INTRODUCTION PUBLIC

ADMINISTRTION

UNIVERSITY OF
HARGEISA
Lecturer: Abdimajid Eid
 Introduction to Public
Administration
Presenting by:

Lecturer: Abdimajid Eid Yasin

MA In Sociology and Anthropology

BA In Public Administration

BA In Political Science

Post graduate diploma in Education UOH

Certified instructor from University of Gondar

University Lecturer
 Chapter One: Meaning Of Public Administration

Instructional Objectives
On completion of this session, the trainee will
be able to:

Learning Objectives:
 Meaning of Public Administration
 Politics and Administration
 Difference between administration and management
 Difference between businesses, Public and private
Administration
INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC ADMINSTRATION
 public administration with first two meaning . First its
concern with implementation government policy, second it is
an academic discipline not study implementation but its
preparing civil servant for working in public service .
 Public administration is centrally concern the public sector of
government policy and programs as well as the behavior of the
officials .
 Public administration deals with the science of getting things done in
most efficiencies ways in the public sector.
 Woodrow Wilson who largely set tone for early study of public
administration in any easy titled , the study of administration
published in the political science in 1887.

 INTRODUCTION

Public administration consist of getting the work of

government done by coordinating the efforts of the
people so that they can work together to end their set
tasks. For example

A. A cooperative group effort in public setting

B. All three branches of government , executive ,

judiciary and house of representative means
parliament are interdependence .

C. The important role is the formulation of public

 INTRODUCTION

 This chapter introduces Public Administration discipline.

 You will be exposed/Showing to the meaning of Public
Administration, some definitions by various
scholars, the meaning of Public Administration and
Management, the differences between
Administration and Politics, the differences between
Administration and Management, the differences
between Public and Private Administration as well as
the significance of Administration to any
organization or establishment
Introduction to public administration
11/09/2025 6
MEANING OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

 Public Administration could be defined

as the art and science of managing
government affairs, enforcing law and
fulfilling public policy.
 The term public administration originates from two

Latin words: means, people or the public and

Ad+Ministaire, which means, to look after
people or things It also means to care for or
look after people and to manage affairs
(Gladden, 1972)
MEANING OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

 Public Administration is a collective mechanism

for the expression of the will of the people and the
wellbeing of the environment.
 Public administration can also be referred
to as the political system in action.
 The ultimate goal of public administration is
how to maximize, the efficiency and social
effectiveness of public administrative
institutions.
 CONT…
 Adamolekun (1983), states that, public administration is
commonly used to refer to both the activities concerned with
the① management of government business and the ②study
of these activities.
 Nnoli (1986), defines public administration as the
machinery and the vital and fundamental processes,
through which the government performs its functions.
 It is a network of human relationships and
associated activities extending from the Head of State
to the lowest officer charged with utilizing resources on
behalf of the people.
 CONT…
Public administration can also be defined as
the act of decision-making, planning the
work to be done, formulating objectives
and goals, establishing and reviewing
organizations, directing and supervising
employees, exercising control and other
functions performed by the government
executions and supervisors.
 CONT…
Italso means the practice of administration in
the public sector which is a sub-segment of the
society.
 Some scholars viewed public administration as

the means by which the public policy will be

crystallized by the political class and the
administrators (bureaucrats) actualize its
process. However, from the foregoing, one could be
able to deduce that the term public administration
involves cooperative effort also that it arises in
an attempt to realize specific objectives
POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATION
POLITICS AND ADMINISTRATION

 The conventional view of the relationship between politics and

administration is that of one between ends and means.
 Politics: in its more specific sense is concerned with the
acquisition and use of state power. Power in this sense can
be taken as the collective powers of all duly constituted public
authorities.
 Administration: is concerned solely with the most efficient
means for achieving any given set or political objectives. It is
important to note that this is a simplified distinction between
politics and administration because public administrators are
in various ways, involved in both public policy-making and
policy-implementation.
 BRAINSTROMING
Self Assessment – Exercise
1. Explain the relationship between the
Political process and Administrative
process
2. In your own words, define Public
Administration and Management.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND
MANAGEMENT

Administration and Management can be

differentiated in two major ways:

The nature of the organization and

management levels.
The kind of decisions involved.
 THE NATURE OF THE ORGANIZATION AND
MANAGEMENT LEVELS.

 The term administration is preferably used in

public institutions e.g. Organisation,
government Departments, Educational
institutions, Hospitals etc. and as such laid down
rules, regulations, standards, code of conduct;
Principles and Procedures guide the achievement
of set goals. Hence administration is said to be
rigid, and concerned with obeying the stated
 DICHOTOMY BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Haimann, (1983) states that administration

means the overall determination of
policies, setting of major objectives,
identification of general purposes and
laying down of broad programmes and
projects.
 DICHOTOMY BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

{A}: Newman, (1963) states that

administration: means guidance, leadership &
control of the efforts of the groups towards some
common goals.

{B}: Management: sets standard for achievement,

skill, ability, encourages creativity, flexibility and
diversification (Obiajulu and Obi, 2004).
 There are several scholars that have contributed to the
meaning of administration and MGT prominent among whom
are Nwankwo (1987), Heyel (1973), Breach (1975) and
 DICHOTOMY BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Peretomode (1980), administration: is the

process of working with and through
others to efficiently accomplishes
organizational goals and objectives.
 DICHOTOMY BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

 five elements of administration: foresight,

insight/Vision organization; command; co-ordination and
control.
 He further stated that the principles of administration
includes;

{A}: division of labor,

{B}: authority,
{C}: discipline unity of
command/authority,
DICHOTOMY BETWEEN ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

Nwankwo (1987), states that

administration is considered as the
careful and systematic
preparations/planning for the
achievement of the specific objectives of
a given organization.
 administration involves effective
 Cont…
Management. As an act of managing people their work, for
achieving a common goals by using the organizational resource .
 its a group of people who use their skill and talent in running
the complete systematic of the organization. Its an activity a
function, a process a discipline and much more .
 planning, organizing , leading , motivating, controlling ,
coordinating and decision making are the major actives
preformed by the management.
 management bring together 5m of the organization, men, methods ,
machines, material, and money
 Another points
 Management is a systematic way of managing people and things with
in the organization.
 Administration is an act of administering the whole organization by a
group people
 Management can bee seen in the profit making like business
enterprise
 Administration is found in government and military office, club
hospitals, religious organizations and all non profit making.
 Cont…
The difference between
Management and Administration can
be summarized under (2) two
Categories: -
①. Functions, and
②. Usage or Applicability (The
quality of human being applicable or fit to
be applied).
Basis Management Administration

Management is an art of getting It is concerned with

Meaning
things done through others by formulation of broad
directing their efforts towards
objectives, plans and
achievement of pre- determined
policies.
goals.
Management is an executing Administration Is a Decision-
Nature Making Function
function.

Management decides who Administration decides what

Process should as it and how should he is to be done & when it is to
do it be done

Management is a doing function Administration is a thinking

Function
because managers get work function because plans and
done under their supervision policies are determined
under it.
Technical and Human Conceptual and Human
Skills skills skills

Middle & lower level Top level function

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSINESS, PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION

①. Business administration: in
simple terms is everything that
encompasses a business.
The administration of a business includes
managing and monitoring absolutely
everything to do with a business,
from marketing, advertising, to the
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSINESS, PUBLIC
AND PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION

In business administration program,

the students are trained in various
sections of the field of business for
example (A).corporate accounting,

(B). communications, ©.
principles of management, and
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSINESS, PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION

 The concept of business administration is the process of

managing every different angle of a business so it can run,
expand, grow and succeed.
 Without business administration, all areas of the
business would go unmonitored and would eventually break
down.
 However, the concept of business administration is to
oversee the running of the company and working to
ensure the business is working, running to its best ability.
 The process of business administration is the overseeing
and controlling of a business. This includes keeping a lot of
records, monitoring and overseeing every department
and staffing and managing teams of employee
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSINESS, PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION

 Public Administration: is sometimes

referred to as public management and
sometimes the two words are used
interchangeably.
 It is concerned with the activities of public
institutions and organizations that are owned
jointly or principally by the government.
 It is concerned with the implementation of policies
and activities of the government at the three levels
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BUSINESS, PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE ADMINISTRATION

 It is concerned with how a country administration is

organized and how it functions.
 Woodrow (1887), public administration means the most
obvious part of government or government in action.
 It is the most visible side of government, particularly the
executive arms, that implements the plans and activities of the
government. Adebayo (1986), public administration means
the art of planning, assessment, appraising performance by
the government executives and supervisors. Public
administration also means the management of public policy,
the shaping and carrying out of public policies and
service- oriented (Ladipo and Omoyele, 2003).
 Cont…
 The differences that exist between public and private
administration are in their setting, Formation and
structures as follows:
 ①. Setting:
 Public administration is for service orientation, that is,
capitally intensive e.g., civil service commission (CSC), etc.
while private organization is a Profit-Oriented Entity. The
private Enterprise is essentially for profit maximization
 Public administration performs numerous activities e.g.
external defense (military services), police affairs, currency,
maintenance of law and order, whereas the private
organizations have limited activities e.g. engineering,
industry, production, communication, textiles, commerce and
banking etc.
 Accountability in the public administration in not well
established or accounted for, but in the private organizations,
the level of accountability and efficiency is well established.
 Cont…
②. Formation:
 Public administrations are being financed from various taxes
or being owned by the public. They are being paid by the
tax payer fund. But private organizations are owned by
limited number of people not as large as a country


 Public organization is opened to more criticism (Either

Constructive or Otherwise) while the private Organizations
are not all that prune to frequent criticism as their
operations are not widely known
 Cont…
③. Structure:
 The size of Public Organizations is usually larger than those
of private organizations. Many Private organizations
structures do not extend beyond their locality.
 Recruitment into the public services is based on
geographical spread (federal character) those of the
private sector, are mostly on merit irrespective of
applicant's state of origin.
 Personnel procurement in the public sector is done by a
centralized body, civil service commission, or by ministries
acting on their behalf and according to the guideline
formulated by it. While in the private sector, individual
organization is responsible for the living of its staff.
 Decision making in public administration is control by the
government or elected officers while the Shareholders
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