Questions Related to Public Sector Management - Assignment Example

1.Per Ian Chaston, in his book: "Public Sector Management, Mission Impossible", Chapter Describe the evolution of the role of governments in Western societies from mainly funding armies to providing a wide variety of social services for its people as industrialization progressed and economic cycles caused social problems. Answered The evolution of the role of governments in Western society can be traced back to the point in time that a level of industrialization and progress was experienced within the system. In the earliest years of Western governmental structure, the state was mainly responsible for regulating commerce and providing the requisite funding for the military. However, as the complexity of society grew, the state found itself in a situation in which it was increasingly required to engage in a litany of different social services. The evolution that Ian Chaston defines is one that is contingent upon a state that found itself increasingly involved in the lives of its citizens. However, rather than understanding this as a process that was not directed or focused, Chaston points the reader to the understanding that the ability to vote and the democratic process itself was one of the guiding mechanisms through which a degree of socialism came to be represented throughout society. Depending on the nation that is analyzed, the degree of socialism that exists within Western governments varies; however, it is broadly accepted that the state should have a direct level of impact with regards to the degree and extent of social services and representative safety net that exists for the unfortunate poor within the society. Coming to the realization that the entire society was predicated upon the strength of its middle class, the degree and extent to which government involvement could support this middle class and develop into a degree of further profitability was one of the main determinants that policymakers viewed with respect to redefining social integration throughout the years. 2.Per Bao et.al. "Beyond New Public Governance; A Value - Based Global Framework for Performance Management" What are the basic characteristics of "New Public Management" (NPM) and of "New Public Governance" (NPG) which has emerged in response to the limitations of NPM? Answered According to Bao et al. “Beyond New Public Governance: A Value-Based Global Framework for Performance Management”, and new Public management is a term that can most broadly be understood as denoting a range of government policies that work to increase efficiency or otherwise modernize the public sector. Invariably, this level of government intervention lens a society and/or the governmental structure itself, to become more liberal as these changes necessarily reduce the overall level of self-determination or economic laissez-faire that might exist for any individual within the economy. By means of contrast in comparison, the authors argue for the fact that new Public management has ultimately given rise to new Public governance. New Public governance is ultimately a type of governance that is predicated upon values and the belief that non-quantitative measurements of the value that other researchers and/or approaches have been unable to ascertain. The inherent difficulty that exist with such a point of view has to do with the fact that a value-based view of public governance necessarily lends the researcher to question how these values are formed, what basis they have, what rules constraining them, and how they are ultimately practiced. Accordingly, the definition of new public governance and new Public management has become increasingly nebulous as the years have gone on and the number of scholars that have sought to draw inference upon these aspects have increased. 3.Per Ian Chaston, in his book: "Public Sector Management, Mission Impossiable", Chapter 3, what are the major factors contributing to public financial instability in many nations across the globe, and what changes in the U.S. Banking system caused a global financial crisis? Answered According to Ian Chaston, the major factors contributing to global financial instability has to do with the fact that the regulation over the past decade or two has been a defining element of the banking system internationally. Although the United States led the way with regards to this deregulation, governments around the world followed suit; lending themselves to a situation in which the clouds, power, and decision-making structure for financial composition of markets was ultimately at the whim of the world’s largest banks. What ultimately transpired was a situation in which imaginative accounting practices allowed for debt ratios to be inflated beyond reason. As such, the ability of banks to continue to control this burgeoning debt bubble while at the same time reporting a profit without engaging in unethical behavior was all but impossible. As such, the first banks to fail were necessarily the ones that engaged with this process of debt explosion to the highest degree. The actual cause of the financial collapse can be clearly understood with respect to something of a domino effect. As many of the world’s largest financial institutions found themselves in dire straits and representing liabilities that far outweigh their assets, the trust in these financial institutions were fundamentally shaken; leading to a situation in which their stocks were devalued and the future potential of success for these institutions came into question. As such a reality faced millions around the globe, questions of individual financial institutions soon spread to a systemic level; causing a degree of panic within the system. 4.Per Morgan, et.al. in "Organization Structure & Behavior – Foundations of public service, second edition" Will be attached to you, What are the basic features of Max Webers theory of bureaucratic organization, and what are its inherent weaknesses? Answered As Morgan et al. define it, Max Weber’s theory of bureaucratic organization is one that holds core precepts as immutable. These precepts can broadly be understood to impact upon the manner through which organizational structure and behavior is evidenced within public service today. As such, some of these core compliments include the following: a level of jurisdiction that is ordered by law and rule, a hierarchy within the system that requires for the subordination of one to another, management by rules and organization of individuals based upon structural interpretation, an organization that when it is established to perform a useful task necessarily requires a full complement of individuals in order to complete the task that it sets out to perform, and a situation in which rules are both stable and knowable; leading to a situation in which those individuals who are the most familiar with and able to ascribe to these rules are the most likely to gain a competitive advantage or personal benefit within the organization. One of the criticisms that have been leveraged against Webers theory is with respect to the level of idealism that it necessarily engages. According to Webers points that have roughly been illustrated above, the level and extent to which any organization can ascribe to these norms and at the same time maximize the level of efficiency, productivity, and profitability for the organization, as well as development of the human resources that is responsible for, is necessarily quite limited. 5. In the case study, "Guerilla Government & the Nevada Wetlands," Will be attached to you, Illustrate how the actions of the four wetlands scientists ("the Nevada four") conform to aspects of NPM and NPG. Then comment on whether you think they acted appropriately, and why. Answered The actions of the “Nevada for” is directly indicative of new performance management and/or new performance governance. The underlying reason for this is due to the fact that the individuals that comprise the “Nevada for” were willing and able to disobey the direct orders of their superiors, and indeed the vision statement and values of their organizations, as a means of promoting value above these precepts and/or organizational relationships. In such a manner, by choosing to promote values over the affiliations that they held, these individuals stood to lose their jobs, their careers, and possibly a degree of their freedom; if their respective organizations chose to engage legal proceedings as a means of silencing them. From an interpretation of the case in an understanding of the unique issues involved, it is the firm belief of this particular analyst that the “Nevada four” engaged in a rational and ethical manner; seeking to promote the development of the United States while at the same time protecting environmental issues that abounded within the local region. Based upon the level of interaction that these individuals had with their local and state representatives, the unpaid nature of their battle to protect the local environment, and the moneyed interests that they stood against, these individuals faced an uphill battle from the very beginning; however, it was a battle that could be clearly understood to have an ethical and moral rationale. 6.Chaston, in his book: "Public Sector Management, Mission Impossible", Chapters 11 & 12, What roles do stakeholders play in organizational strategy, and what are the weaknesses and limitations of applying strategic planning in public organizations? Then explain how this might be relevant to the case, "Organization Merger in the UAE Weather Department." Answered In attempting to categorize and/or classify the role of stakeholders with respect to organizational strategy, this is something that truly cannot be under emphasized. Ultimately, no matter what the organization, its focus, product, or service, it is comprised of stakeholders. Oftentimes these stakeholders of the individuals who are directly responsible with funding the organization – other times the stakeholders are the direct employees of the organization – other times, these stakeholders can come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have differing levels of impact with regards the future and direction of such an organization. However, one commonality remains; the fact that stakeholders have a vested interest with regards to the development of any organization and the manner through which it evolves. As such, the integration and involvement of stakeholders as a means of decision-making and promoting a vision is integral to the success of any organization. With this being said, it must also be understood that strategic management also has several drawbacks. Perhaps the most salient of these is with regards to the fact that strategic management can severely curtail the means through which a manager can express dynamic decision-making and power in terms of an instantaneous situation. By much the same token, this particular approach is useful with respect to understanding “Organization Merger in the UAE Weather Department”. The underlying rationale for this has to do with the fact that the merger represents a situation in which stakeholders are valued two different levels and strategic management is engaged to a different degree. By means of understanding this differential, managers can seek to promote the best interests of the organization without dismissing the importance that strategic management and stakeholder involvement can affect. 7. According to Morgan, et.al. In "Organization Structure & Behavior – Foundations of public service, second edition" Will be attached to you , What are the basic features of the "Systems Model" of complex organizations? Answered The systems model of organization is a relatively simplistic model which places the emphasis upon structure. As such, the main determinants of the systems model of complex organizations are contingent upon the following: design, planning, structural behavior, input data, output data, and implementation. Although many individuals have misunderstood systems organization, a basic level of integration that can be had with it is contingent upon understanding it as an outgrowth of scientific management. Whereas scientific management did not necessarily focus upon human resources or the compliment differentials and individual behavior and/4 needs and merely focused upon input and output determinants, systems organization is very similar with respect to the fact that it seeks to measure known realities and ignore those potential that cannot be measured in a quantitative manner. Naturally, one could easily point to the fact that a realistic weakness of this approach has to do with the fact that the more nuanced the dynamics of personnel behavior and organizational approach could diminish the usefulness that the systems model has with regards to organization. However, it must also be understood that the systems model of organization, like any understanding, should not be used alone; rather, it should be used in tandem with other approaches as a means of more definitively understanding complex situations and the determinants that define them. 8. According to the article, "What Middle Managers Do" by Morgan, et.al. Will be attached to you, What are the main roles and responsibilities of middle managers in complex public organizations? Answered Morgan et al., in their piece entitled “What Middle Managers Do”, engages the reader with a discussion of two distinct functions that middle managers are expected and needed to perform. The first of these is described as helping to define acceptable service. In most cases, directions, from upper management and policies and procedures are ultimately up to the middle managers to delineate, define, and actuate. As such, middle management is ultimately the entity that is responsible for effecting these changes into actual trends, goals, approaches, and best practices. In such a manner, the distinctive role of middle management is actually putting these otherwise nebulous ideas into practice and ensuring that the stakeholders below them engage these in a manner that would bring the entire organization closer in line with the needs that had previously been specified. A secondary function of middle management, that Morgan a all discussed is with respect to what is defined as making the delivery of public services of accountable. Ultimately, regardless of the particular policy, approach, or direction that a middle manager is given, the expectation is that they will ensure that the entire process is accountable and can be definitively proven by a litany of different metrics. Oftentimes, the need for this accountability only arises in a situation in which the entire policy is questioned and upper management must definitively prove that the approach that was engaged was both meaningful and effective in a number of different areas. 9. In the case, "Professionalism and Organizational Values," Will be attached to you, Use Systems Theory to explain the attitude and behavior of the newly appointed library director, Don Kelly toward the redevelopment plan proposed by Town Manager Snooks and his downtown business colleagues. What is your opinion of his attitude and actions? (You will not be graded on your opinion.) Answered From the case in question, it is clear and apparent that Don, the new library director, is patently against the utilize nation of the library as a mechanism for commercial development within the city center. From a brief review of Don’s background, credentials, and education, it is clear and apparent that he pursued the particular path that he did because he had a direct interest in utilizing the library as a means of engaging the citizens and providing a link to history that only a library can provide. However, as Don is presented with the notion of utilizing the library as a means of developing trivial economic gains, such as a food court or steamed movie theater, the appreciation for how the library can impact the community and his role in affecting this is fundamentally altered. As such, Don comes to the belief that he will not engage with the planners in order to alter the appeal and focus that the library traditionally has had within the community. Ultimately, the situation the developed was one that could have been changed if time had not merely rejected the proposal out of hand. Rather, he could have proposed an alternate approach through which the library could still seek to exercise its core functions without giving away its core sovereignty to the trivial economic gains that have been discussed. 10. Per Ian Chaston, in his book: "Public Sector Management, Mission Impossiable", Chapter 4, What are the core values (drawing from author Henderson) found among public sector employees in the United States? How, if at all, are these similar to public sector values and culture among employees in the UAE? Answered When comparing different cultures, it is oftentimes difficult to develop a thread of commonality and similarity between the core values that they hold. However, with respect to public service management, and Ian Chaston’s book entitled, “Public Service Management, Mission Impossible”, the reader is engaged with the understanding that certain core values easily transfer from one culture to another. For instance, the core values that were discussed among public servants within the United States were mainly concentric upon attempting to serve the public good and promote the welfare of all individuals within society; regardless of what particular party or political affiliation might hold power at a certain time. Naturally, even though the political situation within the UAE is greatly different, it cannot be understood that these core values not easily translate between both of these nations and their respective public servants. However, a key differential also exists with respect to the fact that public service within the UAE have to abide by Islamic expectations and the religious compliments of the culture; comparatively, those public service the United States do not have such a requirement and must necessarily seek to promote secularism at each and every juncture. However, an added difficulty the public service within the United Arab Emirates face is with respect to the fact that there are different levels and approaches to Islam and the coordination between state and government officials. 11. Per Ian Chaston, in his book: "Public Sector Management, Mission Impossiable", Chapter 5, What is "entrepreneurship" and how, given the very different conditions, should it differ when applied in the public sector? What aspects of public entrepreneurship do you see in the Nevada Wetlands case? Answered Entrepreneurship is most certainly a difficult term to encapsulate. In short, it has less to do with the business acumen of the particular individual and more to do with the ability to be a self-starter. As such, entrepreneurship does not only apply within the realm of the private sectors. Rather, it can equally be demonstrated within the public sector and within unique organizations and groups of individuals that are public servants. For instance, within the case of the matter wetlands, the “Nevada four” were actively engaged in a level of entrepreneurship with regards to a key issue that they felt was relevant and must be addressed. Even though they did not achieve any level of monetary gain or possible promotion from their employer, these individuals engage with a level of entrepreneurship that was not dissimilar to the same level of entrepreneurship it is oftentimes engaged within the private sector as a means of accruing a certain level of profitability. From the case of the Nevada wetlands, it can definitively be seen that the level of proactive engagement and entrepreneurship among public service is not only required but should be promoted within organizations as a means of improving upon their core values and promoting the best interests of society as a whole. Naturally, it is still necessary to maintain a level of organizational control without having anarchy take place; however, all too often, public servants find themselves in a situation in which an all-powerful entity redefines values and does not allow for a relevant level of personal discussion and ethical consideration within key cases. 12. Per Ian Chaston, in his book: "Public Sector Management, Mission Impossiable", Chapter 6, What is "SWOT" analysis, how does it lead to four different organizational strategies, and how are its weaknesses overcome through its modified "TOWS" approach? Answered A SWOT analysis refers to a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis. As such, by focusing upon the relevant aspects of what defines these metrics, the individual analyst is able to come to a more informed understanding of what changes need to be affected in order to accomplish a given set of goals or to ensure that organization is able to survive well into the future. Furthermore, the modified approach to the SWOT analysis that is thus far been defined is provided to the reader in terms of a “TOWS” analysis. Naturally, the acronyms are the same and the TOWS analysis refers to threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths. The underlying rationale for turning the analysis on its head and performing a reverse inspection is predicated upon the fact that by first understanding that the rest opportunities and weaknesses, the individual or group of individuals is been more likely to be able to draw effective inference with regards to the way in which strengths that are also represented can seek to address these. Rather than merely representing a semantic understanding, this particular approach has been leveraged within a litany of organizations as a function of improving upon the overall approach and providing stakeholders with a more actionable plan for the way in which they can immediately issues and strengthen the benefits that they already exhibit. Read More