Rethinking Administrative Theory: The Challenge of the New Century

(Hardback)

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Striving to redirect the study of public administration toward innovation and imagination, deliberative democracy, knowledge transfer, policy making, and ethics and values--topics which for too long have been overshadowed by traditional problems of efficency, productivity, and instrumental-rational solutions--this book of diverse essays is certain to invigorate both scholarship and practice. Eighteen leading international scholars evaluate public administration's historical development and explore the significance and value trends in public administration from a variety of cutting-edge theoretical and practical perspectives. Aimed at students and practitioners alike, this collection of essays is certain to stimulate critical thinking and discussion of public administration's aims, mechanisms, and overall effectiveness, as well as the role it plays in democratizing countries.

Reviews

Fascinating, sometimes frustrating, and important, this sparkling collection of essays by leading theorists explores the impacts of emerging social and cultural trends on administrative theory. Indeed, the editor believes there is an imperative to "rethink theory." Jun has assembled a powerful set of essays that seek to find meaning and give shape to the impact of the democracy movement, globalization, information explosion, cultural fragmentation, and individualism. The language often flirts with postmodernism, but it holds great potential to loosen up contemporary thinking. The thread holding this collection together is a belief that rationalist, managerial, hierarchical approaches (20th century) are destructive of human values and aspirations. Much of this is leading edge, but there is a small failure to recall "New Public Administration." The challenge is not to substitute new models for old ones but to complement the dominant rationalist bias with a decentralized, intuitive, human-scale process that empowers citizens and builds social capital. This book does not attempt to offer a clear path but helps perceive the mountain. It is a valuable fin de siecle (siecle) collection that moves administrative theory forward on its intellectual journey. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above.-Choice
"Fascinating, sometimes frustrating, and important, this sparkling collection of essays by leading theorists explores the impacts of emerging social and cultural trends on administrative theory. Indeed, the editor believes there is an imperative to "rethink theory." Jun has assembled a powerful set of essays that seek to find meaning and give shape to the impact of the democracy movement, globalization, information explosion, cultural fragmentation, and individualism. The language often flirts with postmodernism, but it holds great potential to loosen up contemporary thinking. The thread holding this collection together is a belief that rationalist, managerial, hierarchical approaches (20th century) are destructive of human values and aspirations. Much of this is leading edge, but there is a small failure to recall "New Public Administration." The challenge is not to substitute new models for old ones but to complement the dominant rationalist bias with a decentralized, intuitive, human-scale process that empowers citizens and builds social capital. This book does not attempt to offer a clear path but helps perceive the mountain. It is a valuable fin de siecle (siecle) collection that moves administrative theory forward on its intellectual journey. Recommended for upper-division undergraduates and above."-Choice

Author Bio

JONG S. JUN is Professor of Public Administration at California State University, Hayward.