The problem of students entering universities and graduate programs with sub-standard communication skills is becoming more pronounced. Teaching communication skills is an important vehicle for enhancing student work. (BSR)

The study investigated the state of ethics education in graduate programs in public administration and policy. A survey of 139 directors of accredited programs examined three issues: (1) goals of ethics education, (2) ethical standards to which students are exposed, and (3) approaches to ethical decision making in public management. (Author/CH)

Maintains that a simple problem-solving model applied to policy design is inadequate. Argues that purposeful institutional change and government reorganization are not promising strategies for the improvement of public policy. (JDH)

A curriculum model for public administration and urban affairs educators was developed. The relationship between hypothetically formulated competencies, skills, and abilities of urban managers and agency needs as perceived by administrators, agency heads, and experts in the field is explored. (MLW)

This article discusses a study in which a graduate program in public administration was assessed using a combination of judicial and debate techniques. Findings indicated that the program lacked course integration, certain core courses, inadequate definition of management skills, and sufficient student participation. Results are evaluated and…

Traces the establishment in 1918 and development of the Native Administration course in South African universities, its competition with political science and public administration for discipline distinction, and its eventual change to Applied Anthropology in mid-1970s. (ND)

Policy analysis is a real-world decision-making tool. Its literature is published most frequently in the fields of public administration, political science, organizational psychology, economics, and business administration. A review of this literature gives insight into its nature and practice. (MSE)

Seeks to explain economists' differences of opinion, through the example of contemporary British economic debate. Observes that part of the explanation lies in the complexity of economic issues. Argues that the more important factor lies in economists' ideological differences. Contrasts the views of the libertarian and market interventionist…

Fast-track MBA and MPA graduates cycle through several managerial assignments during their careers, requiring that they repeatedly take charge of new units or organizations. This article summarizes research on the taking-charge process, distinguishing between the entering and established phases of a managerial assignment and describing applicable…

Mirroring McGregor's management theories X and Y, the authors posit educational theory X, in which learners are treated as passive children whose teachers make all curricular decisions, and theory Y, in which students are viewed as autonomous and self-directed learners. (SK)

A study of chief administrative officers in cities over 50,000 found that three-quarters of respondents (n=236) report that implementing productivity-improvement efforts made them more attractive to present and future employers. Productivity enhanced careers by increasing the reputations and effectiveness of managers dealing with critical issues…

Courses focused on context rather than content must address the issue of the vocational relevance of higher education. A business course on the social and demographic environment, which uses pluralistic learning and teaching strategies, was designed to broaden the meaning of vocationalism. (SK)

This chapter analyses energy relations through a prism of three interlinked concepts: administration, politics and security. This triad describes the basic approaches to questions about technical, politicised and securitised energy. These three concepts are logically linked to one another and represent an elementary matrix; a prism through which…

Contracting critics suggest that when governments outsource, they reduce their capacity to produce services and manage service delivery. In this paper, we decompose the service delivery decision into service production and service management components. When governments contract for service production, they may also choose to contract for a…

Iraq War veteran and law professor Christopher Cooper's path to the academy has been anything but traditional. Having worked from the age of 13, he enlisted in the Marine Corps at 17 and earned his GED. He later earned a bachelor's degree in government and public administration, then joined the New York City Police Department. Then, he decided to…