The environment of public administration

 

When many people think of public administration as an activity, they visualize large offices crammed with rows of faceless bureaucrats sitting at desks and producing an endless stream of paperwork. But this view captures only few of the important things that professional civil servants actually do.

Public administration also has many more participants, such as the executive, the legislature, the courts, and organized groups, which are involved in the formulation and implementation of public policy. And if a public administrator focuses the attention on only some of them then others may become neglected and that may lead to the jeopardy of the entire program.

Summing up what has been said, it is important to underline that the theory of public administration is very diverse, is rapidly developing and depends much on what we know about why humans behave as they do when they interact with each other.

 

Ex. 2. Read the text again for understanding its main points and answer the 10 "What"-questions given bellow:

1) What does the theory of public administration as an interdisciplinary subject take into account?

2) What do the terms public and private convey to the general public?

3) What is a dominant form of administration?

4) What can be done to motivate employees?

5) What should each employee be provided with?

6) What are the main principles according to which employees are hired and promoted?

7) What dilemma do both public and private organizations have?

8) What do individuals bring to organizations?

9) What are the participants of public administration?

10) What are the tangible dimensions of an organization?

 

Ex. 3. Now read the text for detailed information to complete the following sentences and develop the idea:

1) Managers of private organizations are commonly pictured ….

2) Each employee is accountable ….

3) Organisations hire and promote employees taking into account ….

4) Most work in organisations is a mix of ….

5) People’s activity in informal groups ….

6) Routine jobs can generate ….

7) Both in business and government organisations bureaucracy is ….

8) Food, shelter, health care and … are … needs of individuals.

9) It may lead to … if a public administrator focuses the attention …

10) … are rewards which are distributed by managerial staff.

 

Ex. 4. Answer the following 'Why'-questions:

1) Public organizations are commonly pictured wasteful and private ones efficient. Why don’t these perceptions withstand careful scrutiny?

2) Bureaucracy has promise but it may also create problems and abuses of power. Why?

3) Why is stability need said to dominate in organizations?

4) Why fundamental, spiritual or individual needs should be first taken into account to encourage innovative performance?

5) Why is an adequate system of rewards a powerful incentive for above-average performance?

6) Why do people’s activities in informal groups have a profound effect on their work? Are they as important as formal assignments?

7) Organisations are said to be cultural and meaning systems as well as places for work. Are you for or against it? Why?

8) Why do many people thinking of public administration as an activity visualize large offices crammed with rows of faceless bureaucrats sitting at desks and producing an endless stream of paperwork?

 

D. Post-reading Exercises

 

Language Study

 

Ex. 1. Match the words to their definitions:

1) dominant 2) scrutiny 3) profit, v 4) unemployed 5) lack, n 6) security 7) promote 8) executive, n 9) motivate 10) jeopardize 11) red tape 12) effect, n

a) having no work in return for salary or wages; b) to expose to loss or danger; c) the deficiency or complete absence of something; d) having the most control or influence; e) cause to act; f) a manager or administrator in an organization; g) the state of being safe or free from danger; h) a careful examination or a penetrating glance; i) to gain an advantage or a financial reward; j) to support, to give a higher rank or position; k) routines which may cause a delay in process; l) something produced by a cause.

 

Ex. 2. Give synonyms to the words given below in italics or briefly explain their meaning:

1) Bureaucracy is a dominant form of administration, both in business and government organizations.

2) The perceptions that public organizations are wasteful and private ones are efficient do no withstand careful scrutiny.

3) Hard-nosed managers are commonly pictured to worry about profit and consumers.

4) The despair of the unemployed goes deeper than financial worries.

5) Routine jobs can generate lack of interest and boredom.

6) Food, shelter, health care, and future security are fundamental needs of individuals.

7) Employees are hired and promoted based on their skills and training.

8) Public administration has a number of participants, such as the executive, the legislature, the courts, and organized groups.

9) To encourage dependable and innovative performance organizations must motivate people and satisfy them.

10) It may jeopardize the entire program if a public administrator focuses his attention on only some of his duties and neglects others.

 

Ex. 3. Insert prepositions where necessary:

1) Private organizations are commonly pictured to be run by hard-nosed managers who worry … profits and consumers.

2) Both types of organizations, private and public, have much … common.

3) Both organizations, especially public ones are crowded … individuals who bring … organizations a complex mix of need.

4) Fundamental needs of individuals are bought … money earned … work.

5) People … informal groups get together to share … common interests, not to work, but nevertheless, these activities have a profound effect … their work.

6) When people think … public administration as an activity they visualize faceless bureaucrats sitting … desks and producing … an endless stream of paperwork.

7) In case a public administrator focuses the attention … only some of his duties and neglects … others, that may lead … the jeopardy … the entire program.

8) Each employee in an organization is accountable … the top executive … a chain of commands.

 

Ex. 4. What is the English for:

A 1) волокита, бюрократизм 2) служащий 3) злоупотребление (властью) 4) прибыль, выгода 5) исполнять (обязанности) 6) противостоять 7) заявлять 8) гарантировать, обеспечивать 9) удовлетворять (запросы) 10) недостаток, отсутствие

B 1) не выдерживать пристального (внимательного) изучения 2) создавать проволочки (задержки) в работе 3) нанимать и продвигать сотрудников (по служебной лестнице) 4) объявить о банкротстве 5) система поощрений 6) вызывать недостаток интереса и скуку 7) комплекс сотрудничества и взаимозависимости 8) иметь общие интересы 9) реальные (ощутимые) размеры 10) сконцентрировать внимание на …

 

Pre-discussion

 

Ex. 1. Retell the text finishing the following sentences and adding 4-5 phrases of your own:

1) The text under discussion deals with …

2) Primary attention in the text is paid to the basic aspects of organization theory which involves …

3) Bureaucracy, being a dominant form of administration is generally defined as …

4) To attract and keep individuals, to encourage dependable and innovative performance …

5) Public administration is an activity involving a lot of participants …

 

Ex. 2. Translate into English:

1) Принято считать, что государственные организации расточительны, а частные эффективны, и все же это восприятие не выдерживает пристального изучения.

2) Государственные и частные организации имеют много общего. Например, и те и другие нанимают и продвигают сотрудников по службе в соответствии с их знаниями и умениями.

3) И те, и другие организации, в особенности государственные, очень многочисленны (по количеству сотрудников).

4) Материальные потребности личности, такие как потребности в еде, жилище, медицинском обслуживании, уверенности в будущем удовлетворяются за счет средств, заработанных посредством выполнения определенных обязанностей.

5) Люди объединяются в неформальные группы по признаку общности интересов. Это могут быть спорт, музыка или любая другая деятельность вне работы.

 

Ex.3. Render into English:

Термин «государственное управление» широко используется в научной литературе, а также в законодательстве многих стран. Более 70 лет он употреблялся и у нас, давая тем самым конституционные основания для выделения данного вида государственной деятельности.

Оценка и анализ состояния государственного управления Республики Беларусь и поиски решений повышения его результативности на данный момент затруднены, так как нет окончательной ясности по ряду общественно-политических и особенно обострившихся экономических проблем. Прежде всего мы должны ответить на принципиальные вопросы, без ясного понимания ответов на которые государственное управление как технология их реализации не имеет большого значения:

1. В каком направлении мы движемся?

… на данном этапе идет реструктуризация общественно-экономической формации, произошел переход к частной собственности, мы находимся в плоскости рыночных отношений и живем в демократической стране со всеми недостатками этой модели в рамках нашего, специфического общества. Но данные ценности и завоевания являются общим выбором и весьма неопределенным. На основе выбора в пользу данных ценностей нельзя построить и сформулировать новую концепцию государственного управления. Надо определить специфику нашего общества и выделить общее и частное в рамках мирового опыта, принимая во внимание огромный спектр факторов от исторической специфики до особенностей менталитета.

2. В чем истоки преобразуемого нами общества?

Этот вопрос органически связан с предыдущим, так как выбор пути включает в себя отбор и сохранение элементов накопленных знаний и их целевое использование. Ведь нельзя полностью отторгать идеи социализма и считать, что они не востребованы. Многие идеи и принципы социализма взяты и практически реализованы во многих странах. Только при условии глубокого и критического анализа можно вычленить, что является функциональным для развития будущего общества, а что выявило свою несостоятельность. Необходимо ранжировать общественные элементы, произвести их селекцию, выделить те, которые могут быть адаптированы.

3. Какие действия нужно совершать в переходный период?

Достижение любых целей всегда связано с использованием соответствующих средств, ресурсов, форм и методов, которые в определенной мере накладывают отпечаток на конечный результат. В современном обществе накоплен большой опыт действий по выходу из кризисного состояния. Но рассмотрение переходного общества через призму аналогий теряет свою проблематику без учета специфики страны, на материале которой делается анализ.

… Цели государственного управления на этапе создания сильной и процветающей Беларуси:

• обеспечение внутренней и внешней безопасности страны;

• развитие и укрепление общественных институтов, обеспечивающих устойчивое и надежное демократическое развитие страны;

• конституционная защита прав и свобод граждан РБ, общая административно-правовая регуляция;

• формирование государственной политики, направленной на повышение благосостояния людей;

• поддержание позитивной экологической обстановки;

• поддержание рыночных механизмов;

• грамотное, взаимовыгодное сотрудничество регионов и центра.

Перечислены весьма общие цели, которым призвано служить государственное управление.

( Князев С.Н, 2002: 27-29)

 

E. Additional Reading

 

CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEMS

 

Civil service organizations exhibit different organizing principles. The four widely accepted principles are:

1. The intricacies of administrative work requires expert knowledge and the organization of a special workforce.

The civil service is now recognized as a profession all over the world, even in countries that previously did not differentiate politics and administration from other kinds of work.

2. Entry into the civil service and subsequent promotions should be based on merit and fitness alone.

While the merit principle is accepted universally, issues often arise about the definition of merit. Many countries hold competitive examinations for recruitment to the managerial posts, but how far these examinations and tests can measure future potential and qualities such as integrity, commitment to duty and impartiality is debatable.

3. The civil service should provide a secure career on a lifetime basis.

In almost all countries, civil service systems provide a secure lifetime career. It is only in rare cases that incoming governments have been known to dismiss officials. The reasons given were usually corruption, unsatisfactory performance and abuse of authority, and the numbers involved were extremely small in relation to the overall size of the civil service.

4. The civil service should strictly adhere to political neutrality.

Civil services usually continue to serve governments, irrespective of how the latter came into power. There are few instances of officials disagreeing with government policies or resigning in protest. In fact, the civil service has been generally ruler dominated and willing to serve all governments, especially when their interests are not threatened. In rare instances where their interests have been threatened, they have recouped their lost position through subsequent regimes.

(Abridged from Rethinking Public Administration: Overview: pp. 69-70)

 

F. Discussion

 

Ex. 1. Express your attitude to the following statements. List your pros and cons:

1) "Public organisations are wasteful, private ones are efficient".

2) "Most work in organisations depends on ensemble rather than solo effort."

3) "Professional civil servants are faceless bureaucrats producing an endless stream of paperwork."

 

Ex. 2. Give your viewpoint on the following questions:

1) A young specialist, apart from possessing profound knowledge of law or economics, is sure to know the theory of public administration. Why?

2) The organisation theory viewы an organisation as bureaucracy, human relations, a structure of subgroups, etc. Why?

3) What is the most adequate system of rewards which should be introduced in a business organisation to attract and motivate employees? Why?

 

H. Writing