APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Mechanical Approach: The basic idea underlying the mechanical approach is that administration is a mechanical organisation and that we can find out certain principles which will make the organisation function efficiently.

According to his approach, efficiency is axiom number one in the value scale of administration. The mechanical approach may therefore be also called “efficiency oriented approach or scientific management approach” with a little difference of emphasis.

Philosophical Approach: It is said to be the oldest approach, Plato’s republic, Hobbes Leviathan, Locke’s Treatise on Civil government are examples of the approach. This approach takes within its purview all aspects of administrative activities. Further it enunciates the principles or ideas underlying those activities. Evidently, its range is very comprehensive.

Structural Approach: This approach studies public administration in terms of its structure. It emphasises the study of POSDCORB techniques of administration. It studies administrative organisations, personnel management and financial administration.

It may also be called institutional approach. L. D It may also be called institutional approach. L.D. White concerned himself with the problems of administrative organisation, personnel and administrative accountability. W.F. Willoughby gave due importance to the study of financial administration.

Juridical/Legal Approach: It studies public administration from the view point of law. It lays emphasis on the constitutional structure of public administration. Its preoccupation has been with power, sovereign and subsidiary. It has been concerned with offices, with the stated duties,

limitations, prerogatives and disabilities of officers and with the legal obligations and rights of citizens. Its characteristic materials have been the language of constitutions, of codes of law, of published regulations and of the decisions of judicial bodies, courts of accounts and high reviewing bodies like councils of state.

Thus, its emphasis has been on the presumed action of officers in carrying out the laws and also on the correctives that are available.

Behavioural Approach: The approach grew out of the criticism against the traditional approaches which laid emphasis on descriptive analysis rather than substantive one. In public administration, behaviouralism dates back to 1930’s with the human relations movement and was later popularised by Chester Inving Barnard, Herbert Alexander Simon and others. Simon argued that ‘Administrative behaviour’ is part of behavioural science movement and the only difference lies in the subject-matter of various disciplines.

Case Method Approach: This approach attained popularity in the thirties of the 20th century. A case narrates of what actually has taken place in administration. It however keeps intact the context and all relevant dimensions.

Such an approach seeks to reconstruct the administrative realities and acquaints the students with the administrative process. This approach has been adopted by the Nigerian scholars while conducting researches in yet on unexplored fields. However, the approach is not immune from flaws.

Historical Approach: It seeks to recreate a chapter of history as it attempts to study the public administration of the past within a particular time span and interpret the organisation and information on chronological order.

A society having rich past caters to this approach as the uniqueness of its administrative systems is thus identified. In fact quite a sizable number of administrative institutions can be comprehended in the light of their past by adopting this approach.