Types of Public Administration

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According to major scholars, there are three main different types of public administration and
approaches to the field of public administration and management. Approaches or Theories of
public administration help us to understand the importance and functions of public
administration. Key types of public administration include; Classical Public Administration,
New Public Management, and lastly Postmodern Public Administration.

These theories offer different perspectives on how administrators and managers practice public
administration, including its relevance as an academic study. Public administration plays a major
role through its complex functions, mainly to improve economic growth, social development
promotion, infrastructure establishment, human development, policy formulation, and protecting
people’s interests through programs and outsourcing of partnerships to improve efficiency.
Below are the modern and classical theories of public administration which define types of
public administration.

Top 4 Theories of public administration

What are the different theories of public administration?

There are three different theories of public administration that help us to understand public
administration: Classical Public Administration Theory, New Public Management Theory,
and Postmodern Public Administration Theory

Classical Public Administration Theory

The classical theory of public administration, otherwise better known as the structural theory of
public administration, centers on major variables. It does not include other theories of
administration but promotes the managing of government institutions through the bureaucracy.
The authors of this, namely Henri Fayol and prominent social scientist Luther Gulick, explained
bureaucratic features, major importance, and elements of classical theory, including; Unity,
Efficiency, Atomism, Specialization, and Command.

New Public Management Theory

New public management is an ideological perspective that aims to improve organizational
performance. In New public management, reforms place an emphasis on the need to make
public Organizations business-like. NPM emphasizes that public organizations have become
competing entities with the private sector, hence there is a need for the adoption of a business
model.

New public management introduces important key elements to improve efficiency, by shifting
from the traditional model of administration. Importance of new public management, elements,
and characteristics, include; cutting the red tape, making a people-based economy, customer-
first business approach, and evaluation of the competition in the market.

Modern Theory of Public Administration

The modern theories of public administration today, place great emphasis on the more important
aspect of the behavioral process and quantitative analysis through theories borrowed from the
schools of thought. Theories of public administration can not function alone without the scope of
modern management theory which has changed the way public administrators perform duties,
and responsibilities, and look out for their jobs.

Advancements made by the modern theory of public administration include the promotion of
decentralization, cutting the red tape, focusing on efficiency, and a culture of putting the
customer first. The new public management theory modern theory of public administration,
enables managers and managerial systems to evolve into more effective ones from the
traditional models. The modern approach to public administration has been known to be a
theory that its main aim is to produce results through systems output.

Post-Modern Public Administration Theory

Postmodern public administration theory was founded by Charles Fox and Hugh Miller in the
year 1995. Post-modern public administration theory proposes discourse to improve the model
of public administration and enhance policy-making procedures and structures. The postmodern
theory of public administration has created another discipline, within its scope to manage
complexity.

Major efforts of this theory introduce a way to dive into empirical research, policy analysis, and
administrative discourse. Fox and Miller’s proposition through the post-modern theory of public
administration, methodologically broadens the sphere of public administration principle. It
generates a set of major empirical discoveries in public administration.

Significance of public administration in Nigeria

Public administration is an important aspect of our lives and for institutions managing the affairs
of government and the private sector. Previously we discussed the importance of public
administration in the world. But in this article, we narrow our topic and specifically focus on one
of the biggest countries in Africa, Nigeria. The Nigerian government relies on public
management and administration to effectively provide for and govern its citizens, also by making
sound policies for human development. Therefore thousands of people as about the importance
of public administration in Nigeria.
Core functions of public administration are that it helps in the proper implementation of
responsibilities, policies, advisory roles, and monitoring of public affairs, and processes, with
systems created to support the existence of public administration. You can learn about the core
functions of public administration in this article. Despite having similar roles to management,
administration, and new public management. Public administration plays an important
fundamental role in Nigeria today, from policy implementation, control, monitoring, provision of
social services, health care, food, relief, etc. to people.

Importance of public administration in Nigeria

The significance of public administration in Nigeria has been to play a crucial role in helping
federal agencies. These include; transportation, security, health, and human social service
providers. Public administrators in Nigeria and especially at the local level help to organize
procedures, and reduce efforts through new public management which has significant features
that help to improve public service delivery. Public administration services span every part of our
society from social, cultural, political, and economic.
 1. The first importance of public administration in Nigeria is to ensure the protection of
citizens and society through the maintenance of law and Oder. Public administration has
been part of the law-making process in Nigeria.

2. Public administration is important for the Nigerian government to perform checks and
balances on policies, impact, and effects they have on Citizens.

3. Public administration is implemented in government institutions, built on bureaucratic

principles. Administrators ensure there is efficiency and effectiveness in managing public
affairs.

4. Public administration controls the social, economic, cultural, and political aspects of
Nigerian society. These depend on public administration to effectively function.

5. In Nigeria, public administration is important for information provisional services to

citizens and operational businesses.

6. Public administration helps in the development of the country. Those who study public
administration find employment to offer public professional assistance

7. Public administration in Nigeria helps when creating monitoring policies for health status
to identify and prescribe viable solutions to health problems the community faces.

8. Public administrators mobilize the community through social work and groups to help
people with different needs.

9. Public administration helps the Nigerian government in policy-making and arraigning

affairs of society according to demand through the process of prioritizing

10. It’s important for organizations, government institutions, and non-governmental facilities
to properly organize work procedures and control.

Role of Public Administration in Democracy

Public refers to a process of administering policies and government affairs in the public sector.
Public administration is not profit-based, hence its duty has been to provide services to people.
So, public administrators help in policy formulation, monitoring, and controlling the economy and
work in different sections of the economy. Public administrators work mostly in government
agencies, which shows the importance of public administration in Democracy. Woodrow
Wilson defined public administration been a systematic process that involves the execution
of public affairs.

There’s a close correlation between providing quality public services through public
administration and democracy. The public sector works together, and shares processes,
systems, and procedures with the administration to become a valuable government to the
people. Even though administration and management are important to the functioning of the
organization. Woodrow Wilson proposed a distinction between politics and administration
through a principle commonly known as politics dichotomy.
Importance of Public Administration in Democracy

Role of Public Administration in Democracy includes the enhancement of government

values, protection of citizens, service delivery, strengthening bureaucratic structures, advising
government, and policymaking. Below is the importance of public administration in Democracy,
the roles, responsibilities, and duties it plays in a democracy, including the essential well-being
of society.

1. Enhances Government Values

Public administration helps with the established strong key values of public institutions. Policy
formulations, help in intensifying levels of expected values and responses from people. Public
administration continues to elevate the values of any government to ensure in any democratic
state, key components and values, which include rule of law, respect for human rights,
protection of citizens, free and fair elections, etc. are been followed.

2. Protection of Citizens

Democracy requires citizens to be protected from any harm, they have good food, shelter, and
basic human needs. Public administrators through different branches of government ensure
people get their required necessities for human development. Human protection be it from
political violence or violation of human rights is cardinal to the warfare of any person.

3. Service Delivery

Public administration contributes to the well-being of society and development by efficiently

making services available to people. In cases of any disaster, people might need new homes,
relocation, medication, etc. Through public choice theory, administrators are motivated by the
need to save and compassion and this can be seen in services provided to society. Public
administrators deliver these to people through policies and aid coming from foreign
organizations.

4. Strengthens Bureaucracy

There is a need for political legitimacy in government entities. Any government machinery must
be separated from the administration and policy-making branches, in order to effectively
promote transparency and accountability. Public administrators enhance the purpose of public
service by operating in bureaucratic systems which promote unique principles.
Bureaucratic systems depend on public administration in order to quickly respond to the needs
of people, practice professionalism, and repair and strengthen public values. Public
administration especially in management works together with bureaucracy to ensure the role of
human resource promotes recruitment on merit, division of labor, accountability, uniform
rules, responsibility,and chain of command. These are elements of
a bureaucratic organizational structure.

5. Advising Government

Public administrations play advisory roles to the government on policies and adjustments. In
most countries, the government is elected by the people through general elections. But the
accountability gets effectively implemented by public administrators, who guide government
officials on the needs of the people and health policies.
6. Policy Formulation

Public administration’s important role in society and democracy today has been that of
formulating sound policies. Administrators do not only make policies but monitor them while
strategizing and responding to feedback from people and making necessary adjustments.
Policies formulated can be legal, and economic-based to curb an economic downturn such as
inflation and monetary policies to boost local currencies.

7. Promotes Rule of Law

Rule of refers to an ideology that promotes equality. Any person must be treated the same by
law. Public administrators make laws that are universal and do not favor any or promote
favoritism. These rules promote a healthy economy, equal opportunities, reduce nepotism in
society and improve people’s lives because an important aspect for every person is the right to
be treated no different from others.

8. Efficiency

Efficiency refers to the process of avoiding the wastage of material and resources. The
importance of public administration in Democracy is to ensure policies available promote
conservation money, and decisions are made within the proposed budget capacity. Public
administration reduces time in doing something through decentralization and breaking down of
tasks as proposed through new public management (NPM). In a more general sense, elements
of new public management increase the ability to do things well, successfully, and without
waste. “Efficiency is thus not a goal in

9. Accountability

Accountability gets enhanced through public administration in democracy. Administrators play

an important role in terms of promoting good ethics and governance to ensure people are
treated as expected. Government is answerable and liable for the execution of what people
need so many things, such as policies, economic status, employment, infrastructure,
and environmental management. That’s the reason people desire democracy due to the fact,
that despite being machinery it can be held accountable if does not promote good
governance.

10. Professionalism

Democratic structures and institutions require professionalism and people working to be able to
uphold professional ethos, traits, and behavior. Democracy requires equality, fairness, and
people to be treated well therefore, the importance of public administration in democracy is to
improve the capacity of government machinery through advanced professional activity among
employees.

Conclusion:

Woodrow Wilson defined public administration as a process that involves the execution of
public affairs, policies, and law. Therefore, the importance of public administration in democracy
is to Enhance government values, ensure the protection of citizens, Strengthen bureaucracy,
Advise government, Policy formulation, and Promote rule of law, Efficiency,
Accountability, and Professionalism.

Functions of Public Administration

Public administration is a process of formulating policies, laws, and the affairs of society on
behalf of the government to the people. Therefore this article further enlightens the general
functions of public administration. Public administration is different and more advanced from
common basicadministration and management functions. Management only involves the
process of organizing, planning, directing, coordinating and controlling. But public administration
according to different scholars, is concerned with making of government policies and control of
those structure in charge of public affair, while regulating behavior of public servants.
Public administration plays an important administrative role for public sector organizations, it’s
involved also in the process of policymaking, control, and monitoring, including coordination
of human resource, mostly people working in an organization and information at national level.
• Read: Public Administration vs Management: What is the difference?
• Read: Importance of Public Administration

General Functions of Public Administration

Below are 5 generic processes of public administration responsible policymaking, promoting

common values among citizens, controlling government operations, budgetary planning, and
resource provision.

1. Policy Making

The most important generic function of public administration is the process of formulating
government policies. It’s of great significance and importance of public administration, especially
in politics anddemocracy due to process required in making government policies. A good policy
must uphold rule of law, promote fairness, development and security for people.

2. Controlling government operations

Public administration involves ensuring proper implementation, especially

for government policies and programs. Hence in order to enhance government capabilities,
one of the general functions of public administration, involves controlling government
operations. Through managerial functions, administrators have proper planning, resource
organizing, measures to help direct, and coordinating get properly implemented to attain
efficiency and effectiveness.

3. Budgetary Planning & Control

Government budgets require checks and balances, public administrators play an important
function in the process of Budgetary planning and control. Through the legislative, judiciary, or
executive wings of government. Deals with accounting information that gets processed in
democratic government to know how much was spent in the prior year and how that was done
to the performance of different ministries and public institutions.

4. Resource provision
Among the general functions of public administration, one that can not be ignored is the
provision of resources and utilization. Public administrators help in the act of providing food, in
case of hunger or famine to people in need, etc. They are in charge of preparations, forecasting,
and planning towards provision beforehand to ensure necessities, get properly utilized.

5. Determination of correct procedures

Public administration is responsible for the Determination of the proper process and ensures
positive exemplary behavior that does not promote nepotism, favoritism, violation of human
rights, and discrimination. Determination of correct procedure occurs during goal attainment and
delivery of services to reduce corruptive practices and bring behavior that helps to motivate
good behavior to help society and government achieve its goals.

Conclusion: Main general functions of public administration are Policy Making, Controlling
government operation, Budgetary Planning & Control, Resource provision, and Determination of
correct procedures.

Elements of New Public Management

What are the principles and elements of new public management? Principles of New public
Management include EFFICIENCY, MARKET-BASED, and EFFECTIVENESS, these are
common features of this paradigm. Elements of new public management are the core ethos and
ideologies which define this element in the field of administration and management. New public
management and its common Elements of new public management, aim to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of organizations. New public management has not been a mere
idea, but a paradigm shift from the traditional methods of administration to market-based
orientation for government-owned institutions.

Osborn, Christopher Hood, and Gaebler, reputable founding fathers of the New public
management approach, emphasized the need of reinventing government structures in their
book. Government institutions had greatly focused on Bureaucratic features back in the day,
hence being too slow and rigid to operate effectively.

Don’t Miss: New Public Management

The government only emphasized building formal organizations and managing government
through rules, hierarchy, recruitment of merit, and division of labor. But new public management
introduces advanced strategic management and reforms opposite to modern traditional
methods of public administration. It has become evident especially on the importance of New
public management (NPM) in the public service and how it helps transform structures from
traditional public administration. Organizations have significantly improved after implementing
these principles of New public Management below.
definition of new public management

Elements of New Public Managements

New public management has been just reforms but adjustments to the private sector. Proposes
more flexibility in the way government organizations operate and execute their services. Despite
being criticized for promoting profit-based motive in public service, its aim is to provide services
to people and not make money operate based on these elements of new public
management. 10 features of new public management in public administration

1. Administrators play the role of managers

Management has a role at the upper level of the organization in new public management.
Administrators work and perform the duties of managers throughout the organization. Not only
do they carry out implementation and control but also ensure desired results get
archived. Management’s relationship with an organization, plays an important role in new public
management and the goals of the organization. Organizations realized, that for things to work
there is need for NPM because it introduces an important aspect of management, therefore
improving the quality of services and quick delivery.

2. Organizational Flexibility

New public management helps in Creating more flexibility and improves organizational
dynamics. Elevates the arrangements and way of doing things within the organization by
focusing on measuring results and outputs. Work gets measured through targets and results as
opposed to people just being available for work.
3. Promotes Efficiency

New public management emphasizes the need to promote efficiency in public services. This is
to archive competitive advantage because government institutions now compete with the private
sector. To foster this ideology, new public management practices common in 3E’s economy
involves being familiar with the environment, efficiency, and lastly effectiveness.

4. Market Based Approach

The government under new public management is advised to take on actions that form market-
oriented models, in order to attain competitive advantage and improve efficiency. Public
administration through the old traditional models has been too bureaucratic, but the market-
based approach introduces complexity and flexibility to the government.

5. Decentralization

According to the new public management, Government plays an important role in service
delivery, therefore all the activities should be adequate and appropriate. People at a lower level
of management must be given an opportunity to strategize, implement and monitor policies until
an expected goal gets archived through decentralizing the roles, duties, and responsibilities of
managers.

6. Result Oriented

New public management promotes result-oriented methods and processes by measuring

outputs. Organization structures get divided to enhance productivity and introduction of
contracts in the public sector to help foster quality and expected behavior from employees. Each
individual becomes responsible for results, hence people work not towards archiving
organizational goals but job responsibilities.

7. Measures Outputs

This theory of new public management transforms the framework of the organization to focus on
outputs and not inputs. Organizations, tend to learn how to improve through delivery, a measure
of outputs, and customer feedback. Employees given duties become responsible for ensuring
implementation., improvement and monitoring.

8. Responsiveness

New public management promotes responsiveness of any administration. Encourages

managers to make sound decisions that should chnage internal and external processes
of public administration.Organizations need to be more responsive to the needs that arise from
social, economical, and other aspects of society including the political and technological
environment. Read on how Swot analysis can be implemented by modern organizations to
evaluate its weakness and strength. In today’s economy, it’s of great importance to evaluate the
corporate philosophy of environmental organizations.

9. Improves Bureaucracy
A new public management approach improves Bureaucratic structures. Does not focus on
bureaucratic processes and culture but brings in aspects of efficiency, effectiveness, and
complexity to shift the old culture of organizations to new modern methods.

10. Quality Service Delivery

Finally, New Public Management (NPM) is an improved scheme of public administration, which
improves quality service delivery. It’s an upgrade to the old methods, processes, and structures
which elevates ways of doing business for government institutions, public administration and
management. Through comparisons made with reference to the private sector, government
organizations produce more improved products and services with the adoption of new public
management (NPM)