Public Administration as a

Discipline Notes
A. Ancient Roots of Public Administration: Perspectives
from India (Kautilya’s Arthashastra)
Introduction

 Public administration is an old discipline that dates back to

ancient civilizations.

 Indian administration is one of the oldest administrative

systems in the world.

 The history of ancient Indian administration dates back to

the Harappan times and continued up to the establishment
of the Mughal administration.

 In ancient India, village administration was more important

than state administration, and it was rooted in the Vedic
times.

 The Ramayana and Mahabharata mention administrative

officers and departments.

 Kautilya's Arthashastra provides a detailed description of the

administration of the state, which was divided into
provinces, districts, villages, and urban and rural centers.

 Modern principles of administration have their roots in

ancient Indian administration, and coordination between
departments and hierarchy were present.

 Kautilya's Arthashastra is the most important work on public

administration in ancient India, written between 321 and
300 B.C.

EVOLUTION OF INDIAN ADMINISTRATION

 Indian Administration traces its earliest known form to the

tribal system which later evolves into a monarchical system.

 The early Vedic period saw many tribes electing their own
chiefs to handle their responsibilities and administration.
  The first form of the 'State' in India can be traced back to the
times of Manu, the first King according to Hinduism, who was
appointed to bring order to society and ensure mutual
benefit and justice.

 The Ramayana and Mahabharata/Later Vedic times portray

the role of the King as the whole and sole of administration
being helped by principal officers such as the Purohit and
Senani.

 Other figures of administration were Treasurer, Steward,

Spies and Messengers, Charioteer, and Superintendent of
Dices.

 Custom of the country prevailed as the law, and trials took

place where justice was delivered by the King in consultancy
with the Priest and Elders.

 By the time Kautilya wrote the ArthaShastra, the Indian

Administrative system was well-developed, and the treatise
of Kautilya gives a detailed account of the same.

KAUTILYA'S ARTHASHASTRA

 The Mauryan period, from ancient Indian history, saw major

development in Indian Administration, with decentralization
and village units being a key part of efficient administration.

 The Arthashastra, written by Kautilya between 321 and 300

BC, details the functioning of the chief executive,
bureaucracy, and public welfare in an autocratic agrarian
state.

 The State was viewed as an institutional necessity for

human advancement, and its prime function was to maintain
law and order.

 The empire was divided into a Home Province and outlying

provinces, with a feudal-federal type of organization.

 Corruption was dealt with severely, and there were two

courts, the civil cases court and criminal cases court.

 Agriculture was the mainstay, and taxes on goods were

levied. The King was the head, and his functions were
 military, judicial, legislative, and executive, similar to a
modern state's President.

WEAKNESSES OF THE KAUTILYAN STATE:

 Over charged with supervision - too much of checks and

balances.

 Prominence on individuals instead of institutions.

 Fundamental mistrust of officials.

 The guptas carried forward the Mauryan legacy of

administration in many respects.

KAUTILYAN ADMINISTRATION AND MODERN PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION

AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

 Kautilya's Arthashastra provides a clear system of

recruitment, job permanency, salaries, and terms and
conditions of service for government officials.
 The King appoints and dismisses personnel, divides the work
of government into different ministries, and stresses the
need for specialist and generalist personnel at different
levels of administration.
 The Arthashastra also emphasizes on the importance of
division of labour, coordination, and full accountability to the
King for efficient administration.
 It discusses local self-government that resembles a
precursor to the modern state local self-government model.
 Kautilya's approach is practical, focusing on amorality,
rationality, and efficiency, with a great deal of focus on
accountability, honesty, and vigilance in running a neutral
administration.

METHODOLOGY
  About the hermeneutics research methodology, which
involves interpreting and understanding ancient literature
and religious texts as well as contemporary texts and
systems of meaning.
 Hermeneutics extends beyond written documents to any
object subject to interpretation.
 The hermeneutic system includes investigating and
interpreting human behavior, including language, social
institutions, and ritual behaviors. Kautilya's Arthashastra,
written in Sanskrit, is interpreted in this paper in the context
of management.
 The sutra or aphorism system of teaching with any body of
language is a unique system developed and used for many
thousands of years.
 The text translates some of Kautilya's sutras or aphorisms
into the context of modern organizational management and
provides interpretation and explanation of the terms used in
the Arthashastra, such as the state as an organization, the
king as the CEO, ministers as department managers, kosh as
finances, danda as the administrative or management
system, durg as the security system, and bal as the
workforce.

Management and Kautilya’s Arthashastra

 It discusses how management is an interdisciplinary field

that draws on various fields such as psychology, sociology,
and economics.
 It also highlights how understanding organizational behavior
is crucial for human resource management, and how
effective management requires an in-depth knowledge of
past and present management models and theories.
 The Kautilya's Arthashastra is presented as a text that deals
with various aspects of management, including strategic
management, financial management, accounting, human
resource management, corporate governance, and social
responsibility.
  The first five sutras of Kautilya's text provide basic lessons in
the foundations of management, emphasizing the
importance of ethics, resources, organizations, self-
discipline, and training.
 To conclude, it also touches upon the Indian cultural
emphasis on ethical behavior, equitable distribution of
wealth, and the happiness of the many.

B. Modern PA: An overview of the theoretical journey

The theoretical journey of modern public administration,

organized by major eras and movements:

1. Era of Scientific Management and Classical Administration

(1890s-1920s)

 This era was characterized by a focus on efficiency and

effectiveness in government operations, inspired by
Frederick Winslow Taylor's principles of scientific
management in industry.
 Key figures in this era include Woodrow Wilson, who
emphasized the need for a trained and professional civil
service, and Max Weber, who introduced the concept of
bureaucracy as a rational and efficient form of organization.
2. Era of Behavioralist (1930s-1950s)

 This era shifted the focus of public administration from a

mechanistic view of bureaucracy to a more humanistic view,
emphasizing the role of individual behavior and motivation
in organizational performance.
 Key figures in this era include Mary Parker Follett, who
advocated for a more collaborative and participatory
approach to management, and Chester Barnard, who
emphasized the importance of informal organizations and
communication within bureaucracies.

3. Era of Systems Theory (1960s-1970s)

 This era expanded the focus of public administration to

include a systems perspective, which viewed organizations
as complex and interconnected systems that interact with
their environment.
 Key figures in this era include Herbert Simon, who
introduced the concept of bounded rationality and the
importance of decision-making processes in organizations,
and James Thompson, who developed the concept of
organizations as open systems.

4. Era of Public Choice Theory (1970s-1980s)

 This era brought a focus on the economic principles of

decision-making to public administration, emphasizing the
role of incentives and self-interest in government decision-
making.
 Key figures in this era include James Buchanan, who
developed the concept of public choice theory and the
importance of analyzing government decision-making in
terms of individual preferences, and Anthony Downs, who
introduced the concept of rational choice and the
importance of understanding the incentives that drive
individual behavior.
5. Era of New Public Management (1980s-1990s)

 This era brought a focus on the application of business

principles to public administration, emphasizing the
importance of performance measurement, accountability,
and market-based solutions.
 Key figures in this era include David Osborne and Ted
Gaebler, who introduced the concept of reinventing
government and the need for government to focus on
results and customer service, and Christopher Hood, who
developed the concept of new public management and the
importance of performance measurement and accountability
in government.

6. Era of Public Value Theory (2000s-present)

 This era has brought a renewed focus on the public value of

government, emphasizing the importance of public
participation, ethical decision-making, and social equity.
 Key figures in this era include Mark Moore, who introduced
the concept of public value and the need for government to
focus on outcomes that matter to the public, and Elinor
Ostrom, who developed the concept of collaborative
governance and the importance of involving stakeholders in
decision-making processes.

Overall, the theoretical journey of modern public administration

has been characterized by a shifting focus from efficiency and
effectiveness to human behavior and motivation, from
mechanistic views of bureaucracy to systems perspectives, from
economic principles of decision-making to performance
measurement and accountability, and from market-based
solutions to public value and social equity.
C. Principles of Public Administration

Public administration is the study and practice of managing

government operations and policies. Principles of public
administration are a set of fundamental beliefs that guide the
decision-making and actions of public administrators. These
principles are essential for effective and ethical public service
delivery. In this article, we will discuss the key principles of public
administration.

1. Responsiveness Responsiveness is a key principle of public

administration that focuses on the need for public officials to be
attentive to the concerns and needs of the public. It is the
responsibility of public administrators to respond to the needs and
expectations of citizens and stakeholders. The principle of
responsiveness is closely linked to the concept of accountability,
which requires public officials to answer to the public for their
actions.

2. Efficiency Efficiency is another important principle of public

administration. Public administrators must ensure that
government operations are conducted in the most efficient and
effective manner possible. This requires the efficient use of
resources, such as time, money, and personnel. The goal of
efficiency is to maximize the benefits of government services
while minimizing waste.
3. Effectiveness Effectiveness is a principle of public
administration that emphasizes the importance of achieving
desired outcomes. Public administrators must ensure that
government policies and programs are effective in achieving their
intended objectives. This requires the use of evidence-based
decision-making and rigorous evaluation methods to measure the
effectiveness of government interventions

administration in many respects.