Scholar Summary Critique

E.N. Administration is about caring This definition emphasizes

Gladden for people and managing the human aspect of
affairs to achieve a purpose. administration, but it lacks
specificity about the
methods or strategies used
in administration.

Felix A. Administration involves This definition is more

Nigro organizing and using men focused on the resources
and materials to achieve a used in administration, but it
goal. doesn’t address the
processes or techniques
involved.

Herbert A. Administration involves group This definition highlights the

Simon activities to achieve common cooperative nature of
goals. administration, but it doesn’t
specify the role of
leadership or direction in
administration.

John A. Administration involves This definition is

Veig systematic ordering of affairs comprehensive as it
and calculated use of includes both the process
resources to achieve desired and purpose of
outcomes. administration, but it may be
too broad to apply in
specific contexts.
Pfiffner Administration involves This definition is similar to
organizing and directing Nigro’s but adds the
human and material element of direction, making
resources to achieve desired it more complete. However,
ends. it doesn’t specify how these
resources are organized or
directed.

L.D. Administration is the art of This definition emphasizes

White directing, coordinating, and the leadership aspect of
controlling many persons to administration, but it doesn’t
achieve an objective. address how resources
other than humans are
managed.

Luther Administration involves This definition is

Gulick getting things done and straightforward and
accomplishing defined action-oriented, but it lacks
objectives. depth in terms of how things
get done or what strategies
are employed.

George E. Administration is a process This definition is similar to

Berkley involving humans jointly Simon’s, emphasizing the
working towards common cooperative nature of
goals. administration, but it doesn’t
provide specifics on how
this cooperation is facilitated
or managed.

Brooks Administration involves This definition introduces

Adams coordinating conflicting social the concept of conflict
energies in a single organism resolution in administration,
so they operate as a unity. but it may be too abstract
for practical application.
Keith Administration involves This definition emphasizes
Henderso arranging men and materials rationality in administration,
n in carrying out purposes but it doesn’t specify what
rationally. these purposes are or how
they’re determined.

Ordway Administration involves This definition is

Tead directing people to achieve a comprehensive as it
temporarily shared goal and includes direction,
integrating human efforts for a integration, motivation, and
desired result. It’s also about purpose in administration,
motivation and spirit that making it one of the most
drives an institution to fulfill its complete definitions
purpose. presented here.

D. Waldo Administration is a type of This definition emphasizes

cooperative human effort that both cooperation and
has a high degree of rationality in administration,
rationality. but it doesn’t provide
specifics on how this
cooperation is facilitated or
what makes an effort
rational.

James Administration involves This definition provides an

McCanny organizing and using men interesting comparison to
and materials to accomplish a other professions,
purpose, similar to how an highlighting the specialized
engineer builds structures or skills required in
a doctor understands human administration.
ailments.
F.M Marx Administration is a This definition is
determined action taken in comprehensive as it
pursuit of a conscious includes action, purpose,
purpose involving systematic systematization, and
ordering of affairs and resource utilization.
calculated use of resources.

L.D. White Public Administration is about This definition

(1955) fulfilling or enforcing public emphasizes the role of
policy as declared by public administration in
competent authority. implementing policy, but it
doesn’t address how this
is done.

J.M Public administration involves This definition highlights

Pfiffiner getting the work of government coordination and task
(1946) done by coordinating the accomplishment, but it
efforts of people to accomplish doesn’t specify what
their tasks. these tasks are or how
they’re determined.

Woodrow Public Administration is the This definition focuses on

Wilson detailed and systematic the legal aspect of public
(1889) application of law. administration, but it
doesn’t address how this
application is carried out.
Percy Public administration is This definition is broad
McQueen administration related to the and general, lacking
operation of government. specificity about what
operations are included or
how they’re managed.

Herbert Public administration involves This definition narrows

Simon the activities of the executive down public
(1957) branch of government. administration to the
executive branch, but it
doesn’t specify what
these activities are or how
they’re conducted.

Luther Public administration involves This definition introduces

Gulick the science of administration the concept of science in
(1937) related to government, administration and
primarily concerning the focuses on the executive
executive branch. branch, but it doesn’t
provide specifics on what
this science entails.

Dwight Public administration is the art This definition combines

Waldo and science of management art and science in
(1967) applied to state affairs. managing state affairs,
providing a balanced view
but lacking specifics on
how these are applied.
E.N. Public Administration is This definition is broad
Gladden concerned with the and general, lacking
administration of the specificity about what
government. aspects of government
are included or how
they’re administered.

H. Walker The work which the This definition focuses on

government does to give effect law enforcement, but it
to a law is called Public doesn’t address other
Administration. aspects of public
administration such as
policy implementation or
service delivery.

Willoughby Administration involves the This definition provides a

work in conducting broad view but also
governmental affairs, acknowledges a narrower
regardless of the particular interpretation focusing on
branch of government the administrative branch,
concerned. In its narrowest providing flexibility but
sense, it denotes operations of potentially causing
administrative branch only. confusion due to its dual
interpretation.

M.E Public Administration involves This definition is

Dimock fulfilling or enforcing public comprehensive as it
policy as declared by includes policy
competent authorities and enforcement,
deals with problems and organizational issues, and
powers of organization and management techniques,
management involved in making it one of the most
carrying out laws and policies. complete definitions
presented here.
John A Administration signifies This definition
Veig organization, personnel, emphasizes organization
practices and procedures and procedures in
essential to effective performing civilian
performance of civilian functions under executive
functions entrusted to branch, but it doesn’t
executive branch. address how these are
managed or coordinated.

Merson The administrator gets things This definition provides an

done and just as science is an interesting comparison
enquiry into best means for between science and
policy formulation so public public administration
administration is an enquiry as emphasizing enquiry and
to how policies may best be execution.
carried into operation.

Corson & Public Administration is action This definition

Harris part of government realizing emphasizes action part of
purposes and goals. government but lacks
depth in terms of how
actions are planned or
executed.

F.A Nigro Public Administration is a This definition provides a

(1970) cooperative group effort in comprehensive view
public setting covering all three covering all branches of
branches - executive, government, policy
legislative and judicial; has formulation, difference
important role in formulation of from private sector and
public policy; different from association with private
private administration; closely groups.
associated with numerous
private groups and individuals
in providing services to
community.
J.S Public Administration This definition
Hodgson comprises all activities of emphasizes activities
persons or groups in carried out by persons or
government. groups in government but
lacks specificity about
what these activities are.

James W. Public Administration is policy This definition

Fesler execution and policy emphasizes the role of
formulation, public public administration in
administration is bureaucracy policy execution and
and public administration is formulation, but it
public. doesn’t address how
this is done.

James W. Public Administration can be This definition narrows

Davies best identified with the down public
executive branch of a administration to the
government. executive branch, but it
doesn’t specify what
activities are included
or how they’re
conducted.

Frank Administration includes the This definition provides

Goodnow function of executing the law a broad view of
as well as semi-scientific, administration,
quasi-judicial and including legal,
quasi-business or commercial scientific, judicial, and
functions. business aspects, but it
may be too broad for
practical application.
Ridley Public Administration in the This definition
public sector…It is emphasizes the role of
administration by the public authorities in
state…Public Administration administering according
is governmental to rules of public
administration…It is administration, but it
administration by public doesn’t provide
authorities…Public authorities specifics on what these
are authorities who administer rules are or how they’re
according to the rules of applied.
public administration. Public
administration should be the
study of administration,
descriptive, theoretical and
normative.

M. When administration has to This definition provides

RuthnaSwam do with the affairs of a state or a context-specific view
y minor political institutions like of public administration
a Municipal or County related to state affairs
Council, or District Board, it is or minor political
call Public Administration. institutions, but it
doesn’t address how
these affairs are
managed or
administered.

Dimock and Like the study of politics, the This definition provides
Dimock study of public administration a comprehensive view
is a study of what people want of public administration
through government and how as both a study and
they go about getting it. In practice involving law
addition, administration is the and policy
area of study and practice recommendation and
where law and policy are execution, making it
recommended and carried one of the most
out. complete definitions
presented here.
J. Greenwood Public Administration is an This definition provides
and D. Wilson activity, a set of institutions a broad view of public
and a subject of study. administration as an
activity, set of
institutions, and subject
of study but lacks
specificity about what
these activities are or
how they’re conducted.

Rosenbloom Public Administration does This definition provides

involve activity, it is concerned a comprehensive view
with politics and covering activities,
policy-making, it tends to be politics and
concentrated in the executive policy-making,
branch of government, it does executive branch focus,
differ from private difference from private
administration, and it is sector and law
concerned with implementing implementation.
law.

Eugene The term public administration This definition

McGregor is reserved to denote the emphasizes generation
generation of purposive public of purposive action
action whose success reconciling competing
depends on reconciling the demands but lacks
competing demands of depth in terms of how
administrative operations, actions are planned or
democratic governance and executed.
public solving.

F.M. Marx Public Administration has This definition

come to signify primarily the emphasizes
organization, personnel, organization,
practices and procedures personnel, practices
essential to effective and procedures in
performance of the civilian performing civilian
 functions entrusted to the functions under
executive branch of executive branch.
government.

M. When administration has to This definition provides

Ruthanaswam do with the affairs of a state or a context-specific view
i minor political institutions like related to state affairs
municipal or country council or minor political
(district board), it is called institutions.
public administration.

Max Weber Public administration is This definition

implementation of government combines
policy; also an academic implementation aspect
discipline that studies this with academic
implementation preparing civil discipline preparing civil
employees for working in employees for work in
public service. public service.

Paul H. Public administration as public This definition

Appleby leadership of public affairs emphasizes leadership
(1947) directly responsible for aspect in democracy
executive action". In respecting dignity worth
democracy respects dignity potentials citizen.
worth potentials citizen.

James D. Regarded public This definition regards

Carroll & administration as the beginning aspect but
Alfred M. Zuck beginning of public lacks depth in terms
(1887) administration as specific field what field entails.
study.
Patricia M. Public Administration This definition
Shields (1998) deals with the emphasizes the role of
stewardship and public administration in
implementation of the implementing democracy,
products of a living but it doesn’t address how
democracy. this is done.

Donald Kettl Public administration is a This definition narrows

(2009) sub-field within political down public
science. administration to a
sub-field within political
science, but it doesn’t
specify what activities are
included or how they’re
conducted.

Lalor (2014) A society with a public This definition provides a

authority that provides at context-specific view of
least one public good can public administration
be said to have a public related to public goods,
administration. but it doesn’t address how
these goods are provided
or administered.

H.A. Simon, Public Administration This definition provides a

D.W. Smithburg involves the activities of comprehensive view of
and V.A. the executive branches of public administration as
Thompson national, state and local involving various
governments, government branches of government
corporations and certain and specialized agencies,
other agencies of a making it one of the most
specialized character. complete definitions
presented here.
Corson and Public administration is This definition
Harris the action part of emphasizes the action
government, the means part of government but
by which the purposes lacks depth in terms of
and goals of government how actions are planned
are realized. or executed.

M.E. Dimock Public Administration is This definition

concerned with ‘what’ and emphasizes ‘what’ and
‘how’ of the government. ‘how’ aspects but lacks
depth in terms what field
entails.

Nicholas Henry Public Administration is a This definition combines

broad-ranging and theory and practice
amorphous combination promoting understanding
of theory and practice; its of government and its
purpose is to promote a relationship with society.
superior understanding of
government and its
relationship with the
society.

The North Public Administration This definition

American comprises establishments emphasizes
Industry primarily engaged in establishments engaged
Classification activities of a in activities of
System governmental nature. governmental nature but
(NAICS) lacks specificity about
what these activities are.

The National Public Administration This definition

Center for prepares individuals to emphasizes preparation
Education serve as managers in the aspect for individuals to
Statistics executive arm of local, serve as managers in
(NCES) in the state. executive arm.
United States