Leadership Theory And Administrative Behavior The Problem Of Authority

The aim of the book is to show how organizations can be understood in terms of their decision processes. The central point is that decision-making is the heart of administration. The language and conceptual framework for describing administration must be based on the logic and psychology of human choice, i.e. economic theory and psychology. Simon got a Nobel's prize in 1978 for his contributions to science within decision processes in economic organizations.

Public management is context dependent, rather than generic. That may sound obvious, but in the late 1920s through the 1930s, a dominant strand of thought considered public administration to be a "single process," wherever practiced. Today by contrast, federal administration is distinguished from private enterprise, nonprofit management, and state and local governmental practices by the combined effects of its scope and scale; the constitutional separation of powers, federalism, and protection of individual rights; and administrative law requirements for stakeholder participation, representation, transparency, privacy, due process and other democratic-constitutional values. The Handbook of Federal Leadership and Administration is a state-of-the art guide to the unique features of federal administration, informed by the latest theoretical developments, research, and practical applications, and the leadership and management of federal agencies. Written by "pracademics" with federal practitioners specifically in mind, the handbook is designed to bridge the gap between academic and applied public administration by identifying what resonates with practitioners as they search for usable theories and research findings to improve performance. Combining rigor and relevance in the study and practice of federal administration, it includes chapters on theory, history, reform initiatives, leadership, necessary skill sets, budgeting, power and influence, political embeddedness, change management, separated and shared executive, legislative, and judicial powers, effective communication, ethics, and emerging concepts and challenges. It will be essential reading for federal practitioners, scholars, and "pracademics" alike.

The ping-pong diplomacy and its aftermath discussion, coupled with the entry of communist China into the United Nations and the subsequent expulsion of Taiwan, will generate considerable political dialogue about the changing balance of power and the fate of the other China. These political discussions will obviously overshadow the true role and function of the existence of Taiwan. Given the time, Taiwan could become a model for the development process for other emerging countries. Taiwan's experience with eco nomic development has real relevance for many countries. For exam ple, in less than two decades Taiwan has achieved the industrial and economic growth that should well make it the envy of nearly all other developing nations. Its per capita income is exceeded only by Japan among the countries of the Far East. Yet, despite vigorous economic and industrial growth, obvious breakdowns in this economic progress come into view. The lack of managerial input threatens to become a real bottleneck. The study reported in this volume examines the feasibility and utility of transferring advanced management know-how and practices into the industrial enterprises in Taiwan in order to generate further economic and industrial growth. The study itself concerns management practices and effectiveness of American subsidiaries, Japanese sub sidiaries, and comparable local firms in Taiwan.

In this fourth edition of his ground-breaking work, Herbert A. Simon applies his pioneering theory of human choice and administrative decision-making to concrete organizational problems. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the book's original publication, Professor Simon enhances his timeless observations on the human decision-making process with commentaries examining new facets of organizational behavior. Investigating the impact of changing social values and modem technology on the operation of organizations, the new ideas featured in this revised edition update a book that has become a worldwide classic. Named by Public Administration Review as "Book of the Half Century," Administrative Behavior is considered one of the most influential books on social science thinking, and was referred to by the Nobel Committee as "epoch-making." Written for managers and other professionals who wish to understand the decision-making processes at the heart of organization and management, it is also essential reading for students in business and management, economics, sociology, psychology computer science, government, and law.

"The breadth and depth of this book is unequaled... The chapter on the community college's role in the achievement gap is `must-reading' for the next generation of community college executives."---Ned Doffaney, Chancellor, North Orange County Community College --