Managing Diversity at the Workplace
The previous articles in this module discussed the ways and means of attracting diversity and how to recruit diverse teams. This article discusses how to manage diverse teams and to ensure that diversity is actualized in practice as opposed to merely paying lip service to the concept. Many organizations proclaim that they are committed to […]
Techniques for Developing Self-Motivation
Various self-motivation techniques are practiced by leaders for ensuring achievement of the pre-defined objectives. Self-motivated leaders evolve and improve continuously, learn from their mistakes and are flexible enough in working upon their areas of development. Let’s find out below, some of the crucial benefits which leaders can derive by practicing self-motivation techniques at work: Leaders […]
Bureaucratic Theory of Public Administration
The bureaucratic theory of public administration owes its existence to Max Weber and his magnum opus Economy and Society published in 1922. It was Weber who popularized the term and in his book gave a glimpse of the extensive research he had carried out by studying ancient and modern states to understand the working of […]
Motivational Challenges
Motivation seems to be a simple function of management in books, but in practice it is more challenging. The reasons for motivation being challenging job are as follows: One of the main reasons of motivation being a challenging job is due to the changing workforce. The employees become a part of their organization with various […]
Challenges for an Effective Negotiation
When individuals find it difficult to adjust with each other, the best way is to sit together and discuss among themselves and adopt the middle path. Instead of fighting with each other, it is better to discuss things and come to an alternative benefiting all. Negotiation takes into account the personal interests of all and […]
There have been several discussions and arguments regarding whether public administration can be categorized as a Science or as an Art. During our discussion of the topic earlier, we had come across authors and social scientists who vehemently supported the cause that public administration was a science indeed and amongst the most notable supporters of this theory where Luther Gulick and Lyndall Urvick.
Gulick and Urvick were born in faraway lands from each other, Gulick in Japan while Urvick in Britain. Gulick completed his studies from the Columbia University, served on the National Defense Council during the First World War. He served as the administrator of the New York City for 2 years during 1954-56 and was also the president of the Institute of Public Administration, New York from 1962-82. He was also the author of several books like Administrative Reflections of World War II, Metropolitan Problems and American Ideas, Modern Management of the City of New York and Papers on the Science of Administration.
Urwick completed his education from Oxford University and like Gulick served in the First World War as the Lt. Col of the British army. Urwick was also associated with several international management institutes and published several books like The Management of Tomorrow: The Making of Scientific Management, Leadership in XX Century Organizations, The Patterns of Management and also worked as an editor of several papers on science of administration. He was also a well reputed and renowned industrial consultant who worked extensively for introducing the management education in UK.
Urwick edited the most important work, Papers on the Science of Administration presented by Gulick in 1937. Both of these thinkers were greatly influenced by Fayol and Taylor and the idea of machine model of the man. All this combined with their respective military and industrial background led them to propose the Classical Theory of Management or the Administrative Management Theory. The classical theory projects public administration as a science. Both these authors argued that like the stream of engineering became science through methods of empirical observation, systematic finding and recordings over a period of time similarly, public administrators can create the science of administration.
Both the authors also stressed on the importance of the structure of the organization. Urwick wrote that lack of structure can lead to a lot of inefficiencies and confusion within an organization and Gulick went ahead to identify 10 principles on which the organizational structure can be designed. Below are the 10 principles as listed by Gulick:
The last principle regarding the span of control of a senior executive or a leader, acted as a stimulant for other authors on writing about leadership. According to this last principle, the executive should have less number of people directly reporting to him to increase his efficiency.
Urwick believed that there are 8 principles on which an organization can function, the important points being:
And lastly, we can end the discussion without writing about Gulick’s POSDCORB, each word signifying the various executive functions:
Management students shall find the above terms quite familiar, relevant and of everyday use. In the next section, we shall be talking about the Human Relations Theory. The reader is now getting a chance to understand in individuality and detail that how the progresses made in other streams had an influence on the thinkers of public administration.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
