Argues that public administration assumes an impoverished definition of "profession" and has neglected important dimensions of the practice that need examination in a more constructive debate. Illuminates the roles that public administrators have played and must play if they are to govern effectively and professionally. (Author)

Examines the publication records of eight classes of doctorate recipients in public administration and concludes that doctoral education and research is making a minimal contribution to knowledge and theory development in the field. (Author)

A case study of the New York City school custodial system indicates that, in spite of known scandals since the 1920s, it has ignored decades of regulations, reorganizations, and layers of oversight. A deviant culture and an infrastructure enmeshed in abusive policies will resist controls. True reform requires overhauling management, eliminating…

The shift to mission-based assessment for accreditation of public administration education programs is discussed from two perspectives: that of the chair of the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), and that of a faculty member with experience in preparing for, undergoing, and responding to COPRA concerns during an accreditation…

The training received by workers depends predominantly on the organisational choices and funds allocated by businesses. It is therefore justifiable to ask whether public policy should either endorse the spontaneous distribution of training or take measures to correct it. This paper analyses the motivations and limitations of public intervention,…

This paper presents preliminary findings of an ongoing research survey of 386 senior local and 59 central public administration practitioners in Britain, and used a modified survey instrument initially used at Kentucky State and Indiana State Universities. After setting out some of the similarities and differences between public administration…

Two models for public administration field experience programs are outlined, both designed to connect management theory to practice through observation and peer interaction. In the first, student teams observe and report daily operations of an organization; in the second, teams observe, report, and also serve as organizational consultants. Both…

Reviews arguments in favor of administrative use of public opinion information; demonstrates insights to be gained from examination of poll data; and considers methodological weaknesses of such data and strategies to counter them. (JOW)

In public administration courses, administrative theory is usually taught from a managerial perspective--raising questions about organizations from the perspective of the public manager. This perspective is incomplete and needs to be supplemented with a political perspective--asking questions from the viewpoint of the polity as a whole. (RM)

The analyses reported are based on a computerized set of survey research data from an archived database containing responses of 1,456 state public administrators in Kentucky to a mail survey conducted in 1987-1989. Using this data, researchers analyzed attitudes toward public administration among these public administrators, the professional role…

A brief description of three urban simulation models. (AK)

Describes a public administration course specifically designed for adults. Course competencies are defined and instructional materials are discussed. (RM)

Examines whether decision strategies used in personnel management are related to decision context, why there is congruence between decision strategy and context for some functions as opposed to others, and the implications of congruence/incongruence for an understanding of the relationship between merit and politics. (Author/IRT)

Both the United States and other countries would have benefitted from an analysis of public administration from a comparative perspective. Understanding the constraints and dynamics of politics and administration in each nation is necessary for the development of public administration. (JOW)