Unit 4: Comparative and Development Administration

1. Comparative Public Administration (CPA)

Comparative Public Administration (CPA) emerged after World War II to study administrative systems across different cultural and national settings. It moved away from the "Western-centric" view to understand how administration works in developing nations.

Meaning and Focus

• Cross-cultural: Studying administration in different countries.
• Cross-temporal: Studying administration in different time periods.
• Ecological: Understanding the impact of the environment (social, economic, political) on administration.

2. Fred Riggs: The Prismatic Society Model

Fred W. Riggs is the most influential thinker in CPA. He introduced the Ecological Approach and developed a famous model to classify societies based on their level of "structural differentiation."

The Structural-Functional Model

Riggs used the analogy of light passing through a prism to describe three types of societies:

• Fused Society (Traditional): A single structure performs all functions. (Example: An absolute monarchy where the King is the judge, lawmaker, and tax collector).
• Diffracted Society (Modern): Highly specialized structures perform specific functions. (Example: Modern Western democracies with clear separation of powers).
• Prismatic Society (Developing): A transitional society where both modern and traditional elements exist simultaneously.

Features of a Prismatic Society (Sala Model)

• Heterogeneity: Co-existence of modern hospitals and traditional medicine men.
• Formalism: A gap between what is written in law and what is actually practiced.
• Overlapping: Modern administrative structures are influenced by traditional family, caste, or religious loyalties.

3. Development Administration (DA)

Development Administration is a term used to describe the administrative processes needed to achieve socio-economic change in developing nations. While traditional administration focuses on maintaining order, DA focuses on progress and change.

"Development Administration is the process of guiding an organization toward the achievement of progressive political, economic, and social objectives." — Edward Weidner

4. Edward Weidner's Perspective on DA

Edward Weidner was the first to give a systematic conceptual framework for Development Administration. He emphasized that DA is Action-oriented and Goal-oriented.

Key Focus Areas

• Change Orientation: The administrative machinery must be a vehicle for planned social change.
• Result Orientation: Success is measured by actual development on the ground (e.g., literacy rates, health standards) rather than just following rules.
• Client Orientation: Administration must be responsive to the needs of the poor and marginalized sections of society.

5. Characteristics of Development Administration

[Image comparing Traditional Administration vs Development Administration]

6. Exam Focus: Tips and FAQs