The Public Administration Theory Primer

104 5: Th eories of Public Management

With [Chester] Barnard, they understand that organizations are devices for fos-

tering and sustaining cooperation among self-interested individuals who have

disparate beliefs, dissimilar motivations, and confl icting goals. With him, they

recognize that the individual is always the basic factor in organization, that the

“functions of the executive” are to induce self-interested workers to cooperate in

TABLE 5.1 Comparing Traditional and Group Th eories of Management
Controls
Characteristics Managerial Controls Group Controls

Means of control Policy, rules, regulation,

and oversight

Shared goals, values, and

traditions

Sources of control Mainly external mechanisms Mainly internal motivation

Position design Narrow subtasks; doing rather

than thinking

Whole task; doing and

thinking

Definition of duties Fixed Flexible, contingent

Accountability Usually individual Often in the group

Structure Tall; top-down Flat; mutual layered influence

Power Emphasis on legitimate

authority

Emphasis on relevant

information and expertise

Responsibility Performing individual tasks Performance of work unit or

group

Rewards Extrinsic Intrinsic

Innovation Less likely More likely

Employee reaction to

management

Compliance Commitment