Towards the end of the twenty-first century’s second decade, there has been a tremendous growth in right-wing populist movements throughout many of the world’s nations. Such movements have challenged the government in the delivery of its traditional functions while calling for government downsizing and/or the reorganization of (and even the elimination of some) government agencies. During a time of such political attacks on the government and its historical roles, it is critical to examine the current practice of public administration in the early twenty-first century.

In this timely, well-written and interesting “Perspectives” Section article, Dr. Lihi Lahat, Lecturer in the Department of Public Administration & Policy in Sapir College (Israel), poses the important question of what public organizations should actually be doing at this time. Dr. Lahat contends that on the individual level, public employees should follow the principles of emphasizing listening, helping and learning. She argues that on the organizational level, it is crucial that public policy be integrated with public administration so that the focus will be on emphasizing “core principles” rather than attaining specific ends. She concludes her article by arguing for the integration and mutual reinforcement of the individual and organizational level principles which can improve the functioning of public organizations.

If any of the journal’s readers are interested in responding to any essays published in the “Perspectives” Section or would like to write articles on any topics in the field of employee relations, please do not hesitate to contact me with your proposal. I welcome both practitioner-based and scholarly-based articles written from any one of a variety of theoretical perspectives. I hope that you enjoy this article and find it most illuminating.