1

Issues in Public Administration

“Organization and its Principles” MPA 509

2

Preview of Last Lecture Organization and its Principles Meaning and Nature of Organization Five Important Features of Organization Functions of Organization Span of Control Factors which influence the Span of control Quote of the Day

Agenda

3

Meaning Organization is prior to all administration. The term organization is used in three different contexts-The act of designing the structure, both designing and building; the structure; the administrative structure itself.

Meaning and Nature of Organization

4

But others do not accept this engineering view

or approach to the concept of organization. They say organization not only consists of a

structure, It also embraces human beings. Our society is an organized society. We are born and brought up in an organization. Organization is nothing but a co-operative

effort to achieve the goals. Organization is as old as human society itself.

Organization

5

The word organization springs from organism

which means a structure with parts or components.

When two or more people join hands to achieve a common goal there arises the need for an organization.

6

Common goal is an essence of an organization. Modern society is a complex structure. The people who work together is known as

organization. It is a forum of every human association for

the attainment of a common goal. Weber defined organization as a corporate group. Its orders are enforced by the specific individuals.

The focus is on legitimate integration of parts.

Organization

7

Grouping is given top priority. The individuals to whom the functions are

entrusted come later. Organizations are social units, human groupings

deliberately constructed or reconstructed to seek specific objectives or goals or sub-goals.

Organizations are social institutions. They are natural communities.

They are called as social systems.

Organization

8

Just as biological structures are composed of

all parts in an organic whole so are organizations composed of human beings.

It refers to the complete body with all its co-related functions.

It is an interaction and inter-relationship of people to achieve some goals.

Organization

9

Five important Features of Organizations. Memberships Consciously Purposive Formal Structure Elusive Corporate Status

Characteristics

10

It comprises a group of persons. Membership may be voluntary or involuntary. Belongingness is an important criteria so

membership as such is an important feature of an organization.

Memberships

11

They are seems to be consciously purposive

i.e., they do something positive for their members.

It is a purposive creation. That is, all organisations have some objectives

or set of objectives.

Consciously Purposive

12

A third and very important feature of

organization is the structure. It refers to the functions in an organisation.

Formal Structure

13

It means ideology or a set of ideas. That ideology

affects their life and structure. Political and religious organizations fall in this category.

But administrative and economic organizations such as public bureaucracies and business organizations are ideologically neutral as far as their internal affairs are concerned.

However, all organizational life implies some reasonable value system.

Elusive

14

The last, ultimate and final feature of an

organisation, may be described as its corporate statues.

Organizations always have legal status, legally established.

Thus, they can be treated as legal and social bodies or entities.

Corporate Status

15

Organization as Machine Organization as Structure Organization as a Process Organization as a Need and Responses Organization as a Society Organization as a System

Nature of Organization

16

Principles are the basic doctrines of the

organization. Every organization needs to be based on certain principles.

Many dismiss these principles as myths or sayings or proverbs or precepts.

Then which principles to follow? No principles are accurate, definite and precise.

But many regard these principles as necessary to the achievement of the goals of public administration.

Now what are these goals-public welfare, social security, full employ ment, social welfare etc.

Principles of Organization

17

The end of Public administration is maximum

common good or public welfare at minimum cost.

The principles of public administration are not like the laws of physical sciences inflexible or invariable in their operation.

But on the other hand they are flexible and dynamic.

Principles

18

Hierarchy is a principle which is quite

fundamental to any organization. Hierarchy means the rule or the control of the

higher over the lower. It also means graded organizations.

In an organization there are people who occupy different positions and have been given power and authority.

In an organization all are not equal. On the one hand are those who give orders and

commands on the other are those who are expected to obey commands issued to them.

Hierarchy

19

Thus, whole system is based on the principle of

high and low, the officer and the subordinate. The rule through proper channel occupies upper

place in hierarchy. In every large scale organisation there are few

who command and there are others, who are commanded.

Hierarchy

20

Thus, it creates the superior and the

subordinate relationships. In hierarchy the authority, the command and

the control flows from the top to the bottom-slowly, gradually or step-by step.

The structure of an army is the best example of a hierarchy.

All large scale organisations follows the same pattern.

Hierarchy

21

Hierarchy is a universal phenomena. Every

person or position in the hierarchy finds its appropriate place.

The lines of authority and responsibility flow along the path of hierarchy.

Hierarchy

22

Every organisation looks like a triangle in its

structure. A paramidical structure is sharp at the top and

broad at the bottom. Every organisation is like a ladder. A person desirous of going to the roof will have to

climb all the steps of the ladder, if he misses any step in the middle, he is likely to fall down.

Similarly, in the organisation there are various levels. Hierarchy in other words is also called as a scalar process which means ladder with several steps.

Hierarchy

23

In organizations every thing must move through

proper channel. For example, the secretary of the department will

have to deal with the joint secretary, joint-secretary, in turn shall, deal with the deputy secretary.

Deputy-secretary shall, in turn deal with Assistant Secretary who further shall, deal with the under-secretary, the under-secretary shall, in turn deal with the section officer-who in turn, shall deal with the assistants, clerks etc.

Hierarchy

24

The functions of the hierarchy are numerous. (1) It is a channel of command. (2) It is a channel of communication down

ward and upward-along with information, advice, specific instructions, warnings etc.

(3) It is the channel for the delegation of authority.

(4) It is a channel of internal control. (5) It is the means of clarifying responsibilities

and defining relations.

Functions of Hierarchy

25

The second principle of the organization is the

principle of span of control. It refers to the number of subordinates, a

supervisor can supervise effectively. By span of control we mean the number of

subordinates an officer can effectively supervise.

The span of control is the limit of attention or the scope of attention which one superior officer can pay towards his subordinates. It is the optimum limit of attention.

Span of Control

26

There is a great deal of disagreement among

the writers on the administration about the exact limit of the span of control.

The experts are sharply divided over the views regarding the span of control. One school of thought holds the view that eight to ten subordinates can be supervised by one superior officer.

Span of Control

27

Other school holds the view that four to six

subordinates can be supervised by one superior officer. Still others restrict it to 20 and so on.

There is no unanimity or oneness of opinion as regards to the exact number.

But the main idea behind this problem is the effectiveness of supervision.

The supervision has both qualitative and quantitative aspects. Hence, quality is to be accompanied by quantity is an important factor.

Span of Control

28

In an organisation a superior officer is

expected to exercise control over subordinates.

The number of subordinates to be supervised differs from one organisation to another organisation.

Span of Control

29

Nature of Work Leadership Age of the Agency Location of Organizational Units Span of Control under Revision Unity of Command Unity Diversity of Command Morale Communication and Its Principles

Factors which influence the span of control

30

Change does not roll in on the wheels of

inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quote of Day

31

1. L.D. White, fntmduction to the Study of Public

Administration, 1955, p. 41. 2. Appleby, P.H., -Policy and Administration, the

University of Alabama Press, Alabama, 1949, pp. 72-73. The various parts

operating in the organisation are having legitimate or legal sanction. Authority is the base of legitimacy.

3. Dimock, M.E. and Dimock, e.O., Public Administration, Rinehart

and Co., New York, 1959, p. 110. Organisation always works on the basis of some doctrines

or principles or values. Efficiency is an important value in organisation.

References