MAINS : Sample Notes For Public Adminstration Optional

We must be able to answer:

• Why are we studying and what are these two
• Differences: what and why
• Similarities: what and why
• What do scholars think about it
• Role of public & private administrations in developed countries
• Role of public & private administrations in developing countries
• Respective roles in pre-LPG: divergence
• Respective roles in post-LPG: convergence
• Final analysis
• Ultimate aim
• Whither future and how should the change be directed (in both cases)

With the change in economic milieu world-over, the role of public and private sectors is being reviewed and reoriented to meet the emerging challenges of society.

DIFFERENCES

The difference in their values, objectives and contribution to society fundamentally differentiates the business of public and private administrations. Simon, Stamp and Drucker endorse this viewpoint.

• Service motive and general welfare of the public are the ends of public administration, while private administration by contrast, is basically oriented towards earning profit.
• Public administration operates under constitutional laws, rules and regulations. While the private administration works under market environment recognized by greater autonomy, competitiveness and freedom.
• Public Administration enables accessibility to all, any deviance is exposed to public gaze and censure. While discrimination on the other hand, is almost a part of business culture.
• Public administration is exceedingly complex, with lots of pulls and pressures and political directions. Private administration by contrast, is much more well-knit and single minded in operation.
• Urgency and comprehensiveness of functions ranging social, cultural and economic activities identifies the Public administration. Natural calamities and man-made disasters force the government to provide immediate relieves without waiting for the private sector to help.
• Efficiency criterion of private sector is guided by socially narrow tests of resource use, while effectiveness in terms of achieving specific policy goals assumes critical significance in public administration. "Managing for Performance" puts public administration at higher pedestal than the private administration.

SIMILARITIES

• Several aspects of public management are generic to both. There are many grey areas where the line of separation between the two is not well-marked.
• Organisational structures, managerial processes and office techniques are quite similar in the two.
• Hierarchy, planning, communication, budgeting and reporting are well-practiced in the two administrations.
• Fayol, Urwick and Follett believe that same principles can be applied to both irrespective of the size, description and purpose of the organisation.
• Lateral entry system in USA, movement of retired bureaucrats to private sector in Japan and the recently initiated lateral entry of public servants in private sector in India at higher levels well endorse the similarities in the two sectors.

ROLE IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

• In developed countries like USA, private administration plays an important role in economy and society. There is blurring of lines rather than a distinct bifurcation of responsibilities.
• In developing countries like India, public administration plays instrumental role in societal change while mixed role of both directs economic development.

CHANGING ROLE OVER TIME

The public-private relationship has undergone an overhauling change from divergence in pre-1990 period to convergence later on. While the public administration is adopting practices of private management, private administration increasingly subject to government regulation in public interest e.g. the 'Investment Commission' was constituted with corporate involvement to explore ways to attract investment in India. Corporate planning and performance budget have become the buzz words today, which clearly demonstrate their merging roles.



CONCLUSION

Ultimately the aim of governance is to provide people's self development and empowerment. Public and private administration are the tools to achieve this and by directing and accelerating the change in development enterprise. The public administration needs to be aggressively managerialized and given entrepreneur tilt, while private administration must realize that the whole enterprise can not just be about higher profits, there must also be a higher purpose.