Public Administration Management Research Articles

The Trace of Professionalization in the South African Public Service Amendment Bill and Public Administration Management Bill: A Comparative Analysis

The South African public sector has over the years seen erosion of professionalization and proliferation of corruption which is perpetuated largely through supply chain management processes. Politicians, officials, and business people are equally involved in the corrupt practices and more than anything it is driven by greed and indifference to the needs of the poverty-stricken communities. What is even worse is that the money stolen is meant to serve poor people and is stolen by relatively rich people. Erosion of ethical governance in the public sector has directly affected professionalization of the public service. Employees who do not qualify or meet the requirements are appointed to positions of authority so that they can pay back to those who appointed them through tenders. These corrupt officials become untouchable and cannot be disciplined even if there are proven allegations on financial misconduct. Corruption also erodes professionalization by chasing away true professionals from the public sector. That is the reason why many South African professionals are leaving the country and relocating to countries like Australia, New Zealand, etc. The South African government has tried through legislation to combat corruption in the public service and promote professionalization, but it is still too early to see if these attempts are successful or not. It is for this reason that this study focused on tracing professionalization in the Public Service Bill and Public Administration Management Bill. The comparative analysis revealed that the Public Service Bill can identify and address strategic and systemic challenges that will inhibit professionalization of the public sector and put some mechanisms to deal with those challenges. Whilst the Public Administration Management Bill is not necessarily criticised for not being upfront with the reforms that will help professionalization, its focus by its very nature is the administration and management of the provisions of the Public Service Act. It therefore remains to be seen if there will be any changes brought about by these amendments when they are accented into law by the President. The research was able to trace the elements that promote and support professionalization in the two Bills. However, it remains to be seen if, once these Bills are accented into law, they are implementable and can achieve the objectives of the respective amendments. On the main the two Bills aim to eradicate political interference from administration. The recommendation is that all parties involved (politicians and officials) should respect these two pieces of legislation and implement them as they are for the benefit of the public service.

The Ontology of Urban Governance: A Framework for Pathways to Sustainable Urban Transition

Evidence on urban governance has expanded but is fragmented and inadequate. It fails to articulate the complexity of urban governance in a way that would facilitate effective urban transitions. Using a conceptual-cognitive lens, this article describes a method to move away from governance solutions based on functional silos to those based on multidimensional, sustainable systems. Based on a combination of concepts from public policy, governance, public administration, and urban service management, it frames the problem of urban governance as a comprehensive conceptual-cognitive map of the domain. The study validates the framework through expert feedback and the mapping of the literature on urban governance in India between 2018 and 2020. The monad map and theme map emphasise the ontology’s applicability as a methodological tool for evidence generation. The analysis reveals a need to reconfigure urban governance pathways to work towards a sustainable future. The article concludes by offering new conceptual constructs of governance pathways to enhance the policies and practices that shape such transitions.

Integrating philosophical perspectives into the study of public administration: The contribution of Critical Realism to understanding public value

Philosophical thought may provide an important contribution to the development of the theory and practice of public administration (PA). Notwithstanding such potential, however, philosophical thought has so far been limitedly employed in PA studies. To the extent philosophy has been brought into PA, three philosophies have been mainly used: Pragmatism, strands of Relativism-Constructivism, and Positivism. This paper argues that another philosophical approach can and ought to be considered much more systematically for application to foundational issues in PA studies, namely Critical Realism. The potential of this philosophical perspective is deployed to shed new light on key issues in the theory and practice of public value governance and management, a major area of academic investigation and practical application in the field of public administration and public management.

Development and implementation of human resources management policies and strategies in the Romanian public administration

Human activity seen from various perspectives: social, economic, political, administrative is carried out by people organized in collectives, depending on its importance. The administrative approach comes to order the logic of activity in a community entrusted to an authority that carries out planning, organization and control actions, in order to achieve the social mission and the purpose of the establishment and operation of public administration institutions. In this context, we propose a brief, specified approach to the need to streamline the activities of public administration authorities. The problem of human resources management in public administration requires a specified approach to the objectives of streamlining the activities of public administration authorities based on a human resources management strategy, which would contribute to the creation of a professional, transparent, flexible and responsive public function to the needs of society. The policies in the field of public office and civil servants represent a particularly important and always current key issue for ensuring the competitiveness and success of any public institution, even more so of the public administration.

ADAPTATION OF M. MOORE’S STRATEGIC TRIANGLE CONCEPT TO THE PRACTICE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

The article is devoted to the study of the possibility of adapting the concept of strategic triangle of M. Moore in the practice of public administration. The authors analyse Moore’s basic principles and ideas regarding strategic management and consider the possibility of their application in the context of public administration. The article proves that the use of Moore’s concept allows to create an effective system of political decision-making capable of solving complex social problems taking into account a wide range of factors and involving a large number of stakeholders. The main advantages of this approach are its comprehensiveness, flexibility and focus on innovations that promote efficiency in the long term. The concept of M. Moore’s strategic triangle, which includes the elements of public good value, legitimacy and support, and operational capability, has been shown to be key to effective public administration and social change management. These three components are interrelated and together determine the government’s ability to achieve public goals. The partnership with the private sector in the concept under study emphasises the importance of involving the public in decision-making processes in public administration. Taking into account the opinions and needs of citizens can contribute to greater legitimacy of the decisions made and improve the quality of public service delivery, efficiency of public administration mechanisms and public policy in certain sectors. It is proved that the adaptation of M. Moore’s concept of strategic triangle in the practice of public administration will contribute to the construction of a democratic and open decision-making procedure, where any actor can participate in making important decisions and influence the development of their country. The use of the studied concept allows to provide the voice of civil society in the process of public administration, increasing the responsibility of the state to society and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of public institutions.

Integrating the neo-Weberian state and public value

Two thematic areas have grown in significance in the contemporary scientific literature of public governance, public administration and public management over the past 20 to 30 years: the theory and practice of public value, and theorisation of the neo-Weberian state (NWS). In this paper, we argue that, while these two important thematic areas have so far developed in a mostly unconnected way from each other, they both might benefit from integrating each other's perspective into their theoretical frame, and we outline the contours of such a framework. We argue that the NWS and public value might theoretically be combined in three forms of integration of the respective perspectives: the integration of the NWS conceived of as model with an approach to public value conceived of as an addition of value through the actions by public managers; the NWS as an ideal type with public value conceived of as an addition of value through the actions by public managers; and the NWS as an ideal type with public value conceived of as a contribution to the public sphere. The NWS may benefit from integrating the public value perspective in order to develop some of its core components: how it compounds input legitimacy with output legitimacy, and how it integrates the managerial components into a narrative of managerial action for the public purpose. The perspective of public value may benefit from engaging into a dialogue with NWS, if it aspires to be a truly global paradigm for managing public services. Points for practitioners 1. Public managers could and should pursue courses of action aimed at creating public value within the frame of NWS institutions and processes. 2. The adoption of a public value perspective is compatible with an NWS framework and mutually beneficial. 3. The development of the NWS in jurisdictions across the world is strengthened by the integration of the public value perspective, which can lead to matching output legitimacy and input legitimacy.

Innovative approaches to risk management in the field of public administration in Ukraine: prospects and limitations

Innovative approaches to risk management in the field of public administration in Ukraine: prospects and limitations

REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA E SISTEMÁTICA SOBRE PARCERIAS PÚBLICO-PRIVADAS NA ADMINISTRAÇÃO PÚBLICA

Public Administration is the set of activities undertaken by the State with the objective of promoting the common good, through the use of authority powers and the implementation of public policies, programs and services. Public Administration management in Brazil faces a series of challenges that compromise the efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public resources, including problems such as excessive bureaucracy, the lack of strategic planning, corrupt practices and the phenomenon of clientelism. Therefore, the present study, undertaken an Integrative Systematic Review (RSI), had the purpose of examining articles related to public-private partnerships in public administration, which were published in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO) database in the period time between 2012 and 2022. The main findings were that the most published articles are mostly related to health and education, which together represent a total of 15 articles. The presence of literature reviews on the topic was observed; public-private partnerships in the Brazilian public sectors and the main themes found in relation to this topic include: studies presented a single health system, government regulation, education policies, urban mobility, educational governance, health service reforms/health policy.

Towards theorizing from the Arab non-periphery: Hyphenated identities and the boundless security field

Across the Middle East, military professionals, private militias, and other security actors often play a central role in the management of urban planning, public administration, and other state affairs. However, security studies scholarship offers few theoretical tools for understanding this deep and overt inter-twinement of security and governance, framing it as an outcome of authoritarian practices of coup-proofing or a symptom of ‘weak’ states. This article analyzes spatial planning and land management practices in Egypt and Lebanon to propose two concepts, ‘hyphenated identities’ and the ‘boundless security field’, as alternative theoretical tools for thinking about security. I argue that security logics are deeply enmeshed with the identity of the nation, its histories of conflict, and its experiences of state formation, creating a security field that is boundless and non-discrete. Within this field are a set of ‘hyphenated identities’, or categories of actors who perform dual roles as managers of security and managers of other governance matters. The influence of these actors on governance practices illustrates the extent to which security logics can be imbedded in the structures of the state and its modus operandi, thereby reinforcing the boundlessness of the security field.

Governance modes, mayoral leadership and transitions to public sector co-creation across Europe

Increasing interest in ‘co-creation’ raises an intriguing question about the role that political leaders can play. This role may have changed as wider models of public governance have evolved from Traditional Public Administration and New Public Management to more collaborative and networked approaches. With growing recognition that local solutions to complex public policy problems are needed, the role of mayors as important political leaders has come into sharp focus, yet few have considered how governance context influences political leadership of co-creation. Drawing on strands of theory on public governance and leadership, we specify how extant governance models can influence political leaders’ attempts to inspire co-creation. We illustrate these proposals by showing how mayors performed leadership to inspire co-creation in two contrasting cases drawn from Roskilde, Denmark, and Ljubljana, Slovenia. We demonstrate, counterintuitively, that an embedded form of TPA that coincided with a hierarchical approach to leadership better supported the adoption of co-creation. Thus, we propose that mayors may resourcefully adapt co-creation to local contexts. Political leaders may find these conclusions insightful for understanding how governance context may impact their co-creation efforts.

Report from the 6th National Scientific Conference "Towards the human in administrative adjudication" Gorzów Wielkopolski, March 31, 2023

During the conference, there was a lively exchange of opinions, which allowed us to focus on the position of a person in administrative adjudication. Administrative jurisdiction without implementers would exist only in the sphere of theory (law), and since it is a practice, it is reflected in the lens of weakness inherent in both its object and subjects (implementers and addressees). Man as the addressee of administrative activities and the one who exercises judicial competences was the point of analysis from various perspectives and in relation to various legal provisions. In the face of numerous changes taking place around us, wanted or forced by the pandemic, crisis or simply obvious civilization changes, we see the challenges faced by public administration and administrative justice, officials, judges and management staff of public institutions, the implementation of which will have an impact on the attitude of officials, judges, on the work they perform, and, as a result, on the public perception of offices, administrative bodies and administrative courts. In the activities of the above-mentioned institutions aimed at adjudicating on the rights and obligations of entities, we cannot lose sight of people.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION SECURITY INCIDENTS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN SELECTED EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

The article presents the issue of information security incident management in public administration. The goal of security incident management is to minimize the negative impact of incidents and ensure the continuity of the organization's operations. It is critical to know what the threats are, including the number and types of incidents reported. The article outlines key incident management and legal issues related to the topic of security incidents and the work of computer incident response teams. Examples of incidents that took place recently in public administration units in Poland were also presented. This was followed by an analysis of statistical data on reported incidents in Poland in the years 2020-2022, and the results were compared with the number of incidents reported in selected European Union countries. The results of the study show that the dominant type of incidents is fraud (mainly phishing), and public administration is one of the main targets of cybercriminals' attacks. Difficulties in conducting such comparative analysis have also been demonstrated.

Management in Public Administration and Phenomenon of Professional Burnout

Management in Public Administration and Phenomenon of Professional Burnout

The influence of public administration science paradigm shift in its realization good governance

The emergence of the New Public Service is an approach in public administration that addresses the shortcomings of both the Old Public Administration (OPA) and New Public Management (NPM), particularly in the context of cultural change and good governance. Old Public Administration (OPA) focuses more on bureaucracy oriented towards rules and procedures but is less responsive to cultural changes and societal needs. On the other hand, New Public Management (NPM) emphasizes the use of business management principles in public administration but pays less attention to cultural changes and good governance aspects. In the context of cultural change, the New Public Service offers a more adaptive and responsive approach. This approach recognizes the importance of understanding and adapting to cultural changes within society to provide relevant and effective public services. Additionally, the New Public Service is closely related to good governance. This approach emphasizes values such as fairness, rule of law, public participation, and transparency. By incorporating the principles of good governance, the New Public Service strives to build a sound, efficient, and accountable governance system. In summary, the emergence of the New Public Service is a response to the shortcomings of OPA and NPM in addressing cultural changes and in the context of good governance. This approach combines adaptability to cultural changes with the application of good governance principles to ensure that public services provided by the government are responsive, fair, and transparent.

Digital records management in public administration

Digital records management in public administration

Ignoring by complying: How public officials handle hybridity to pursue the goals of new public governance

AbstractThe article draws on insights from the literature on street‐level bureaucracy to analyze how public officials experience and deal with challenges arising from hybrid governance. Empirically, we focus on managerial staff and front‐line workers employed in Danish employment service delivery organizations, respectively. We develop the term “ignoring by complying” to describe how informants pursue ideals associated with new public governance (NPG) in settings dominated by more than one governance logic. They comply with the minimum standards associated with the logics of public administration (PA) and new public management (NPM) in order to ignore such logics most of the time. The article thereby contributes to the growing bodies of literature on cross‐pressures in public bureaucracies, particularly by putting recent street‐level bureaucracy research in touch with literature on hybrid governance.

Dataspaces, public administration and collective rationality: opportunities and limits for data-driven policy-making

IMPACT To foster data-driven policy-making practices there is a need for capacity-building within the public administration (PA) to collect, access, manage and reuse data. This article draws from focus groups and interviews to propose measures to make dataspaces scalable and accessible for smaller actors so that they can participate in data-driven policy-making—both in terms of their capacity to input data in a dataspace and to reuse existing data. This article speaks to PA and data governance scholars, as well as PA and data management practitioners—particularly at the local level in Europe.

An Event-Centric Knowledge Graph Approach for Public Administration as an Enabler for Data Analytics

In a continuously evolving environment, organizations, including public administrations, need to quickly adapt to change and make decisions in real-time. This requires having a real-time understanding of their context that can be achieved by adopting an event-native mindset in data management which focuses on the dynamics of change compared to the state-based traditional approaches. In this context, this paper proposes the adoption of an event-centric knowledge graph approach for the holistic data management of all data repositories in public administration. Towards this direction, the paper proposes an event-centric knowledge graph model for the domain of public administration that captures these dynamics considering events as first-class entities for knowledge representation. The development of the model is based on a state-of-the-art analysis of existing event-centric knowledge graph models that led to the identification of core concepts related to event representation, on a state-of-the-art analysis of existing public administration models that identified the core entities of the domain, and on a theoretical analysis of concepts related to events, public services, and effective public administration in order to outline the context and identify the domain-specific needs for event modeling. Further, the paper applies the model in the context of Greek public administration in order to validate it and showcase the possibilities that arise. The results show that the adoption of event-centric knowledge graph approaches for data management in public administration can facilitate data analytics, continuous integration, and the provision of a 360-degree-view of end-users. We anticipate that the proposed approach will also facilitate real-time decision-making, continuous intelligence, and ubiquitous AI.

NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT IN ADMINISTRATION. EFFICIENCY OF THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS VERSUS LEGAL-ADMINISTRATIVE CONDITIONS

NPM (New Public Management) is a doctrine of management in public administration, derived from economic theory but applied directly in practice. It marks a shift from admin-istration based on rigid procedures and political influence (the so-called bureaucratic mod-el) to management based on the economic grade of performance and the use of market mechanisms (the so-called managerial model). The reasons for adopting the solutions proposed by the NPM also include an attempt to slow down or reverse the proliferation of the administration with regard to its excessive spending and overstaffing. The economic crisis and the need to constantly improve competitiveness in economic activity also entail changes in the functioning of public administration. Solutions taken from business prac-tice, which are also known in economic theory, are becoming increasingly common. These were initially referred to as 'new public management' and are now being developed as the 'co-management concept'.

Cultural Diversity in Public Administration: Understanding the Implications of Government Science Theories for Multicultural Management

This article explores the implications of government science theory regarding cultural diversity in the context of public administration and multicultural management. Using a theoretical framework that includes organizational theory, policy theory, and collective action theory, this research in-depth understands the role and influence of cultural diversity on various aspects of public administration, including public policy, administration, and interactions between individuals. This article also explores how some public administration entities have successfully integrated multicultural management. The data analysis method involves a triangulation approach, combining qualitative data and interview data analyzed using the NVivo 12 application. The research results highlight challenges and opportunities in improving multicultural management, with a focus on cultural education, technology, community participation and cultural inclusion. The implications of government science theory in this context strengthen the urgency to address cultural diversity as an important element in modern and multicultural public administration.