Public Administration: An Action Orientation (Book Only)

by Robert B. Denhardt, Janet V. Denhardt, Tara A. Blanc

Overview

Issuing a call to action, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: AN ACTION ORIENTATION, Seventh Edition, encourages readers to become active participants in public administration—and equips them with the tools to do it effectively. Robert B. Denhardt, Janet V. Denhardt, and Tara A. Blanc teach readers how to influence the operations of public agencies—helping them learn to get involved and effect positive changes, regardless of whether they are working outside the agency as citizens or within the agency as managers. With a strong emphasis on ethics, the text introduces the theories and scholarly literature of the field while reflecting the latest trends and issues. Practical applications help readers sharpen personal management, communication, delegation, motivation, and decision-making skills. Key topics like nonprofit management, the global dimensions of public administration, and organizational theory are covered thoroughly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781133939207
Publisher:	Cengage Learning
Publication date:	01/09/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.69(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Robert B. Denhardt is Professor and Director of Leadership Development in the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California, Regents Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University, and Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the University of Delaware. A past president of the American Society for Public Administration and a member of the National Academy of Public Administration, Dr. Denhardt has published twenty-two books, including THE DANCE OF LEADERSHIP, THE NEW PUBLIC SERVICE, MANAGING HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, THEORIES OF PUBLIC ORGANIZATION, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: AN ACTION ORIENTATION, IN THE SHADOW OF ORGANIZATION, and THE PURSUIT OF SIGNIFICANCE.

Janet V. Denhardt is the Chester A. Newland Professor of Public Administration in the Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Her teaching and research interests focus on organization theory, organizational behavior, and leadership. Her most recent book, THE DANCE OF LEADERSHIP, was preceded by THE NEW PUBLIC SERVICE, MANAGING HUMAN BEHAVIOR IN PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, and STREET-LEVEL LEADERSHIP: DISCRETION AND LEGITIMACY IN FRONT-LINE PUBLIC SERVICE. Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Southern California, Dr. Denhardt taught at Arizona State University and Eastern Washington University as well as served in a variety of administrative and consulting positions.

Tara A. Blanc is a lecturer in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Her teaching and research interests are primarily in the areas of public service, civic and political engagement, leadership, and public service ethics. Formerly the associate director of the Cronkite/Eight Poll at Arizona State University, she co-directs a public opinion poll for ASU’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy and provides consulting services on projects involving public opinion research, planning, and communication.

Table of Contents

Preface. 1. Personal Action in Public Organizations. 2. The Political Context of Public Administration. 3. The Interorganizational Context of Public Administration. 4. Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. 5. Budgeting and Financial Management. 6. The Management of Human Resources. 7. The Ethics of Public Service. 8. Designing and Managing Organizations. 9. Leadership and Management Skills in Public Organizations. 10. Administrative Reform and Technology. 11. The Future of the Public Service. References. Appendix. Glossary. Index.

Editorial Reviews

the approach is solid. The text starts with the importance of PA and progresses nicely through the various essential building blocks of the discipline. The authors, in my view, do a very good job of maintaining neutrality in the topic, yet challenge the reader through case studies and exercises.

This is an excellent approach to expose students to public administration while also reinforcing the importance of management principles and the basis of ethical conduct and the role of ethics in our decision-making.

The authors make the core ideas, concepts, and terms readily apparent to students. Students are not left to guess about what it is that the authors intend to emphasize in each chapter.

From the Publisher