Public Administration Study Notes: Complete Exam Summary, Practice Questions, and Key Concepts for 2026 Success

@PROFDOCDIGITALLIBRARIES


Module I
Unit 1

1
AN INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC
ADMINSTRATION
Meaning & Scope

Unit Structure -
0.1 Introduction
0.2 Definition of Public Adminstration
0.3 Scope of Public Adminstration
0.4 Role and Importance of Public Adminstration.
0.5 Unit End Questions

OBJECTIVE

Public Adminstration is an activity as old as human civilization. In
modern age it became the dominant factor of life. To Study about
meaning, scope and importance of Public Adminstration is the main
objective of this unit.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Public Adminstration as independent Subject of a social science
has recent origin. Traditionly Public Adminstration was considered
as a part of political science. But in Modern age the nature of
state-under went change and it became from police stale to social
service state. As a consequence, the Public Adminstration,
irrespective of the nature of the political system, has become the
dominant factor of life. The modern political system is essentially
‘bureaucratic’ and characterised by the rule of officials. Hence
modern democracy has been described as ‘executive democracy’
or ‘bupeaucratic democracy’. The adminstrative branch, described
as civil service or bureaucracy is the most significant component of
governmental machinery of the state.

1.2 Meaning of Public Adminstration :-
Administer is a English word, which is originated from the Latin
word ‘ad’ and ‘ministrare’. It means to serve or to manage.
Adminstration means mangement of affairs, public or private.

Various definitions of Public Adminstration are as follows-

1.2.1 : Prof. Woodrow Wilson, the pioneer of the social science of
Public Adminstration says in his book ‘The study of Public

,@PROFDOCDIGITALLIBRARIES


Adminstration’, published in 1887 “Public Adminstration is a
detailed and systematic application of law.”

1.2.2 : According to L. D. White “Public Adminstration consists of all
those operations having for their purpose the fulfilment of public
policy as declared by authority.” Both above definitions are done
from traditional viewpoint and related only to the functions and
actions of Adminstration.

Following thinkers have taken a broard view while defining Public
Adminstration -

1.2.3 : According to Simon - “By Public Adminstration is meant the
activities of the executive branches of the national, state, & local
governments.”

According to Willough - “Public Adminstration in broadest sense
denotes the work involved in the actual conduct of governmental
affairs, and in narrowest senses denotes the operations of the
administrative branch only.”

1.2.4 : According to Gullick -
“Public Adminstration is that part of the science of administration
which has to do with government and thus, concerns itself primarily
with the executive branch where the work of the government is
done.”

1.2.5 : According to Waldo -
“Public Adminstration is the art and science of mangement as
applied to the affairs of the state.”

1.2.6 : Marshall E. Dimock -
“Administration is concerned with ‘what’ and ‘How’ of the
government. The what is the subjectmatter, the technical
knowledge of afield which enables the administrator to perform his
tasks. The ‘How’ is the technique of management according to
which co-operative programmes are carried to success.”

2.2.7 : Conclusion :-
All above modern definitions of Public Adminstration emphasize the
value based character of Public Adminstration and Public
Adminstration as a science and art of administration. A close scrutin
of the definitions reveal that Public Adminstration has following
important characteristics or features.

1.2.8 : Important characteristics of Public Adminstration :-
1. It is part of executive branch of government.
2. It is related with the activities of the state.
3. It carries out the public policies.
4. It realise the aspirations of the people as formulated and

,@PROFDOCDIGITALLIBRARIES


expressed in the laws.
5. Waldo and other thinkers insist on the commitment and
dedication to the well being of the people. Otherwise Public
Adminstration behaves in a mechanical, impersonal and
inhuman way.
6. Public Adminstration is politically neutral.

1.3 : SCOPE OF PUBLIC ADMINSTRATION

1.3.1 Introduction :-
The views of L.D. White and traditionalist on the one hand and
those of Gullick and the scientific management school on the other
hand differ regarding the nature and scope of Public Adminstration.
Hence, we should understand verious perspectives about the scope
of Public Adminstration.

Scope :-
Following are the three important perspectives about the scope of
Public Adminstration.
1. Narrow perspective or posdcord perspective.
2. Broad perspective or subjectmatter view.
3. Prevailing view.

1.3.3 : Narrow perspective or posdcord perspective -
Luther Gullick is the main exponent of this perspective. According
to him the scope of public administration is narrow or limited. It is
also regarded as posdcord view. It insist that the Public
Adminstration is concerned only with those aspects of
administration which are related with the executive branch and its
seven types of administrative functions.

These seven types of functions which shows the scope of Public
Adminstration are as follows -

1. ‘P’ stands for planning
2. ‘O’ stands for organization
3. ‘S’ stands for staffing.
4. ‘D’ stands for Directing.
5. ‘Co.’ stands for Co-ordination.
6. ‘R’ stands for Reporting
7. ‘B’ stands for Budgeting

1. ‘P’ stands for Planning -
Planning is the first step of Public Adminstration. i.e. working out
the broad outline of the things that need to be done.

2. ‘O’ stands for organization -
It means establishment of the formal structure of authority through
which the work is sub-divided, arranged and co-ordinated for the
defined objective.

, @PROFDOCDIGITALLIBRARIES


3. ‘S’ stands for staffing -
It means the recruitment and training of the staff and maintenance
of favourable conditions of work for the staff.

4. ‘D’ stands for Directing -
It means the continuous task of making decisions and embodying
them in specific and general orders and instructions, and thus
guiding the enterprise.

5. ‘Co’ stands for Co-ordination -
It means interrelating the various parts of organization such as
branches, divisions, sections of the work and elimination of
overlapping.

6. ‘R’ stands for Reporting -
It means informing the authority to whom the executive is
responsible as to what is going on.

7. ‘B’ stands for Budgeting -
It means accounting, fiscal planning and control.

Evaluation -
POSDCORB Perspective about the Scope of Public Adminstration
is limited and narrow. It stressed on the tools of Public
Adminstration. It does not show the substance of administration. It
is a technique oriented perspective, not a subject oriented.

1.3.4 :
2. Broad perspective or subject - oriented perspective :-
Prof. Woodrow Wilson, L D While are main exponent of this
perspective. They have taken a very broad approach about the
scope of Public Adminstration.

According to them (A) Public Adminstration covers all three
branches of the government. Legislative, Executive and Judicial
and their interrelationship. Legislative organ makes the laws,
Executive organ of the government implements the laws. and
Judicial organ of the government interprets the laws. There is
interrelationship between these three organs.

B) Scope of Public Adminstration is like a cooperative group. It
consist of all from class one officer to class four employees.

C) Public Adminstration is a part of the political process. It has an
important role in the formulation of public policy at all levels, from
national to grassroot. It is closely associated with numerous private
groups and individuals in providing services to the community. It
has been influenced in recent years by the human relations
approach.