Development Administration and Organization Theory

Abstract

Research on formal organizations is divided between the disciplines of management/organization research for the private sector and administration science for the public sector. Yet the distinction is not always that clear. Esman notes that “development administration has evolved, for no particular reason that I can discern, into ‘development management’, with no significant changes in substance or methodology.”¹ Although the procedures for both research subjects may be similar, they were kept separate. While there is no reason to limit organization theory only to private organizations, public organizations have not been in its focus. This concentration on private sector organizations is startling when the increasing significance of the public sector as a whole is taken into account. In average the total government expenditure in all OECD countries represented 47.3% of the GNP in 1985, as compared to 26.6% in 1960.² Dunsire finds that “... there is no prima facie reason to suppose that government departments are not organizations like any others, and so are susceptible to the same kind of analysis as firms or local authorities or insurance offices. If there is a relationship between size and structure, or environment and structure, it should surely become manifest in government departments as elsewhere.”³ Accordingly, in this chapter organization theory will be reviewed with respect to its relevance to our research subject.