptive approach. Its chief advocate are L.D.white, Willoughby, Enderson etc. Traditionalists presume that the principal problems of public administration arise from the legal structure of the organisation. It then presents interrelationship of Organisation in the historical perspective of the problems. The advocates of this approach, take the principles of organisation, plausibility of the organisation, and what the organisation needs as basis of their study. This school has been criticized as (i) this reduces the scope of public administration to the limit that it becomes difficult to call it a discipline, and (ii) these studies her so much descriptive that they lack observation and analysis.
This approach accepts the following methods of study of public administration:
1.Historical method
2. Legal method
3. Scientific method
4. Subject - matter method
5. Biographical method
6. Political method
1. Historical method = historical method is a traditional method of study of Social Sciences. It has been in vogue ever since man has developed literary tastes. However, the early thinkers hesitated in making use of this method, for they wanted to place public administration on the pedestal of mechanics. Thus instead of applying the historian's telescope the preferred to apply the law of mechanics.
Fortunately, of late, there is a revival of interest in the historical studies of public administration. L. D. White has described American Federal administration in its formative period through his four remarkable historical studies untitled the Federalists, Jeffersonians and Jacksonians and the Republican Era. Efforts are being made to utilise biographical and autobiographical studies to get a glimpse into the inside of Administrative organisation.
2. Legal method= this method of study is most popularly used in the European Continental countries viz. France, Belgium and Germany. These countries have long tradition of Administrative law. The latter includes the organisation and functions of public authorities and the problems of their correlation, powers and responsibilities. Thus, public administration therefore is considered to be part of Administrative law and as such, it is studied in legal framework.
3 scientific method = Like any other social Sciences, public administration makes use of the inductive method of proceeding from particular to the general through Observation for Collection of data, its classification and verification of hypothesis. The scientific method has helped to develop effective organisational techniques and management of budgeting and supply. Thus, administration was separated from politics. Although today the study of public administration has passed off the scope of scientific management fever, many techniques of other Management, Accounting etc. are still determined on the scientific principles.
However, there are authors who criticize this method for its Indifference to the human element in the public administration. Besides, public administration cannot be subjected to experiments in a science laboratory.
4. Subject matter method = this method instead of studying some general principles of public administration insists on the individual study of specific specialized services or their programmes. For example, education, defence,, police financing etc. which are specialized departments become the subject of study. In U.K and India this method is being used for quite a long time. Recently, at national level, in the administration of the USA this method has been used. The underlined philosophy behind this method is that organisation and administration are 2 effective means to achieve desired result. We cannot succeed by separating them.
5. Biographical method = this method resembles the historical method. Biographical method means the system of study of biographies of the experiences of famous senior officials. These may either be autobiographies or biographies, they reflect true and practical knowledge of Administrative Problems and their decision unlike USA and the UK. In India this system is not so developed. However recently some books like Banerji 's Under 2 Masters, Karl ' s The Untold story, Dharamvir's The memories of a civil servant have been published. This method has a drawback that the public workers lay greater emphasis on political affairs than the administrative activities.
6. Political Method = the political approach to public administration is based on the rejection of the politics~ administration dichotomy which the earlier American writers accepted as a technical approach. It rejects the view that the administration can we studied separately from the politics. Ultimately, administration is a political process which acts under a political structure. Administration is not an end in itself but a means. Thus, the requirements of good administration should be sought in the political system of a country. Administrative problems are always part of the political problems. Some of the leading American Scholars of public administration example John Gauss, Paul Appleby etc. have now frankly given up the non political view of public administration and approach it from the broadly political standpoint.
There are different schools regarding methodology of public administration. The chief among them can be classified as such:
1. Traditional Or Structural approach
2. Behavioural approach
3. System approach
1. Traditional approach
The traditional approach is called by various name like structural, legal, formal, historical, normative and descriptive approach. Its chief advocate are L.D.white, Willoughby, Enderson etc. Traditionalists presume that the principal problems of public administration arise from the legal structure of the organisation. It then presents interrelationship of Organisation in the historical perspective of the problems. The advocates of this approach, take the principles of organisation, plausibility of the organisation, and what the organisation needs as basis of their study. This school has been criticized as (i) this reduces the scope of public administration to the limit that it becomes difficult to call it a discipline, and (ii) these studies her so much descriptive that they lack observation and analysis.
This approach accepts the following methods of study of public administration:
1.Historical method
2. Legal method
3. Scientific method
4. Subject - matter method
5. Biographical method
6. Political method
1. Historical method = historical method is a traditional method of study of Social Sciences. It has been in vogue ever since man has developed literary tastes. However, the early thinkers hesitated in making use of this method, for they wanted to place public administration on the pedestal of mechanics. Thus instead of applying the historian's telescope the preferred to apply the law of mechanics.
Fortunately, of late, there is a revival of interest in the historical studies of public administration. L. D. White has described American Federal administration in its formative period through his four remarkable historical studies untitled the Federalists, Jeffersonians and Jacksonians and the Republican Era. Efforts are being made to utilise biographical and autobiographical studies to get a glimpse into the inside of Administrative organisation.
2. Legal method= this method of study is most popularly used in the European Continental countries viz. France, Belgium and Germany. These countries have long tradition of Administrative law. The latter includes the organisation and functions of public authorities and the problems of their correlation, powers and responsibilities. Thus, public administration therefore is considered to be part of Administrative law and as such, it is studied in legal framework.
3 scientific method = Like any other social Sciences, public administration makes use of the inductive method of proceeding from particular to the general through Observation for Collection of data, its classification and verification of hypothesis. The scientific method has helped to develop effective organisational techniques and management of budgeting and supply. Thus, administration was separated from politics. Although today the study of public administration has passed off the scope of scientific management fever, many techniques of other Management, Accounting etc. are still determined on the scientific principles.
However, there are authors who criticize this method for its Indifference to the human element in the public administration. Besides, public administration cannot be subjected to experiments in a science laboratory.
4. Subject matter method = this method instead of studying some general principles of public administration insists on the individual study of specific specialized services or their programmes. For example, education, defence,, police financing etc. which are specialized departments become the subject of study. In U.K and India this method is being used for quite a long time. Recently, at national level, in the administration of the USA this method has been used. The underlined philosophy behind this method is that organisation and administration are 2 effective means to achieve desired result. We cannot succeed by separating them.
5. Biographical method = this method resembles the historical method. Biographical method means the system of study of biographies of the experiences of famous senior officials. These may either be autobiographies or biographies, they reflect true and practical knowledge of Administrative Problems and their decision unlike USA and the UK. In India this system is not so developed. However recently some books like Banerji 's Under 2 Masters, Karl ' s The Untold story, Dharamvir's The memories of a civil servant have been published. This method has a drawback that the public workers lay greater emphasis on political affairs than the administrative activities.
6. Political Method = the political approach to public administration is based on the rejection of the politics~ administration dichotomy which the earlier American writers accepted as a technical approach. It rejects the view that the administration can we studied separately from the politics. Ultimately, administration is a political process which acts under a political structure. Administration is not an end in itself but a means. Thus, the requirements of good administration should be sought in the political system of a country. Administrative problems are always part of the political problems. Some of the leading American Scholars of public administration example John Gauss, Paul Appleby etc. have now frankly given up the non political view of public administration and approach it from the broadly political standpoint.
2. Behavioural approach
The behavioral School covers a method of examining Public Administration by studying individual and collective human behaviour in administrative situations. It follows an interdisciplinary approach which includes sociology, psychology, and cultural anthropology. This method can be distinguished from the traditional methods which approached administration from a single angle= historical legal or political.
This method originated in the USA and it was first used in social environments other than public administration. During the second world war, when wartime contacts brought public administrators, Businessman and social scientist close together, this method of study caught their eye. According to Smithburg the behavioral method of public administration has four main characteristics which are as follows;
1. The first is the increased attention to the individual and his relationship to the administrative organisation;
2. The second feature of the behavioral approach is the administrative organisation is studied as a social system. Formerly attention was concentrated exclusively to formal relationship... now informal relationships of man in the organisation receive equal attention;
3. Thirdly the replacement of the theory of sovereignty by that of legitimacy, and
4. Lastly the means of communication are changed from formal to informal ones.
According to behavioural approach the following methods of study of public administration are approved:
1. Psychological method= like other branches of political science, Psychology also began to influence the study of public administration. Human behaviour is the basis of public administration too, this psychology has much to contribute for its understanding. Miss Follett was a Pioneer to the application of psychological method to administration. She showed how the wishes, prejudices and values of the individuals and groups influence their behaviour in public administration. From the view of psychology, administration becomes essentially a problem of human relation. It is frequently applied to business administration.
2.Case method = again it is also a Peculiar contribution at the USA to the methodology of public administration. A case means any particular problems which has addison and been served in any administrative agency. It's study is concerned with the recording of the circumstances of a case, the procedure and the steps by which the decision is to be taken, the reasons for the decision;and the evaluation of the decision in the light of result which followed.
The success and possibility of the application of the case method depends upon the willing Cooperation Of administration with the scholar. He must furnish the necessary information to the scholar and should permit him to see the relevant files and records. In India there is much feeling of secrecy and non cooperation among the public officials, thus the method is not much successful.
3. The method of Quantitative measurement= this method of study is the principle method of exact Sciences. The quantitative measurement of data and results make a true scientific knowledge in any sphere possible. But this method is difficult to be used in the Social Sciences, for the latter are based on the element of values. Here the progress of Land Reforms cannot be judged and evaluated by land distribution or enactment of laws, but we have to see which class is benefited by it, and to what extent we have to considered its qualitative aspect as well. A British teacher of public administration tried to apply this scheme of measurement to the education service of his country, but failed. He then observed, much more requirement and elaboration would be needed before a practicable measurement plan could be evolved for education or for any particular service. (Prof W.S. STEER)
4. Ecological method= The ecological method of study public administration Lays emphasis upon the need for study of public administration and other problems of Administration in the light of concerning people and their environment. For the diversity of people and their Ecology, same administration or administrative activity fails to give same results.
3.System approach =
To David Eston now,post - behaviouralism era has begun. Besides, being a reaction against behaviouralism, system approach is different and independent. Today system approach is become popular and behaviouralism is being criticised for its validity and aimlessness. Different from both traditionalist and behaviourlists, system approach is a view which takes system to be its key.
The fundamentals of system approach has taken shape and can easily be recognised. Often they are called credo of relevance. The supporters of this approach accept that facts come before that technique; values should be developed, primary information should be sought which do not come in the sphere of science.
According to the system approach, the organisation is built to achieve some end. In an organisation its organs have their separate functions. But evaluation of their functions should be made on the whole. All parts of the organisation are interdependent and dynamic. In the Administrative structure there is a system of inputs and outputs which regulate the administrative system.
Conclusion
All these approaches have vast potentialities for development of the study of public administration. But none of them can be adequate by itself. The subject matter of Public Administration is so Complex and yet so unexplored that it needs to be touched from all angles. Really a synthetical approach is being developed in the USA. The various approaches should not, therefore, be viewed as Rivals contending for Monopoly but as the necessary compliments of one another.
The behavioral School covers a method of examining Public Administration by studying individual and collective human behaviour in administrative situations. It follows an interdisciplinary approach which includes sociology, psychology, and cultural anthropology. This method can be distinguished from the traditional methods which approached administration from a single angle= historical legal or political.
This method originated in the USA and it was first used in social environments other than public administration. During the second world war, when wartime contacts brought public administrators, Businessman and social scientist close together, this method of study caught their eye. According to Smithburg the behavioral method of public administration has four main characteristics which are as follows;
1. The first is the increased attention to the individual and his relationship to the administrative organisation;
2. The second feature of the behavioral approach is the administrative organisation is studied as a social system. Formerly attention was concentrated exclusively to formal relationship... now informal relationships of man in the organisation receive equal attention;
3. Thirdly the replacement of the theory of sovereignty by that of legitimacy, and
4. Lastly the means of communication are changed from formal to informal ones.
According to behavioural approach the following methods of study of public administration are approved:
1. Psychological method= like other branches of political science, Psychology also began to influence the study of public administration. Human behaviour is the basis of public administration too, this psychology has much to contribute for its understanding. Miss Follett was a Pioneer to the application of psychological method to administration. She showed how the wishes, prejudices and values of the individuals and groups influence their behaviour in public administration. From the view of psychology, administration becomes essentially a problem of human relation. It is frequently applied to business administration.
2.Case method = again it is also a Peculiar contribution at the USA to the methodology of public administration. A case means any particular problems which has addison and been served in any administrative agency. It's study is concerned with the recording of the circumstances of a case, the procedure and the steps by which the decision is to be taken, the reasons for the decision;and the evaluation of the decision in the light of result which followed.
The success and possibility of the application of the case method depends upon the willing Cooperation Of administration with the scholar. He must furnish the necessary information to the scholar and should permit him to see the relevant files and records. In India there is much feeling of secrecy and non cooperation among the public officials, thus the method is not much successful.
3. The method of Quantitative measurement= this method of study is the principle method of exact Sciences. The quantitative measurement of data and results make a true scientific knowledge in any sphere possible. But this method is difficult to be used in the Social Sciences, for the latter are based on the element of values. Here the progress of Land Reforms cannot be judged and evaluated by land distribution or enactment of laws, but we have to see which class is benefited by it, and to what extent we have to considered its qualitative aspect as well. A British teacher of public administration tried to apply this scheme of measurement to the education service of his country, but failed. He then observed, much more requirement and elaboration would be needed before a practicable measurement plan could be evolved for education or for any particular service. (Prof W.S. STEER)
4. Ecological method= The ecological method of study public administration Lays emphasis upon the need for study of public administration and other problems of Administration in the light of concerning people and their environment. For the diversity of people and their Ecology, same administration or administrative activity fails to give same results.
3.System approach =
To David Eston now,post - behaviouralism era has begun. Besides, being a reaction against behaviouralism, system approach is different and independent. Today system approach is become popular and behaviouralism is being criticised for its validity and aimlessness. Different from both traditionalist and behaviourlists, system approach is a view which takes system to be its key.
The fundamentals of system approach has taken shape and can easily be recognised. Often they are called credo of relevance. The supporters of this approach accept that facts come before that technique; values should be developed, primary information should be sought which do not come in the sphere of science.
According to the system approach, the organisation is built to achieve some end. In an organisation its organs have their separate functions. But evaluation of their functions should be made on the whole. All parts of the organisation are interdependent and dynamic. In the Administrative structure there is a system of inputs and outputs which regulate the administrative system.
Conclusion
All these approaches have vast potentialities for development of the study of public administration. But none of them can be adequate by itself. The subject matter of Public Administration is so Complex and yet so unexplored that it needs to be touched from all angles. Really a synthetical approach is being developed in the USA. The various approaches should not, therefore, be viewed as Rivals contending for Monopoly but as the necessary compliments of one another.
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