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We can contribute and practice by writing answers for previous years questions. It will help in understanding the deep syllabus and overall preparation. I will try to write as many answers as possible and request others to contribute. Experienced players like @doodlebean@mango_dolly and others are requested to please review and give inputs wherever required.
Q. What are the implications of the post structuralist perspective on the discrete aspects of public administration, coming from its epistemological position ? Ans. Post structuralist objects the structuralist idea that in principle the world is completely comprehensible through analysis of system and structure. According to structuralist underlying all phenomena are deep structure that shape phenomena. And to understand this phenomena it is necessary to understand these structures. Structuralist breaks the situation in different parts like public administration, economics, social etc. And according to them these structures have their own grammar(logic) which is different from others. Post structuralist do not believe in different grammar for different structures. They want to understand the situation ‘as it is’. Post structuralism brought concepts line unknowingness, human aspect,luck etc in different disciplines. But the effect of post structuralism in public administration is very small.
Q. “Adaptive, problem-solving, temporary systems of diverse specialists, linked together by coordinating executives in an organic flux-this is original form that will gradually replace bureaucracy”. Discuss, in the light of this statement, the ‘end of bureaucracy’ thesis and its strengths and limitations. Ans. Every generation has its unique problems and to deal with those problems they have their unique system of administration. Today everything is changing in a fast pace. With development of technology and globalization traditional bureaucracy has become less efficient and lost its charm. Many new models have been suggested to overcome the lacunae in bureaucracy. a. Warren Bennis organic-adaptive model. b. Alvin Toffler Adhocracy model. c. Rensis Likert system IV. d. Matrix organisation. In present dynamic system following characteristics are required:- a. Its must be adaptive with fast changing scenario. In today’s world technology is changing very fast and and to cope up with the change an adaptive system is required. b. Now the problems are becoming more specific and to solve them dedicated problem solving approach is required. c. The problems are becoming more technical and to overcome them specialist is required. d. System must have diverse personnel who are specialist in different fields. These specialist must work in a coordinated manner according to problem. Such organic model will replace bureaucracy as such organisation is more problem oriented and specialist in nature. Decision making in such organization will be more efficient as power is not concentrated in few hands but the any person with required knowledge can influence the result to attain goal. But there are few limitations also:- a. In routine job bureaucratic model is still more efficient. b. Coordination in organic model is difficult to achieve. c. People are so use to of bureaucratic model that there is always some reluctance in adapting organic adaptive model. With fast changing environment and empowerment of every employee there is a need for more organic model in many fields.
Q. “Karl Marx’s interpretation of bureaucracy was rooted in the history of the nature of the State”. Evaluate. Ans. Karl Marx came before Weber bad criticised bureaucracy. At that time bureaucracy has different meaning and was much different from the Weberian legal rational model. Marx criticised bureaucracy first time in 1843. At that time:- a. Democracy was not developed. b. State was militaristic and coercive in nature. c. Society was divided in classes. Marx named them as Haves and Have Nots. d. Ignorance about human rights e. Limited welfare oriented role of state. According to Marx capitalist society is divided into haves and have-nots. The haves or elite have all the power. Prince, bureaucrats and other rich people belong to this class. And:- a. Bureaucracy is an instrument in the hands of elite to maintain status quo. b. They don’t have universal approach as pointed by Hagel but are particularstic in nature. c. They are career oriented and have personal goals. d. Bureaucracy is exploitative in nature. It is very clear that such interpretation is based on the conditions prevalent in that time and what Marx observed from history.
Q. “The conceptual division between administrative and constitutional law is quite porous, and that along many dimensions, administrative law can be considered more constitutional in character that the constitutions.” How would you justify the statement? Ans. Constitutional law are the laws which define the organs of state, their relationship each other and people. On the other hand Administrative Law are the laws defining the power of administration its limitation and the manner in which it is operationalized. But these definitions are not water tight compartments as there are many exceptions:- Constitutional Laws working as administrative laws:- Indian constitution is biggest written constitution and many things are written in so much details that sometimes it includes many administrative laws. Eg. Articles related to inter-state water dispute, inter-state council, linguistic commission etc are administrative in nature. Constitutional laws misused and against the ethos of constitution:- There are many laws which are constitutional in nature but are misused eg. Discretionary powers of governor under article 163, President rule under article 356 etc. On the other hand all the administrative laws are drafted in such a manner that they are according to the ethos of the constitution. They help in achieving the vision of our Indian constitution. Eg. Any administrative law like laws for regulation of electricity or water can be considered. No discrimination is made on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, etc. Different slabs are available according to consumption. And if rules are broken then everyone is treated equally before law and is punished. So the difference between Administrative law and constitutional law is more in technical nature and is useful for academic purpose. In principle both are according to the ethos of constitution
Q. Is Peter Drucker justified in saying, “Management principles should not tell us what to do, but only tell us what not to do”? Comment. Ans. In classical theories many writers tried to give principles of management and administration; but later it was realised that these principles are not universal. Principles strictly speaking are the statements which are universally applicable. Peter Drucker is considered as father of modern management. According to him Management should not tell us what to do, as:- a. He considered management as an art having blend of many disciplines. b. Today environment is dynamic and every situation is new in itself. c. No rule can be implemented universally. d. Fixed rules can kill innovativeness. e. When rules are fixed then more importance is given to them than the result. Drucker himself was much experimental in nature and had predicted many events of future based on his knowledge, experience and innovativeness. He also considers that Management should tell us what not to do; so that:- a. A manager can learn from past mistakes. b. Past mistakes are not repeated. c. Past mistakes can guide in new environment. So Drucker is justified in saying that Management principles should not tell us what to do, but only tell us what not to do.
Q. “Governance theory and the notion of governmentality have many points of convergence, but they run on parallel lines.” Comment. Ans. Governance:- Governance redefines relation of government and society. It is a networked approach in which different actors come together to solve problems. With increasing complexity new problems have developed and government cannot solve them lonely. So governance is the process in which government, civil society, corporate etc all come together to achieve the goal. Governmentality:- Governmentality is the way government try to produce the citizen best suited to fulfil government policies. In governmentality, government inculcates different values which it feels are essential to achieve goal. Eg. Female infanticide is a big problem in India. If government, doctors, police, civil society etc come together to check such practice then it is governance. But if values of equality and respect for female is inculcated in people so that they start acting in the desired way then it is governmentality. Both governance and governmentality have many points of convergence like problem of regulating, governing, conducting etc. But both run on parallel lines as approach of both to solve the problem are different. Governance is more of external in nature while governmentality is an internal agent of change.
Q. “ Taylor ideas need modification in the context of post industrial economies in contemporary era.” Justify with reasons. Ans. Public administration is a very dynamic discipline. There are no fixed theories. Every theory need modification according to the situation of that time. Taylor propagated his scientific management theory when:- a. The condition of labours was very poor. b. Most managers were untrained and ignore their responsibilities. c. Rule of thumb was used. d. High friction between managers and labours e. No standardization But in contemporary era environmental conditions have changed. a. Rapid change in technology. b. Increased competition. c. Changing nature of consumers. d. Constant pressure by organisation unions and governmental agencies. e. Needs and opportunities of employees are changing. f. Change in management values. So in such a changed scenario Taylor ideas need modification. These changes can be seen in the form of flatter organisation, more importance to human resource, more autonomy and responsibility to each employee, new ways of motivating employees etc. But Taylor is still relevant. The core of his theory i.e. scientific temperament and harmony between management and employee is always relevant.
Q. How does the Strategic Contingencies Theory of organizational design deal with problems arising from sub-unit centrality and non-substitutability? Ans. Strategic Contingencies Theory focuses on tasks that need to be done in the form of problems to be solved, thus de-emphasizing personality. If a person does not have charisma but is able to solve problem, then s/he can be an effective leader. The leader is in demand as only he can solve the problem and deal with future uncertainties. Every sub unit has knowledge of itself and have no knowledge of other sub units. That’s why they depend on central or leader for information. When there is no other alternative to replace leader i.e. if he is non-substitutable then the solution provided by him has to be accepted. To deal with the problem of centrality and non-substitutability an organisation need:- a. Better flow of information. b. Better structuring of sub-units so that they are less dependent on centre. c. Knowledge sharing between different sub-units.
Good Initiative. @firststep Can you explain what is Warren Bannis Organic Adaptive Model? In that question you can also criticize the post-structuralist models Like matrix,project, etc by raising the positive of having proper rules as happens in Weber's Bureacracy. Proper rules would ensures predictability, accountability , also future references purposes which may not be the case in temporary organisations.
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Comments
Ans. Post structuralist objects the structuralist idea that in principle the world is completely comprehensible through analysis of system and structure. According to structuralist underlying all phenomena are deep structure that shape phenomena. And to understand this phenomena it is necessary to understand these structures.
Structuralist breaks the situation in different parts like public administration, economics, social etc. And according to them these structures have their own grammar(logic) which is different from others.
Post structuralist do not believe in different grammar for different structures. They want to understand the situation ‘as it is’. Post structuralism brought concepts line unknowingness, human aspect,luck etc in different disciplines. But the effect of post structuralism in public administration is very small.
Ans. Every generation has its unique problems and to deal with those problems they have their unique system of administration. Today everything is changing in a fast pace. With development of technology and globalization traditional bureaucracy has become less efficient and lost its charm. Many new models have been suggested to overcome the lacunae in bureaucracy.
a. Warren Bennis organic-adaptive model.
b. Alvin Toffler Adhocracy model.
c. Rensis Likert system IV.
d. Matrix organisation.
In present dynamic system following characteristics are required:-
a. Its must be adaptive with fast changing scenario. In today’s world technology is changing very fast and and to cope up with the change an adaptive system is required.
b. Now the problems are becoming more specific and to solve them dedicated problem solving approach is required.
c. The problems are becoming more technical and to overcome them specialist is required.
d. System must have diverse personnel who are specialist in different fields. These specialist must work in a coordinated manner according to problem.
Such organic model will replace bureaucracy as such organisation is more problem oriented and specialist in nature. Decision making in such organization will be more efficient as power is not concentrated in few hands but the any person with required knowledge can influence the result to attain goal.
But there are few limitations also:-
a. In routine job bureaucratic model is still more efficient.
b. Coordination in organic model is difficult to achieve.
c. People are so use to of bureaucratic model that there is always some reluctance in adapting organic adaptive model.
With fast changing environment and empowerment of every employee there is a need for more organic model in many fields.
Ans. Karl Marx came before Weber bad criticised bureaucracy. At that time bureaucracy has different meaning and was much different from the Weberian legal rational model. Marx criticised bureaucracy first time in 1843. At that time:-
a. Democracy was not developed.
b. State was militaristic and coercive in nature.
c. Society was divided in classes. Marx named them as Haves and Have Nots.
d. Ignorance about human rights
e. Limited welfare oriented role of state.
According to Marx capitalist society is divided into haves and have-nots. The haves or elite have all the power. Prince, bureaucrats and other rich people belong to this class. And:-
a. Bureaucracy is an instrument in the hands of elite to maintain status quo.
b. They don’t have universal approach as pointed by Hagel but are particularstic in nature.
c. They are career oriented and have personal goals.
d. Bureaucracy is exploitative in nature.
It is very clear that such interpretation is based on the conditions prevalent in that time and what Marx observed from history.
Ans. Constitutional law are the laws which define the organs of state, their relationship each other and people. On the other hand Administrative Law are the laws defining the power of administration its limitation and the manner in which it is operationalized.
But these definitions are not water tight compartments as there are many exceptions:-
Constitutional Laws working as administrative laws:- Indian constitution is biggest written constitution and many things are written in so much details that sometimes it includes many administrative laws. Eg. Articles related to inter-state water dispute, inter-state council, linguistic commission etc are administrative in nature.
Constitutional laws misused and against the ethos of constitution:- There are many laws which are constitutional in nature but are misused eg. Discretionary powers of governor under article 163, President rule under article 356 etc.
On the other hand all the administrative laws are drafted in such a manner that they are according to the ethos of the constitution. They help in achieving the vision of our Indian constitution.
Eg. Any administrative law like laws for regulation of electricity or water can be considered. No discrimination is made on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex, etc. Different slabs are available according to consumption. And if rules are broken then everyone is treated equally before law and is punished.
So the difference between Administrative law and constitutional law is more in technical nature and is useful for academic purpose. In principle both are according to the ethos of constitution
Ans. In classical theories many writers tried to give principles of management and administration; but later it was realised that these principles are not universal. Principles strictly speaking are the statements which are universally applicable.
Peter Drucker is considered as father of modern management. According to him Management should not tell us what to do, as:-
a. He considered management as an art having blend of many disciplines.
b. Today environment is dynamic and every situation is new in itself.
c. No rule can be implemented universally.
d. Fixed rules can kill innovativeness.
e. When rules are fixed then more importance is given to them than the result.
Drucker himself was much experimental in nature and had predicted many events of future based on his knowledge, experience and innovativeness.
He also considers that Management should tell us what not to do; so that:-
a. A manager can learn from past mistakes.
b. Past mistakes are not repeated.
c. Past mistakes can guide in new environment.
So Drucker is justified in saying that Management principles should not tell us what to do, but only tell us what not to do.
Ans. Governance:- Governance redefines relation of government and society. It is a networked approach in which different actors come together to solve problems. With increasing complexity new problems have developed and government cannot solve them lonely. So governance is the process in which government, civil society, corporate etc all come together to achieve the goal.
Governmentality:- Governmentality is the way government try to produce the citizen best suited to fulfil government policies. In governmentality, government inculcates different values which it feels are essential to achieve goal.
Eg. Female infanticide is a big problem in India. If government, doctors, police, civil society etc come together to check such practice then it is governance. But if values of equality and respect for female is inculcated in people so that they start acting in the desired way then it is governmentality.
Both governance and governmentality have many points of convergence like problem of regulating, governing, conducting etc. But both run on parallel lines as approach of both to solve the problem are different. Governance is more of external in nature while governmentality is an internal agent of change.
Ans. Public administration is a very dynamic discipline. There are no fixed theories. Every theory need modification according to the situation of that time.
Taylor propagated his scientific management theory when:-
a. The condition of labours was very poor.
b. Most managers were untrained and ignore their responsibilities.
c. Rule of thumb was used.
d. High friction between managers and labours
e. No standardization
But in contemporary era environmental conditions have changed.
a. Rapid change in technology.
b. Increased competition.
c. Changing nature of consumers.
d. Constant pressure by organisation unions and governmental agencies.
e. Needs and opportunities of employees are changing.
f. Change in management values.
So in such a changed scenario Taylor ideas need modification. These changes can be seen in the form of flatter organisation, more importance to human resource, more autonomy and responsibility to each employee, new ways of motivating employees etc. But Taylor is still relevant. The core of his theory i.e. scientific temperament and harmony between management and employee is always relevant.
Ans. Strategic Contingencies Theory focuses on tasks that need to be done in the form of problems to be solved, thus de-emphasizing personality. If a person does not have charisma but is able to solve problem, then s/he can be an effective leader.
The leader is in demand as only he can solve the problem and deal with future uncertainties. Every sub unit has knowledge of itself and have no knowledge of other sub units. That’s why they depend on central or leader for information.
When there is no other alternative to replace leader i.e. if he is non-substitutable then the solution provided by him has to be accepted.
To deal with the problem of centrality and non-substitutability an organisation need:-
a. Better flow of information.
b. Better structuring of sub-units so that they are less dependent on centre.
c. Knowledge sharing between different sub-units.
@firststep Can you explain what is Warren Bannis Organic Adaptive Model?
In that question you can also criticize the post-structuralist models Like matrix,project, etc by raising the positive of having proper rules as happens in Weber's Bureacracy. Proper rules would ensures predictability, accountability , also future references purposes which may not be the case in temporary organisations.