Question

Essay on meaning scope and significance of public administration

Answer 1

YPublic administration is a segment of the larger field of administration. It is simply
regarded as bureaucracy, heedless to the fact that bureaucracy as a particular
organizational form is not only found in the government, but also in private and third-
sector organizations (Dhameja, 2003, p. 2). Public administration is a discipline which is
concerned with the organization and the formulation and implementation of public
policies for the welfare of the people. It functions in a political setting in order to
accomplish the goals and objectives, which are formulated by the political decision
makers. It is also called governmental administration as the adjective 'public' in the word
'public administration' means 'government'. The focus of public administration, thus, is
on public bureaucracy, i.e., bureaucratic or administrative organization of the
government.
Scope of Public Administration
There are two views regarding the scope of public administration, viz., (a) POSDCORB
View and (b) Subject Matter View:
• The POSDCORB View
This view of the scope of public administration was advocated by Luther Gulick. He
believed that administration consisted of seven elements. He summed up these elements
in the acronym 'POSDCORB', each letter of which implies one element of administration.
Luther Gulick explains these seven elements of administration (or functions of the chief
executive) in the following way:
P—Planning: working out in broad outline the things that need to be done and the
methods to be adopted for accomplishing the purpose in hand;
O—Organising: building up the structure of authority through which the entire work to
be done, is arranged into well-defined subdivisions, and co-ordination;
S—Staffing: appointing suitable persons to the various posts under the organization,
and the whole of personnel management;
D—Directing: making decisions and issuing orders and instructions embodying them for
the guidance of the staff;
Co—Coordinating: interrelating the various parts of the work and eliminating of
overlapping and conflict;
R—Reporting: keeping superiors and subordinates informed of what is going on, and
arranging for the collection of such information through inspection, research and
records; and
B—Budgeting: all that goes with budgeting in the form of fiscal planning, accounting
and control.
Significance of Public Administration
Public administration has become an essential segment of modem society, which has
witnessed the emergence of what administrative thinkers call as 'Administrative State'.
This means that every activity of individuals from 'Womb to tomb' is regulated and
controlled by the State agencies, that is, the administrative agencies. The significance of
public administration is increasing day by day as it has encompassed many new concepts
within its fold. The functions, which it performs have expanded in scale, range and
nature and is still increasing. It is necessary for not only maintaining public order, social
security, welfare and economic infrastructure but also for the delivery of goods in terms
of services like safety, utilities and enforcement of contractual obligations as also for
ensuring the rule of law and treating all the citizens equally. Its nature, contents and
scope – all go to make it the ‘heart of the problem of modern governments’ (White,
1958, p. xvi).
Public Administration is of utmost importance for the developing countries which has laid
down for itself numerous plans and programmes of social and economic development. In
developing democracies like India, which is striving hard to provide happiness and
prosperity to its large number of grieving and impoverished population, public
administration has not only become the instrument of change and development but also
a powerful agency for achieving national integration.