The Role of Public Administration in Managing War Between Russia and Ukraine

Abstract

Every country at peace has the potential to be at war; likewise, countries at war (cold or hot) have the potential to experience peace. Either way, public administration appears to be the only constant factor; hence the main aim of examining its role in managing the war between Russia and Ukraine. The study was anchored on the theory of administrative behaviour. A qualitative research design was adopted in this study. Data for the study were obtained from secondary sources. The research objectives were to: establish the role of public administration in the management of war; and compare how public administration has shaped the management of war in Ukraine and Russia. Findings from this study revealed among others, that public administration in wartime plays a role in entrenching a harmonious society by taking advantage of the opportunities to create a stable social environment. For instance, while public administration in Russia plays the role of justifying the invasion of Ukraine and causing war, it plays the role of justifying defence in Ukraine and showing citizens the efforts of the government in ensuring they are safe amid ‘instability’. To this end, countries or nations of the world should not only learn from this war but strengthen their respective public administration institutions for effective and efficient service utilization.