Applied Behavioral Science in Urban Administrative/Political Systems

Abstract

It is legitimate, if not novel, to assert that local government institutions must find ways to increase their effectiveness if they are to solve the pressing problems of this urban society. One of the aspects of government that needs improving is the administrative system. A variety of avenues to upgrading administration are being proposed and tested. These include accounting and decisionmaking tools based on computer technology, infusion of professional and technical expertise into problem areas, and federal support to create new ancillary organizations such as neighborhood organizations, metropolitan area coordinating groups, and pollution control agencies. The establishment of this latter variety of new organizations is apparently based at least in part on the assumption that existing local government structures cannot be relied on to do the job. Each critic of local government generates his own description of what is wrongdepending upon his own orientation and the perspective from which he views the community. From the point of view of applied behavioral science the problem looks something like this: Most governmental organizations were built upon and still fit reasonably well the traditional bureaucratic model. This form is characterized by an emphasis on efficiency and rationality, a pyramidal authority system (or command system), functional units clearly separated on the basis of mission, and a system of rules and procedures to direct and control the behavior of employees. This kind of system is a rational