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The State of the Discipline of Public Administration: The Future Is Promising

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DOI: 10.2307/41506788

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 Sonia M. Ospina and Rogan Kersh, Editors

Naim Kapucu
University of Central Florida

The State of the Discipline of Public Administration: The

Future Is Promising

Rosemary O’Leary, David M. Van Slyke, and Soonhee 528 pp. $119.95 (cloth), ISBN: 9780765625045;
Kim, eds., The Future of Public Administration $59.95 (paper), ISBN: 9780765625052.
around the World: The Minnowbrook Perspec-
Naim Kapucu is associate professor in

I
the School of Public Administration at the
tive (Washington, DC: Georgetown University have two well-designed and well-executed vol-
University of Central Florida. His research Press, 2010). 336 pp. $ 49.94 (cloth), ISBN: umes in front of me. I am very familiar with the
and teaching interests include emergency 9781589017122; $29.95 (paper), ISBN: background of each, having attended the Min-
and crisis management, collaborative gov-
ernance, and organizational learning and
9781589017115. nowbrook III Conference in 2008, which produced
design. His book Network Governance the first volume, as well as several American Society
in Response to Acts of Terrorism: Donald C. Menzel and Harvey L. White, eds., The State for Public Administration panels, which gave birth to
Comparative Analyses will be published
in 2012 by Routledge.
of Public Administration: Issues, Challenges, and the second. The two books encompass several creative
E-mail: kapucu@ucf.edu Opportunities (Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2011). topics and provide intriguingly different perspectives.
458 Public Administration Review • May | June 2012
Let me start with common elements across the two The book starts with a comprehensive introductory
and then take up each book in turn. chapter by the editors that compares the three Min-
nowbrook conferences’ impact on the “intellectual
Both volumes address the state of the discipline, history” of public administration. Three key issues
review leading theoretical issues, and point toward of disciplinary development are raised: the balance
future directions for research and practice. Col- between democracy and bureaucracy (in reference to
laborative or democratic governance, the expanding Waldo 1971), the role of government in governance,
use of information technology, and the impact of and interdisciplinary perspectives in solving complex
globalization are highlighted frequently in each. Both policy and administration problems. To address these
address issues of emergency and crisis management issues, the latest conference identified six key themes,
in a specific chapter, and this topic is woven through around which the book is organized: the study of
several other chapters. As a scholar who has personally public organizations in the future, global and compar-
conducted research on the topic, I especially appreci- ative perspectives, collaborative governance, democrat-
ated seeing emergency and crisis management treated ic governance and public participation, scholarship of
as a quintessential function of public administra- teaching and learning, and the discipline’s continued
tion. Each volume also exemplifies trends in research relevance in addressing public problems.
methods, as described, for example, in Raadschelders
and Lee (2011). Part I: Studying and Managing Public Organiza-
tions of the Future. The first chapter, by Donald P.
Each book at once represents a snapshot of current Moynihan, introduces the “democratic performance
public administration trends as well as a contribution governance” framework and recommends a needed
to an ongoing conversation about the “pragmatist re- move away from the narrow focus on efficiency, effec-
structuring of the profession and the discipline” (Har- tiveness, and rationality to a broader perspective in per-
mon 2006). Both volumes also raise more questions formance evaluation and management. The framework
than they answer, which to me is a useful demonstra- seems well specified, though empirical testing and
tion of the health of the discipline. Together, these practical examples will determine its utility and dura-
volumes set a research agenda for students of public bility. The second chapter, by Suzanne J. Piotrowski,
administration for a long time to come. Donald C. highlights the need for a “coherent public administra-
Menzel and Harvey L. White’s volume tends to focus tive strategy to prioritize non-mission-based values in
on big questions, with good coverage of the subject public-sector organizations” (27) and demonstrates
matter. Rosemary O’Leary, David M. Van Slyke, and the use of transparency in public management with
Soonhee Kim similarly pose big questions while also examples. In chapter 3, Mary E. Guy, Meredith A.
depicting public administration from global perspec- Newman, and Sharon H. Mastracci address a neglected
tives, with shorter chapters. public service skill—emotion—and recommends a
“whole man” perspective from public administration
The Future of Public Administration around scholars in understanding public sector employees
the World: The Minnowbrook Perspective (34). Chapter 4, by Domonic Bearfield, addresses in-
This book is a selection of papers by “seasoned, new, clusiveness and diversity in public administration. The
and in between” scholars presented at the Minnow- chapter opens the discussion with an excellent observa-
brook III Conference in 2008 (xiii). Among the wide tion of Barack Obama’s election campaign in 2008
range of topics addressed in detail are the discipline’s and criticizes public administration scholars’ treatment
relevance, trends in public performance management, of the issue. Bearfield states that “[u]nlike previous
public budgeting and finance, global comparative black candidates … Obama did not run a race-based
perspectives, the impact of information communica- campaign. Instead, when he spoke of issues affecting
tion technologies, law and public administration, members of the black community, he would frequently
management and leadership, methodological issues, frame them in the context of the struggles faced by
cross-disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives, all Americans” (45). Chapter 5, by Susan T. Gooden,
networks in public policy and management, social discusses the role of public administration research in
justice, values and theories of public administration, addressing social inequalities and building community
and accountability. The book successfully addresses capacities. In chapter 6, Kimberley R. Isett promotes
these challenging and complex issues and contributes evidence-based organizational and systems design for
significantly to the development of the discipline—as public sector organizations. The final chapter in this
did the two prior Minnowbrook conferences (Marini part, by Dale Jones and Austen Givens, places public
1971; Frederickson and Mayer 1998). All three con- administration at the center of the interdisciplinary
ferences have addressed the importance of keeping our profession of homeland security (and emergency man-
public administration frameworks relevant to social agement) for education, research, and practice.
and political life as we experience it in the United
States (and, increasingly, around the globe). This criti- Part II: Globalization. The issue of globalization
cal issue is highlighted in virtually every chapter. was discussed in almost every panel at the conference
Book Reviews 459
 (along with interdisciplinarity, the need for a greater “adaptive management” (149) and accountability are
base, and interdependence and complexity). This critical elements of an integrated collaborative govern-
section addresses the challenges and opportunities that ance mechanism. The construct of “collaboration as a
expanding global perspectives pose for the discipline research, training, and practice agenda is a formidable
of public administration in research, education, and challenge [and an opportunity] for the field” (109).
practice. Complex interdependent public administra-
tion (and policy) issues are examined in a comparative Part IV: Deliberative Democracy and Public
context, including “environmental policy [and Participation. The chapters in this part address
management], financial crises, disaster management, public participation in public decision making. In
crime, national security, terrorism, migration, trade chapter 15, Tina Nabatchi recommends that prac-
policy, health policy, and food and drug safety” (80). titioners and scholars take deliberative democracy
Chapter 8, by Bidhya Bowornwathana, provides a seriously, which she defines as “infusing government
brief survey of development in comparative public ad- decision making with the reasoned discussion and
ministration and suggests theory-driven comparative collective judgments of citizens” (159). Chapter 16,
administrative reform research (from regional, by John Clayton Thomas, addresses collective action
case-based, global, and one-country tracks) using a problems and provides some design principles for
“common conceptual umbrella of governance and public managers, such as when and how to engage the
public management” (89) as a framework. In chapter public in public administration. In chapter 17, Ines
9, Yilin Hou recommends a new paradigm for global Mergel presents social media perspectives for “good
comparative public administration that acknowledges governance” in the future of public administration.
comparative studies as “equivalent to general public The contributions provide examples and principles
administration.” The final chapter in this part, by for building the capacity of democratic governance in
Ora-Orn Poocharoen, recommends more comparative local governments and the public.
public administration research in contribution to
teaching and intellectual development of the disci- Part V: Teaching the Next Generation of Leaders. In
pline. this section, the chapters address the competencies of
public administrators in the future and set an agenda
Part III: Collaboration. Collaboration, networks, for the scholarship of teaching and learning in the
and reciprocity were also widely discussed topics at discipline. In chapter 18, Scott E. Robinson compares
the conference. The edited volume defines collabora- the competitiveness of master of public administra-
tive public management as “the process of facilitating tion (MPA) programs to more specialized programs,
and operating in multiorganizational arrangements especially those similar to the MPA or that came out
to solve problems that cannot be solved easily by of the MPA program, and provides a framework that
single organizations” (107). In chapter 11, Soonhee can help distinguish MPA programs from others.
Kim emphasizes the need for more “theoretical and Robinson recommends that MPA programs should
comparative” research for “collaborative leadership include networking and boundary-spanning skills and
and local governance in a national and international tools to become distinct and competitive. Chapter 19,
context” (115) in global communities to increase by Guy B. Adams and Danny L. Balfour, recom-
local governance capacities. Chapter 12, by Michael mends that public service ethics be included in MPA
McGuire, Jeffrey L. Brudney, and Beth Gazley, curricula in the future and envisions that demo-
provides a brief history of the development of the cratic governance will become a key framework. The
emergency management profession. The authors authors acknowledge the development of research in
expect more emphasis on horizontal collabora- networks and collaboration in public administration
tion, the balance between incident command and and identify a “badly needed” focus “on the ethics of
decentralized decision making, and more focus on cross-sectoral relationships” (207). Chapter 20, by
resiliency, mitigation, and preparedness during the David H. Rosenbloom and Katherine C. Naff, recom-
“new emergency management” period. In chapter 13, mends incorporating administrative law into MPA
Theresa J. Pardo, J. Ramon Gil-Garcia, and Luis F. curricula to strengthen public administrators’ decision
Luna-Reyes provide an information technology– making capacity and ability to operate effectively in
enabled framework for collaborative governance. democratic systems that require accountability and
Public managers are expected to play more of a responsiveness. In chapter 21, Justin Marlowe and
“boundary spanner” role in multiagency settings with Daniel L. Smith highlight the importance of bringing
interoperable information technology infrastructures. together public management and public financial
The last chapter in this section, by Kirk Emerson and management, two important subdisciplines of public
Peter Murchie, uses collaborative governance as a administration, in future teaching and research.
construct involving multiple sectors (public, private, Chapter 22, by Matt Leighninger, examines the rela-
and nonprofit) and citizens in solving complex public tionships between public administration and demo-
policy problems in the case of environmental policy cratic governance based on interviews with influential
and climate change. For Emerson and Murchie, scholars in the discipline. To strengthen democratic
460 Public Administration Review • May | June 2012
governance, Leighninger identifies promising changes administration will continue to be challenged to be
in the curriculum, such as “placing more emphasis more creative and relevant in its scholarship and in its
on the concepts and skills of leadership, facilitation, practice for many years to come” (293).
conflict resolution, deliberation, recruitment, online
technologies, and participatory process design” The State of Public Administration: Issues,
(243). These critical skills cannot be learned without Challenges, and Opportunities
bringing together theory and practice through service This volume addresses contemporary scholarship
learning and other experiential learning strategies. on public administration and practice, again featur-
ing both “known” and “aspiring” scholars. Similar
Part VI: Remaining Relevant. Relevance is probably to The Future of Public Administration around the
one of the most critical challenges that public ad- World, it addresses issues, challenges, and opportuni-
ministration, as both an applied and a professional ties facing the discipline. The book addresses, more
discipline, continues to face. To remain relevant, the explicitly than the other volume under review, the
discipline must have a usable framework for research impacts of major disasters (including 9/11, Hurri-
and education. The authors in this part try to do just cane Katrina, and SARS) on public administration:
that. Chapter 23, by Van Slyke, reminds us how much this issue is highlighted throughout the book, along
public administration learned from other disciplines, with a chapter dedicated to emergency and crisis
such as economics, management, sociology, and management. This book is also more attentive to
political science, and acknowledges that others can current policy issues and future trends, in response to
learn from public administration research as well. To the editors’ explicit request. Major “impact factors”
accomplish this, Van Slyke recommends that public identified in this volume, much as in the previous
administration scholarship use rigorous methodology, one, are globalization, development in information
publish in interdisciplinary venues, and seek to inform technology and communication, complexity, and
policy makers and the public at large. In chapter 24, cultural and political changes.
Kristina Lambright highlights network management
skills, as in other chapters in the book, and recom- The volume opens with a chapter by Laurence E.
mends links between theoretical work and practice in Lynn, Jr., on public administration theory. Lynn
this regard. Chapter 25, by Kelly LeRoux, encourages provides an applicable framework for public admin-
public administration scholars to conduct more em- istration scholars (this reviewer would have liked
pirical research and develop theoretical frameworks in to see the framework followed more closely in the
understanding the reality of collaborative governance. book’s chapters) and applies different perspectives to
In chapter 26, Bradley E. Wright expects more public “professional practice.” Lynn sees “heterodoxy” as the
administration research in the mainstream manage- identity for our inherently multidisciplinary disci-
ment field. Chapter 27, by Beth Gazley, rightly em- pline rather than a “threat to that identity” (4). He
phasizes the importance of interdisciplinary perspec- concludes that “[the] achievement of an integrated,
tives and focuses on the capacity of a node (actor) in more coherent understanding of public administra-
collaborative network settings. In terms of teaching tion that resolves the identity long perceived by many
collaborative public management, Gazley suggests that within the profession is not only a vain hope; it is a
“academic curricula will need to become more inclu- misguided one” (18). From a positivist perspective,
sive, and academic departments will need to become “[w]ell executed, theory-based empirical research can
either more diverse internally or more willing to allow be insightful about practical matters” in the discipline
students to seek courses elsewhere” (277). (19). Normative scholarship should demonstrate “that
they can do better than positivists when confronting
The book’s concluding chapter, by Van Slyke, O’Leary, administrative problems as they present themselves in
and Kim, reviews the state of public administration, practice” (19).
highlighting issues, challenges, opportunities, and
crosscutting themes (282). The impact of globaliza- Part I: The Profession. The chapters in this part deal
tion on the discipline is identified as one of the critical with public administration as a profession. Chap-
issues associated with interdependence and collabo- ter 2, by James S. Bowman and Jonathan P. West,
rative public management and governance. A third addresses the changes and reforms in the profession
challenge, the editors aver, is the role of information from a human resource management/public personnel
technology (in areas such as democratic governance, perspective. The authors see public administration
globalization, civic engagement, and knowledge shar- as “an ethical activity” (33). The key issue for public
ing). Another is deliberative democracy and public administration is, as the constitutional framers faced,
participation (including mechanisms, processes, and “produc[ing] the conditions for a responsive govern-
management). Finally, the importance of interdiscipli- ment by effectively managing the professional civil
nary perspectives and collaboration and data sharing service” (33). Chapter 3, by Patricia Shields and Nan-
among the scholars of public administration is high- dhini Rangarajan, shares perspectives and observations
lighted. According to the editors, “The field of public from the “usable past” on women’s contributions to
Book Reviews 461
 the profession, highlighting a few key examples (Flor- example. The chapter provides a brief development
ence Nightingale, Mary Livermore, and Jane Add- of citizen engagement in public administration and
ams). In chapter 4, Wendy Haynes and Beth Gazley predicts that a visible “progress in democratization in
discuss professional associations in public administra- the administrative state through citizen-driven public
tion and their role in public service excellence through administration” (254) can be made. Chapter 16, by
professional development opportunities. In chapter 5, Louise Comfort, Clayton Wukich, Steve Scheinert,
Jeffrey Raffel, Steven M. Maser, and Crystal Calarusse and Leonard Huggins, addresses the role of networks
provide historical perspectives on the National Associ- in creating resilient systems of metropolitan govern-
ation of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration’s ance, with a particular focus on network science. The
accreditation and changes in the standards for the chapter concludes with the need for a framework
profession of public administration for public service enabling measuring and strengthening governance.
workers “educated for jobs that involve solving public Without this, “it is difficult for policy makers to craft
problems, again, across sectors” (74). Chapter 6, by viable strategies to manage the uncertainty generated
Montgomery Van Wart, summarizes recent trends in by dynamic interactions among public, private, and
research on administrative leadership. Chapter 7, by nonprofit organizations in the daily operations of a
Menzel, highlights ethics and integrity for the profes- metro region” (268). Chapter 17, by Robert Agranoff,
sion and proposes an agenda on “postmodern ethics.” one of the leading scholars in collaborative govern-
ance, addresses the challenges of management, leader-
Part II: Public Management Issues. This section ship, the external role of public managers, and design
addresses better management strategies for the within networks. Building sustainable relationships
public sector. In chapter 8, Norma Riccucci presents to solve common problems within networks requires
challenges facing the public service workforce from establishing “communities of practice.”
a human resource and labor relations perspective
(performance and succession planning, for example). Part IV: Governance and Reform. This section
In chapter 9, Irene Rubin analyzes instruments for explores recent administrative reforms in public
improving public budgeting performance, comparing administration and governance designed to provide
early public management practices, and rightly better service to the public. Some of the chapters
recommends the integration of policy and budgeting. relate closely to those in previous parts. Chapter 18,
Chapter 10, by Judith R. Saidel, discusses the role of by Deil S. Wright, Carl W. Stenberg, and Chung-
the third sector (civil society or nonprofits) in provid- Lae Cho, analyzes governance as intergovernmental
ing public services. Chapter 11, by Melvin J. Dubnick relations and administration. The authors recommend
and Kaifeng Yang, focuses on accountability in demo- that the discipline clarify the terms “governance,”
cratic governance from methodological and theoretical “collaboration,” and “networking,” reminding readers
perspectives. In chapter 12, Stuart I. Bretschneider that “we are all partially in charge” (citing Cleveland
and Ines Mergel discuss the impact of information 2000, 297). The authors conclude that “responsive
communication technologies on collaborative public public management through collaboration and
governance. Chapter 13, by William L. Waugh, Jr., networking occurs in a framework of responsible
sketches the development of the emergency and crisis democratic governance” (310). In chapter 19, Beverly
management profession as a quintessential role of A. Cigler treats federalism as a horizontal relationship,
public administration and government and provides with a focus on the internationalization of states and
future directions for researching emergency and crisis local government, state–local relations, and inter-
management. municipal relations, and proposes several excellent
research questions to be addressed by scholars in the
Part III: Networking and Partnership. Networking future. In chapter 20, Robert F. Durant and John
and partnership, in addition to being a stand-alone Marvel propose a new framework in understanding
section in both volumes, are highlighted in several interrelationships between policy, politics, and admin-
chapters in both volumes. Chapters in this part ad- istration in a dynamic governance system. Chap-
dress the role of networks as innovative and necessary ter 21, by Stephen E. Condrey and Jonathan P. West,
ways in creating public value in a democratic society. addresses civil service reform in the United States, us-
Chapter 14, by Nicholas Henry, takes up the topic of ing Georgia and Florida as examples. Chapter 22, by
partnerships, using the complex relationships between David H. Rosenbloom, emphasizes, in ways echoing
federal employees and contractors. Henry states that a related chapter in The Future of Public Administra-
“[n]owhere in the academic community is it more tion around the World, the role of administrative law in
relevant to practicing public administrators than in public administration. In chapter 23, White addresses
clarifying the complexities of contracting” (234). In the critical issues of inclusiveness and diversity in pub-
chapter 15, Terry L. Cooper defines collaborative lic service from reform and governance perspectives.
public management as citizen-engaged public admin-
istration (in addition to partnerships and networks), Part V: International and Global Challenges. Inter-
using Los Angeles neighborhood councils as an national and global perspectives are identified as major
462 Public Administration Review • May | June 2012
issues in both volumes. In chapter 24, Alan Lawton higher-order (first and second) theorizing in future
and Frederique Six treat the New Public Management research. Capping this book’s genuine contribution to
movement as a major global administrative reform as the discipline, this chapter points us toward enduring
well as an academic concept, drawing lessons from this models of inquiry and philosophy of science in public
joint treatment for public administration. Chapter administration (cf. Riccucci 2010). I hope that many
25, by Jamil Jreisat, discusses the principles of good students and scholars of public administration will
governance and professional standards and values for take the recommendations in this chapter seriously in
public administration and governance globally (in helping advance the discipline in the future.
both political and administrative spheres). Chapter 26,
by Louis A. Picard, addresses the evolution of develop- Conclusion
ment management. This chapter highlights capacity I truly enjoyed reading both of these real contribu-
building efforts in developing countries, the impact of tions to the advancement of the discipline. Taken
international donors on development administration, together, the 50-plus chapters across these two books
and the decline of “state-centric focus on development raise more questions than they answer—a desirable
administration” (439). outcome for a dynamic field such as public adminis-
tration. Together, these volumes set a research agenda
The final chapter in the volume, by David Schultz, for scholars and students of public administration in
focuses on the recent economic crisis, beginning in the future. Both will be widely used in doctoral semi-
the fall of 2008, and traces its implications for public nars and graduate courses in public administration.
administration: boldly, the author concludes that “[h]
ow well it performs will determine the future of the References
profession” (408). I found this to be one of the best Cleveland, Harlan. 2000. The Future Is Uncentralized. Public
chapters in the volume, neatly adding to Lynn’s over- Administration Review 60(6): 293–97.
view in the volume’s first chapter. Schultz examines Frederickson, George F., and Richard Mayer, eds. 1998. Min-
the role of public administration in a contemporary nowbrook II. Special issue, Public Administration Review 49.
global world, deftly framing challenges as possible Harmon, Michael M. 2006. Public Administration’s Final Exam:
opportunities for the discipline. Schultz identifies A Pragmatist Restructuring of the Profession and the Discipline.
five levels or orders of theorizing in public admin- Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press.
istration: why government, specific functions of Marini, Frank, ed. 1971. Toward a New Public Administration: The
government (what should government do?), ideology Minnowbrook Perspective. Scranton, PA: Chandler.
(querying which values or interests should be pro- Raadschelders, Jos C. N., and Kwang-Hoon Lee. 2011. Trends in
moted by government), what public administration the Study of Public Administration: Empirical and Qualitative
should do, and efficient and effective public organiza- Observations from Public Administration Review, 2000–2009.
tion management and policy implementation. The Public Administration Review 71(1): 19–33.
ultimate assessment: most current research addresses Riccucci, Norma M. 2010. Public Administration: Traditions of
lower order questions. “Public administration theory, Inquiry and Philosophies of Knowledge. Washington, DC: Geor-
Public Administration Review,
then, cannot be understood without reference to how getown University Press.
Vol. 72, Iss. 3, pp. 458–463. © 2012 by
government is connected to society and … to the Waldo, Dwight. 1971. Public Administration in a Time of Turbu- The American Society for Public Administration.
economy” (456). More emphasis should be given to lence. Scranton, PA: Chandler. DOI: 10.111/j.1540-6210.2012.02578.x.

Book Reviews 463

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