Customer Reviews (1)

Theory based book on disaster
This book offers one of the few theories out there on what determines whether a disaster relief/recovery effort is labeled successful or not.
While the basic premise is a little difficult to sort out, Schneidergives an excellent background on disaster relief in this country. She also offers a number of examples, some interrelated, to try to establish her point. ... Read more

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A very highly recommended in-service training text
Now in a fully updated and revised fourth edition, Darlene Weingand's Administration Of The Small Public Library is an indispensable reference for the operation of small community libraries for villages, towns, and municipalities seeking to offer their patrons and communities a visible, well-funded library system that embraces emerging information technologies, enhances accountability through effective management techniques, and encourages community involvement while addressing local needs. This new edition will enable the library staff to adapt sample documents (including a long-range plan, job descriptions, organizational charts, budget worksheets, policies, and construction plans) to their facility. A necessary addition to any academic library science reference collection, Administration Of The Small Public Library is invaluable and very highly recommended in-service training text for library professionals in small to mid-sized community library systems. ... Read more

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About the book--Air transportation has undergone revolutionary changes during the last three decades, but especially since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, leaving airports to adapt to the changing environment. It has never been so true that "as the airlines go, so go the airports." Security awareness is heightened, as are concerns about the environment; compelling airports to go green. Yet, in the 21st century, airports are evolving as dynamic marketplaces dependent upon emerging technologies. Concurently, privatization is spreading around the globe and pressure is on public administrators to adapt to a new entrepreneurial model. The title, The Administration of Public Airports, is an intentional play on words reflecting that managers of public airports are by definition public administrators. But public adminstration has changed radically. Privatization of public facilities, development and expansion of infrastructure through private investment, and the rise of entrepreneurship in the public sector, all suggest a "shift in paradigm" to a New Public Administration. Yet, airport management is caught in a paradox. On the one hand there is a movement toward increased privatization. On the other, as changes in the economy continue to impact the airport industry, and environmental regulations challenge traditional ways of doing things, airport sonsors are being held increasingly to highter standards of responsibility and liability. One of the outcomes has been that airport sponsors have taken greater control of terminal and landside activities that were once the exclusive responsibility of private enterprise. Indeed, much has happened since the last edition, let alone the first edition of this book nearly thirty years ago. Deregulatory philosophy has spread to most industries, with airports seemingly included. This fifth edition is a significant rewrite to reflect the changing nature of managing airports in the public sector today. But as it has been with all previous editions, the goal is to prepare studens for airport management careers and to serve as a ready reference for those professionals already engaged in the management of public airports. This text is new, revised and expanded to meet that goal and hopefully it provides some insight. To those professionals already engaged in airport management, it is anticipated that this book might enhance individual capabilities. To the person just entering the field, it is expected this book will provide a sound foundation and a starting point from which to launch a challenging yet rewarding career. ... Read more

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The contributors to this volume contend that the North American political system is undergoing a serious governmental crisis - political leaders know only how to campaign, not how to gain consensus on goals or direct a course that is to the good of the nation. Public administration is therefore forced to compensate for the growing inadequacy of the `leaders', and with a normative-based body of theorizing, perform its key role of governance within a democratic system of polycentric power.

The book offers a revisualization of the relationship between public servants and the citizens they serve, and a continuing discourse on how public administration can constructively balance forces of change and stability in order for democr ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How relevant is Blacksburg perspective today?
This book is a sequel to Wamsley, et al, Refounding Public Administration that outlined "Blacksburg perspective" and seeks to "stimulate discourse on matters of fundamental importance to public administration and American polity." It was written in the backdrop of the publication of Reinventing Government by Osborne and Gaebler and subsequent National Performance Review of Clinton Administration, and about half the book is devoted to discussion and critique of `reinventing government', the popularity of which is attributed to general dissatisfaction with governance in US. Or as the author states, "we had come to have serious doubts about America's ability to govern itself unless it developed a new way of thinking about and conducting the activities called public administration" (P 1).

The central theme that emerges throughout the book is the authors' assertion that the fundamental problem is "the lack of legitimation for a key component in governance process- public administration" (P 5). Similarly, McSwite notes that "public administration has never adequately come to grips with the problem of finding a legitimate place for itself in the American scheme of democratic government" (P198), which the editors contend can be resolved only by finding "ways to create democratic legitimacy for itself that are not elective in nature." This is for two reasons. It is not enough to have a derivative legitimacy, which means since the public administration is accountable to elected representatives, it automatically becomes democratically legitimate. Second, election is not the only mechanism to earn democratic and constitutional legitimacy. The authors further contend that public administration was the legitimate organ of constitutional government. They use the metaphor of balanced wheel and suggest that public administration is somewhat on the same pedestal as other branches of the government. While there concern for restoring legitimacy and confidence in public administration is justified, there suggestion is fraught with dangers as it is likely to create a professional elite in the same fashion as the other elite groups (eg. Corporations and lobby groups) whose powers authors expressly seek to curtail. I personally like the metaphor of backbone to describe the public administration since it conveys its importance in a democratic polity without undue exaggeration.

While the critique of all the papers in the volume is beyond the scope of this review, I would present some of the key ideas and their critique. Green and Hubbell come down heavily on the 10 principles of reinventing government, which are: steering others rather than rowing, empowering customers rather than serving them, intense customer orientation, injecting competition into service delivery, leveraging change through market-based incentives, organizing by mission than by rules, funding results and not inputs, encouraging entrepreneurial earning than bureaucratic spending, focusing on prevention rather than cure, and decentralizing organizations and fostering teamwork. The authors rightly point out that some of these like ninth principle on prevention are trite and meaningless. "Their (Osborne & Gaebler) suggestion on getting rid of guns rather than building jails is so trite as to invite ridicule" since it is comparable to saying "Arabs and Israelis should make friends rather than fighting so much" (Fallows 1992 on P 59). Their other major critique focuses on negative impact of these principles on rule of law, democratic governance, and performance regime besides failure to account for inequalities among different types of customers. "Osborne and Gaebler neglect to tell us that some customers may be more powerful than others, and can therefore co-opt agencies and policies for their interests. The authors never admit that perhaps some customers should have their powers reduced or compromised to enable agency pursuit of the broadest possible public interest (P49)." But, Green & Hubbell don't tell us who will determine whose powers have to be curtailed and how, or whether this practice can be considered democratic. Finally, while most of their critique is relevant and useful, the reader is left wishing for an alternative agenda or solution to the problems identified by them

Dudley identifies the challenges posed to the governmental institutions by processes such as third-party, proxy or contractual government. She uses the metaphor of mending the wall for examining the "gaps, boulders, and loaves; building, rebuilding, every spring, in respect for understanding why loaves or boulders were there before" as a step towards understanding what is inherently governmental. She warns that a failure to do so may lead to `experimentation beyond prudence'. With the benefit of hindsight, she seems to have underestimated the challenge posed by technological changes to what can be considered `inherently government'. There is no recognition in her paper of the fact that what is inherently government today may not be so tomorrow.

Rohr examines the French system of polity and administration to bring out the chief differences from and the lessons for the American system. He examines the elitist system of civil service recruitment, centrality of civil service to French system in the context of "strong-state tradition". While he is able to draw out similarities in similar elitism in the recruitment practices in the United States, he is also able to elucidate the differences the context makes to the administrative system. Similarly, Wolf presents the importance of considering the entire context from bureaucracy, markets, organizations, networks, institutions, and communities in refounding the democratic administration.

Barth highlights the need for moving beyond innovative management techniques since "by focusing so heavily on managerial procedures and service delivery, the authors underplay the importance for public administrators to think of their fundamental role in the governance process" and "by focusing on infusing competition, entrepreneurship, and decentralization, they miss the equally fundamental importance of cooperation and working across organizations" (P169). He notes the need for involving citizens beyond polling booths into everyday governance. However, he doesn't provide much guidance on how this process can be accomplished.

Lane writes a very provocative and thought-provoking essay on the public administration and problem of Presidency. He holds that the presidency as it has evolved is anti-constitutional. Stivers examines the Blacksburg perspective on citizenship and related issues. She is cynical about the romanticist tradition in Blacksburg perspective that overstresses the commitment of public administrators to public interest. Little expands on Blacksburg perspective that holds that "the popular will doesn't solely reside in elected representative, but in a constitutional order that incorporates a remarkable variety of legitimate titles to participate in the government" Dennard stresses the need for listening to the citizens. "Democratic authority is practiced by listening to all citizens for what they have to say, thus empowering their sense of personal efficacy" (P318). The author or editors fail to show, though, how this prescription is different from the principles of reinventing the government.

Lastly, Wamsley concludes the book with his paper on the ontological disclosure as the basis for normatively grounded theorizing in public administration. Ironically, he concludes by emphasizing the need to put the extremes of ideology behind them, just as other western democracies have done. "Though we are unlikely to follow their example in establishing relatively centralized welfare states, we do have to come to a level of maturity that lowers ideological temperatures" (P397). The entire book has a certain ideology and normative bias written across it and therefore the call for setting aside ideology seems ironical at best.

Overall, the book does a good job of presenting the administrator's perspective on the challenges confronting them. It highlights the need to trust civil servants, which when I wear my administrator's hat gladdens my heart. The book also offers an excellent critique of the shortcomings in the reinventing agenda. However, the rapid changes in last decade make me wonder just how relevant the ideas expressed in the book are today. The lack of any alternative vision in the book is another weakness of the Blacksburg project that reduces its relevance a bit. However, one of the stated objects of the project is to promote dialogue and discourse which it achieves with considerable success, and this, abstention from reinventing the wheel, alone should be reason enough to keep the book in currency.
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Many people have always believed that more can be accomplished when government, business, and the general public cooperate with a common goal in mind. Unfortunately it has taken the recent manifestations of two of humankind's oldest scourges--terrorism and disease--to bring the point home. To handle potential future attacks and outbreaks of disease, as well as to maximize the results of collaboration when times are good, it is imperative for citizens, the private sector, and government agencies--especially at the local, regional, and state levels--to learn how, when and why they should share information, knowledge, and resources to get things done. Collaboration is the real challenge facing free democracies in the future, and the success of modern societies will hinge upon our meeting this challenge. ... Read more

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This volume is the result of a unique collaboration between public agency leaders and academics. The essays, by experienced and committed public administrators and faculty, offer valuable and practical insights into the moral dimension of public administration. Cases portray in striking detail the hard ethical choices public administrators often have to make--from issues of professional confidentiality in coping with HIV to responding to FBI demands for lists of library patrons. The book will be of interest to students, scholars, and professionals in public administration and in public and nonprofit agencies. ... Read more

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Combining the most current public management thinking and research with examples of how public executives and organizations apply these ideas, MANAGING THE PUBLIC SECTOR is a comprehensive introduction to the field of public management. The Ninth Edition continues to engage the reader?s intellect by providing more than just the basic foundations of management; it places the application of management in the context of the public sector and tries to capture the excitement and challenge of the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Managing The Public Sector
Excellent Book. Each Chapter was well organized with realistic example. The language the author used in the book was easy to understand. The key notes were very helpful and excercises were agreat for class discussion. I certianly will use this book as my primary source for the final MPA-examination.

Managing the Public Sector
This book arrived in excellent condition.Delivery was speedy, and I highly reccommend this seller!

excellent
The seller's description of the condition of the book was accurate. It was delivered reallly fast, great service. ... Read more

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Challenges the limitations of modern public administration theories. ... Read more

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This is a complete and up-to-date revision of the classic text for public administration which presented public administration as a tension between the necessary exercise of power and the search for accountability by public servants. In this revision, the authors have initiated a new approach to the study of public administration by focusing on middle- and lower-level managers. These are positions that most students will occupy for the bulk of their professional careers. The book recognizes that most of the administration is in field offices, in state and local government, and in cooperation with the private sector. It then focuses on power and its potential for influencing the behavior of the bureaucracy. This leads to the relationship between theories about administration and the actual practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Fair Public Administration
Most of the times decision making in public administration is bound by forces that are beyond the public administrator's control.The book lays down sources of external forces and how to handle them in a fair and ethical ways. ... Read more

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The past two decades have been marked by a period of substantial and often fundamental change in public administration. Critically reflecting on the utility of scholarly theory and the extent to which government practices inform the development of this theory, the Handbook of Public Administration was a landmark publication which served as an essential guide for both the practice of public administration today and its on-going development as an academic discipline.

The Concise Paperback Edition provides a selection of 30 of the original articles in an accessible paperback format and includes a new introduction by B. Guy Peters and Jon Pierre. It is an essential point of reference for all students of public administration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hard Reading
The material covered is vastly descriptive. It can make for difficult reading. Also, the authors approach Public Administration from a global perspective, rather than a U.S. perspective. ... Read more

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Designed for beginning MPA students and practitioners, this highly practical text focuses on the interpretation and use of research findings, not just number-crunching. It covers the entire research process, from initial questions to final report, in clear, jargon-free language, and includes numerous examples and exercises that provide opportunities for concrete applications of the concepts. ... Read more

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Cultural Competency for Health Administration and Public Health is a clear and concise introduction to the topics and tools necessary for the application of cultural competency processes in various healthcare settings. The chapters offer an overview of demographic changes in the United States, as well as accreditation requirements and cultural competency, cultural nuances of specific groups, and a comprehensive review of the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards and beyond.Attention is also given to the associated costs, time, and skill sets associated with the process of moving a health care organization toward cultural competency. Ideal for senior-level undergraduate or graduate students, readers will gain valuable insight into the process of assessment its relevance to health administration and public health and will come away with a systematic and disciplined approach to the process of achieving cultural competence.Features: Includes an attitudinal survey with established reliability and validity useful in assessing administrators, providers, and the workforce of healthcare organizations as well as attitudinal research. Contains key terms in bold for each chapter as well as relevant activities, case studies and sidebars. Definitions of key terms will be found in a glossary at the end of the book. Suggested readings and where appropriate, a list of high-quality Internet sources for further research featured at the end of each chapter. ... Read more

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The public sector continues to play a strategic role across the world. The last thirty years have seen major shifts in approaches to public sector management in many countries. There is also a fierce debate across academic disciplines about contemporary public administration/management: some advocate the use of more managerialist approaches; while others see managerialism as undermining democratic institutions. New roles have arisen, such as programme evaluation, management consulting, and reliance on NGOs and partnerships, which require new assessments. There is an intensified need for an analysis of contemporary public sector organisations, which are changing rapidly before our eyes.

It is thus time for an authoritative treatment of the major trends in public management, embracing both their intended and unintended consequences. This Handbook brings together leading international scholars to comment on key current issues. The individual chapters include broad overviews, in depth explorations of particular thematic areas and analyses of different theoretical perspectives such as political science, management, sociology and economics. The authors have space to develop their distinctive arguments. The editors provide an overall concluding chapter. The Handbook combines scholarly rigour, engaging writing and high policy relevance. It will be invaluable to advanced students, researchers and reflective public sector practitioners.

About the Series
Oxford Handbooks in Business & Management bring together the world's leading scholars on the subject to discuss current research and the latest thinking in a range of interrelated topics including Strategy, Organizational Behavior, Public Management, International Business, and many others. Containing completely new essays with extensive referencing to further reading and key ideas, the volumes, in hardback or paperback, serve as both a thorough introduction to a topic and a useful desk reference for scholars and advanced students alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent
I received the book on time, and the book was in a very good condition, like new.

The Oxford (EXCELLENT) Handbook of Public Management
This is an invaluable source for all professionals (academics, students, politicians and civil servants) who are interested by the theme of public management, given that meets a set of excellent texts on the subject. Essays included in this handbook cover different perspectives of public management matter and are very useful for researchers and students of public management graduate and postgraduate courses. ... Read more

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This ground-breaking volume offers a theoretical framework from which the theory and practice of ethics in public administration can be guided. Starting with the most prominent literature in the field, it constructs a theoretical foundation for administrative ethics by building on the twin themes of organizational setting and individual administrator. Stressing that the field has failed to take advantage of the philosophical traditions that should be the underpinnings of any study or application of ethics, the volume focuses not only on the current state of public administration, but stresses the role of philosophy. The proposed framework is examined in light of philosophical traditions and in terms of how it fits with the role and context of public administrators in the general society. The book takes a practical approach, with emphasis on the exigencies of the environment in which public administrators must practice. The shortcomings of current approaches to public administration ethics are addressed, and alternative approaches proposed. Finally, the study examines the validity of the framework and the suggestions of earlier chapters by applying them to a specific case that might be faced by an administrator. ... Read more

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Contemporary Public Administration, is packed both with classic and cutting-edge coverage. Designed as a concrete, one-stop guide to the issues, perspectives, and vocabulary of modern public administration, this reader captures the field's hot topics--public choice, TQM, and deregulation--while delivering the classic material essential for student mastery of the special language, concepts, analysis, history, and practice of public administration. ... Read more

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Prepare for your career in public personnel management with THE NEW PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION! With coverage of public policies, law rulings, and court rulings, this text gives you a solid foundation for advanced studies in specialized areas of public personnel management. Major policy trends and debates are discussed including affirmative action, compensation and benefits, sexual harassment, workplace violence, substance and alcohol abuse, performance appraisal, and collective bargaining. Discussion questions, suggested readings, chapter appendices, informative illustrations, and examples are just a few of the tools that will help you succeed in this course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

the new public personnel administration
Another expensive text book students are forced to buy that is of little to very little value.

An Exhaustive Collection of Public Personnel Issues
I recently read this book for a Ph.D. course, I found it to be quite exhaustive in coverage.From the beginnings of the public sector and the issues of spoils and patronage to the current issues of pay for performance, sexual harrassment and current public work trends, this book covers a great deal of subjects.Perhaps the most notable is the writers' ability to combine historical personnel issues with relative theories to argue current problems and situations.The second full reading really helped to clarify the book's thoughtful issues. ... Read more