James Q. Wilson’s recommendation on the guiding principles that make public organizations efficient and effective and how they may be applied to a work organization
Wilson gives a number of guiding principles for the making of an efficient and effective public organization. Indeed the principles as explained by Wilson are fundamental and important for the successful management and running of government in a manner that is efficient and effective. Wilson seems to suggest that management of public organizations needs to assume a cautious approach that is informed with the knowledge of the purpose for which the public organization suffices rather than mere management for the sake of it. This paper shall discuss the principles as suggested by Wilson and then examine their application to public organization. For purposes of application, the paper shall consider the case of the Universities which suffice specifically for the discharge of education and spearheading of research in the various disciplines.
For starters, Wilson suggests that public organizations need deregulation. Wilson appreciates the essence of regulation and the fact that public duties ought to be performed by the intended persons and that the element of delegation need not arise. However, Wilson suggests that for purposes of efficiency and effectiveness, deregulation need to be considered. Deregulation is recommended for it would enable the bureaucracy to operate without the occurrence and or the possible conflicts arising from legislative micromanagement. As Wilson argues, the general tendency that regulation seems to contribute to is the unattractive occurrence of limiting the powers and functions of the bureaucracy. Wilson thus suggests a remedy in the form of deregulation and posits that public organizations would be better with modest regulation.
Secondly, Wilson suggests that public organizations need to have leaders or managers with certain attributes and capacities. He suggests that the leader must understand and internalize the culture of the organization. In that strain, Wilson suggests that the leader should learn and appreciate his juniors. A leader must appreciate the reasoning and judgment of the employees in the public organization. In that vein, Wilson appears to suggest that the leader needs to learn his employees well and empower them with the necessary confidence and self-assertion. This calls for inclusive leadership that does not disregard the contribution of the juniors and effectively takes into cognizance the contribution and suggestions of the others. In other words, public organizations would be more effective if and when they adopted participatory approaches in decision making and in other managerial concerns.
Thirdly, Wilson suggests that leaders or managers of public organizations need to negotiate for only essential constraints from their political superiors. What Wilson appears to be pointing at is the need to have sufficient autonomy in order to perform the expected mandate and functions by the respective organization. In that strain, it is incumbent upon the leader to ensure the organization is only constrained to the extent that is necessary. This would allow the organization a wider discretion in performing its functions. Wilson assumes the position that this would enable the delivery of services and functions without unnecessary disturbances and or the need to seek permission.
Fourthly, Wilson suggests that authority conferred upon employees or any other officers must be matched with the tasks expected to be performed. In that context, Wilson takes the view that public organizations would probably be more efficient if the officer charged with the delivery of a task had the authority and power to enable the delivery of the tasks. This principle is informed by the nature of bureaucracies whereby in some cases the officers may be tasked with duties but are not given the authority that matches an effective delivery of the tasks. In such cases the officers are compelled to seek for the assistance and sanction from their superiors. This slows the process and may eventually frustrate the delivery of the tasks. In addition, the delegation of authority in matching with tasks at hand is in consonance with the earlier recommendation for negotiation for minimal constraints. The two are predicated on the fact that for successful delivery officers need to be empowered and conferred with the requisite authority.
Finally Wilson suggests that organizations need to be judged by the results. By this Wilson supports a result oriented approach in the management of public organizations. He appreciates the fact that private organizations are motivated by the profits they earn from their activities but equally observes that such an approach may necessarily be adopted by public organizations but not pegged on profits. In that connection, Wilson suggests that public organizations need to give results and these results ought to reflect their performance in the duration in which they have been in existence. This performance evaluation may be periodic and regular.
The question that arises then is how these principles can be applied in making public organizations effective and efficient. Foremost, the principles as advanced by Wilson seem practical and progressive. For that reason application would probably yield positive results. An organization need to first have a leader or a manager who appreciates the employees. In the University for instance, the head needs to appreciate the workforce and understand the operating dynamics. In addition, the workforce also must understand their own mission. As Wilson puts it, the entire workforce needs to have a sense of mission infused in them. This spirit would be necessary for the smooth operation of the organization. In addition, the University must to the best extent possible limit the constraints from their political superiors. By this the University needs to negotiate that its charter mandates it to perform all activities as long as they are not inconsistent with the law and the spirit of its formation. In limiting the nature of constraints imposed on them the University will then be able to deliver its services without unnecessary external interference. Going by the narrative and recommendation by Wilson, the University then has to confer its employees’ authority that matches the tasks given to them. For instance, the lecturers ought to have reasonable authority over the students so as to effectively conduct and manage the class. This must not be read to mean that lecturers have unlimited powers over the students. Further, the University needs to be deregulated to the best extent possible. A modest regulation would suffice for purposes of delivering the mandate of the University. In addition, it must be appreciated that the bureaucracy fails not because it abuses its powers and authority. Rather it fails because of the excesses of the procedures and incidental regulations. The University as a public organization would be effective and efficient if the principles are fully put to good and productive use. However, it must be equally appreciated that Wilson’s suggestions do not work in isolation of other principles which have proved successful in the overall management of public organizations.
The need for and importance of a strong and effective public administrative system in society
The need and importance of a strong and effective public administrative system in society essentially lies in the special functions and mandate of the public administrative system. Foremost, it is important to recognize the fact that public administration suffices for purposes of containing and controlling the excesses created by the capitalist approach to life. In the capitalist system society has been forced to champion individual interests against communal interests. In many cases, people have ended up protecting their own selfish interests and left the public interests to wrestle for their own protection. That is the ideal basis for the public administrative system. The protection of public interests needs to be their main motivation. It is this paper position that public interest in the long run is essential for all and sundry and that a system needs to be in place to regulate the excesses occasioned by the capitalist system that is purely individualistic.
Secondly, as Woodrow suggests, their needs to be a clear delineation between politics and public administration. Public administration must not be confused and in some cases mixed up with the politics of the day. The public administration safeguards the interests of the people. It is the execution of public law, which it is expected would have emanated from a democratic legislature. In that sense, public systems suffice for the full implementation and due execution of public law with the interests of the people in mind. It must be noted that public law is often intended for the provision of public order and for the sustainability of society. In that context, it needs to be administered by the administrative system that is competent, and is composed of employees appointed based on merit rather than political affiliation or other biases that be.
In addition, public administration needs to be appreciated for its role in the delivery of civil and basic social services. As William argues using the examples of prisons, schools and the military, he brings out the critical aspect of public administration in that it shows the limit of private entities. Some of the basic and essential services of society cannot be left to the discharge of the private organizations. This calls for a good administrative system that is specially designed and dedicated for the delivery of these services. For instance, the provision of internal and external security informs some critical roles of the public system. Such services cannot be delegated or contracted out to the private entities and therein comes the public bodies such as the police and the military. In other cases it can be argued that private entities complicate and make exclusive the delivery of certain basic services to the extent that public bodies are needed to come in and discharge the services. Good examples are education and prisons services. In some jurisdictions both prison and education services have been contracted out either fully or partially to private entities. What has occurred as a consequence is an exclusive tendency that tends to disfavor a segment of the population over the others. This can claim credit for the rise in societal crimes and imbalances. Public administration would be required to protect the very existence of a balanced and stable society in such cases. The boundaries need to be defined and it should be automatically demarcated the extent to which some services can be exposed and left to private bodies.
However, a cautious approach needs to be employed in the public administrative system. The system must be strong and effective. The need for efficiency and strength is predicated on the fact that the administrative system is the custodian of the public interests. However, as the custodian of the public system there lies the propensity to become unaccountable. It is, therefore, important that the system is effective and strong so as not to fall prey to the temptation of sacrificing public interests for individual interests. In addition, it must be noted that public administrative systems wield near absolute authority and the structuring must be thorough and robust with sufficient checks and balances so as not to end up abusing its powers. The administrative system has its clear role defined in the capitalist dispensation and this needs to be performed within the power structure.
Finally, public administrative systems suffice for the execution of public law and power. This public power in democratic systems is often conferred on the presidency or any other elected political leader. However, this power is immense and critical for the overall stability of the society. In that breadth, the delegation of the power by the political leader to the administrative structure enables the fettering of the discretion and power of all other leaders. It ultimately enables the rule of law and not the rule of man. This dispensation can only be protected through an application of an effective and strong administrative system.
References
Madison, J. (2008). Federalists Paper Number 10. New York: McGraw Hill Company. Retrieved from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/btt/celebratingfreedom/pdfs/045.PDF
Martin, J. B. (1948). The Blast in Centralia No. 5: A Mine Disaster No One Stopped. New York: Centralia (Ill.).
Stillman, R. J. (2009). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, 9th ed.: Concepts and Cases. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Wilson, J. Q. (2000). Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It. New York: Basic Books.
