Administrative Theory

Administrative Theory explores the principles and frameworks that underpin effective public administration, guiding how organizations are structured and managed. It plays a crucial role in shaping policies and practices that enhance governmental efficiency and accountability.

Administrative Theory

1 Public Administration – Meaning, Nature and Scope and Importance

  1. What is Administration?
  2. Administration, Organisation and Management
  3. Defining Public Administration
  4. Nature of Public Administration
  5. Scope of Public Administration
  6. Public and Private Administration
  7. Importance of Public Administration
  8. Role of Public Administration under Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG)

2 Nature and Typologies of Organisation

  1. Why Organisations are Important
  2. Meaning of Organisation
  3. Formal and Informal Organisation
  4. Principles of Organisation
  5. Typologies of Organisation

3 Development and Growth of Administrative Theories

  1. Theory: Importance and characteristics
  2. Public Administration theory: Need and importance
  3. Administrative theory: Evolution and growth
  4. Theory-building in Public Administration – An evaluation

4 Scientific Management Approach

  1. F.W. Taylor: His Writings
  2. Taylor on deficiencies of management system
  3. Scientific Management Approach: The Context
  4. Scientific Management: The Basic Principles
  5. Scientific Management: Other Important Concerns of Taylor
  6. Scientific Management Movement
  7. Criticism
  8. Scientific Management: Relevance

5 Administrative Management Approach

  1. Administrative Management Approach: Important Contributors
  2. The General Principles of Administration
  3. Administrative Management Approach: Criticism
  4. Administrative Management Approach: Relevance

6 Max Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy

  1. Max Weber: His Life and Writings
  2. Weber’s Bureaucracy: The Context
  3. Theory of Bureaucracy
  4. Max Weber on Authority
  5. Components of Authority
  6. Categories of People in Organisation
  7. Types of Authority
  8. Max Weber: The Concept of Bureaucracy
  9. Features of Legal-Rational Bureaucracy
  10. Features of Officials
  11. Max Weber: Elements of Bureaucracy
  12. Max Weber: Limits on Bureaucracy
  13. Max Weber’s Bureaucracy: Criticism
  14. Max Weber’s Bureaucracy: Relevance

7 Critique of Bureaucracy

  1. Bureaucracy: Early Critics
  2. Bureaucracy: Weberian Paradigm
  3. Bureaucracy: Marxian Paradigm
  4. Karl Marx Ideas
  5. Lenin and Stalin
  6. Conclusion

8 Human Relations Approach

  1. The Human Relations Movement
  2. Elton Mayo and his Research Findings
  3. Great Illumination Experiment (1924-27)
  4. Absenteeism in the Industries
  5. Hawthorne Studies/Experiments: Principal Conclusions
  6. The Human Relations Vs. the Classical Approaches
  7. Evaluation of the Human Relations Approach

9 Views of Herbert A. Simon on Decisoin-Making in an Organisation

  1. Simon’s Views on Classical Theory
  2. Execution of Decisions and the Role of Influence
  3. Choice and Behaviour
  4. Values and Fact in Decision-Making
  5. Rational Decision-Making
  6. Bounded Rationality
  7. Types of Decisions
  8. Models of Decision-Making Behaviour (Administrative Man)
  9. Decision-Making in the Administrative Process
  10. Simon’s Views on Efficiency
  11. Simon’s Views on Use of Computer in Decision-Making
  12. Evaluation of Simon’s Ideas on Administrative Behaviour

10 Organisational Structure, Processes and Functioning

  1. Concept of Organisation
  2. Characteristics of Organisation
  3. Types of Organisations
  4. Organisational Goals
  5. Organisation Structure
  6. Organisation – Environment Interface
  7. Organisation Development and Change

11 Socio-Psychological Approach- Views of Chris Argyris

  1. Human Personality
  2. Interpersonal Competence
  3. A Critique of Formal Organisation
  4. Organising Future Structures
  5. T-Group or Sensitivity Training
  6. Criticism of Simon and Socio-Psycho Approaches
  7. A Critical Evaluation

12 Socio-Psychological Approach- Views of Abraham Maslow and Frederick Herzberg

  1. Views of Abraham Maslow
  2. The Hierarchy of Needs theory
  3. A Critical Evaluation
  4. Views of Frederick Herzberg
  5. Motivation-Hygiene Theory
  6. Job Enrichment
  7. Vertical Job Loading
  8. A Critical Evaluation
  9. Comparison of Herzberg and Maslow Models
  10. Conclusion

13 Socio-Psychological Approach- Views of Doughlas Mcgregor and Victor Vroom

  1. Theories of Motivation
  2. Views of Douglas McGregor
  3. Assumptions of Theory X
  4. Assumptions of Theory Y
  5. Comparison of Theory X and Theory Y
  6. Managerial Implications of Theory X and Theory Y
  7. A Critical Evaluation
  8. Views of Victor Vroom
  9. Expectancy Theory
  10. Implications of the Theory

14 Open and Cooperative Systems

  1. The Closed-System
  2. Scientific Management
  3. Administrative Management Movement
  4. Weberian Bureaucracy
  5. Evolution Through Differentiation
  6. The Open-Systems Approach
  7. The Hawthorne Experiment
  8. Hierarchy of Needs
  9. Humanistic Organisation
  10. Prismatic-Sala Model
  11. Cooperative System
  12. Synthesis of Closed and Open-Systems

15 Systems Approach- Views of David Easton and Chester Barnard

  1. Systems Approach – Meaning
  2. Organisation – As a Open System
  3. Views of David Easton
  4. Views of Chester Barnard
  5. Organisation as a cooperation system
  6. Concept of authority
  7. Zone of indifference
  8. Informal organisations
  9. The Functions of the Executive

16 Concept of Learning Organisation

  1. Recent Trends in Management of Organisations
  2. Concept of Learning Organisation
  3. Organisational Behaviour in the Learning Organisation
  4. Operationalisation of Learning Organisations

17 New Organisational Culture

  1. What is Organisation Culture?
  2. Components of Organisation Culture
  3. Types of Organisation Culture
  4. New Organisation Culture

18 New Public Administration

  1. New Public Administration: Emergence and Growth
  2. The Philadelphia Conference
  3. The First Minnowbrook Conference
  4. The Second Minnowbrook Conference
  5. New Public Administration: An Evaluation

19 Perspective of Public Choice

  1. Methodological Individualism, Rationality and Economic Analysis of Politics
  2. Some Basic Elements of the Public Choice Approach to the State and Politics
  3. Analysing Bureaucracy and Administration using Public Choice
  4. Regulation and Rent-Seeking

20 Pertinence of Critical Theory

  1. Origin of the concept
  2. Characteristics
  3. Critical Theory in Public Administration