Suggests that performance measurement can address attribution questions in studying accountability for results and outcomes in studies of public administration. Describes the steps necessary to produce a credible "contribution story" so that managers, researchers, and policy makers can arrive at conclusions about the contribution a…

This is a unique and groundbreaking collection of questions and answers coming from higher education institutions on diverse fields and across a wide spectrum of countries and cultures. It creates routes for further innovation, collaboration amidst the Sciences (both Natural and Social), the Humanities, and the private and public sectors of…

This study examined the perceptions of Master of Public Administration (MPA) graduates about public administration curriculum and their political acuity. Using data from a national survey on MPA graduate attitudes, it focused on the perceptions of 1,428 MPA graduates who were state administrators, 351 state administrators with bachelor of arts…

A survey of alumni of two disparate Master's in Public Administration (MPA) programs, at Evergreen State College (Washington) (n=114) and University of Akron (Ohio) (n=91), found more similarities than expected in program experiences, perceptions of what is important in their careers, and how an MPA program can contribute to careers. Implications…

The role of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) in promoting professionalism in public administration is explored, and potential problems associated with that role are discussed. The recent movement toward accreditation in public administration education based on a Total Quality Management mission is…

Edgar Snow scored an extraordinary scoop in 1936 when he persuaded Mao Zedong to tell his story. The resulting book--"Red Star Over China"--was a best-seller in the West and translated editions caused a sensation in China. Adult education was the centrepiece of Communist revolution and featured prominently in Red Star. It is now the…

Outlines an alternative theory of knowledge based on positive, interpretive, and critical modes of research. Also shows how these modes of research are based in administrative experience and are related to recent developments in the postempiricist philosophy of science. (Author/CT)

This study compares 1981-83 research findings on public sector mentoring with a 1979 study on private sector executives conducted by Gerald Roche. Similarities and differences between mentoring in the public and private sectors are analyzed. (Author/CT)

Examines recent history of British public administration from the 1970s era of eclecticism, organizational theory, and policy analysis through the 1980s New Right Ideology and emphasis on rational choice to the 1990s, when the Economic and Social Research Council is investing significant research funds in administration. (SK)

Discusses the gap between academic research and practice in public administration and argues that it can be traced to conflicts such as theoretical vs. pragmatic knowledge, data-supported vs. logic-driven information, scientific method vs. case studies, academic vs. practitioner journals, and tenure vs. organizational effectiveness. Explores…

Examines the nature of empirical research in six public administration-related journals by focusing on the purpose of published research, research designs, and statistical techniques. Suggests that a cumulative knowledge base is not being developed by public administration scholars. (Author/JOW)

Describes the past and present and projects the future of the relationship between theory and practice for normative and descriptive budget theory. Considers the present and future of normative theory gloomy because budgeting has changed and traditional reform ideas have outlived their usefulness. States that descriptive theory has improved and…

The "quiet crisis" in federal service is due to absence of dominant political condition or consensus regarding model on which public administration should be based. Extensive changes will bring about fundamental alterations in federal service even in absence of agreement on whether and how to rebuild. The public administration community can play a…

In 1968 a theory of social equity was developed and put forward as the "third pillar" for public administration, with the same status as economy and efficiency as values or principles to which public administration should adhere. Research on public administration finds that bureaucratic decision rules and the processes of policy…