Author: Ayman Ouda Al-Maani
Summary of the Book "Modern Public Administration"
The origin of public administration as an organized entity dates back to the rise of human civilizations and the emergence of civil society. Some researchers believe that the early study of public administration began in the Middle Ages in Prussia.
Public administration has been compared to life in a swamp due to the ambiguity surrounding it. The government intervenes in most activities people engage in because it is the primary source of services that keep society cohesive and the ultimate arbiter ensuring that one person’s activities do not harm others. This makes its boundaries unclear, posing a challenge in defining public administration precisely. Therefore, definitions of this concept vary according to the perspectives of different researchers.
Public administration is a field of management that specializes in organizing and directing available resources to achieve public policy. Through its institutions, such as ministries, central administrations, and public institutions, it strives to achieve state goals in various areas that concern citizens efficiently and effectively.
The significant political, economic, and social changes that the world witnessed in the late 20th century created increasing pressures on public organizations to improve the quality of their goods and services while reducing costs. Thus, organizations had to seek modern administrative methods to face these challenges, ensuring their survival, continuity, and enhanced ability to achieve their goals efficiently and effectively.
The book "Modern Public Administration" consists of twelve chapters divided into two parts: the first part deals with the foundations and concepts of public administration, consisting of the first four chapters. The first chapter reviews the nature of public administration, its characteristics, principles, the environment in which it operates, and the differences between public administration and business administration.
The second chapter discusses bureaucracy in public administration, while the third chapter addresses the public sector, its origins, and development. The fourth chapter examines the administrative organization of the state, focusing on centralization and decentralization, their forms, advantages, and examples.
The second part of the book discusses modern trends that emerged in public administration starting in the late 20th century. The fifth chapter of this part covers the topic of specialization, defining the concept, presenting the views of supporters and opponents, and reviewing the methods of specialization, with a focus on the methods applied in Jordan.
In the sixth chapter, the book addresses the topic of reengineering work systems, defining it, explaining its elements, stages of implementation, benefits, and obstacles. The seventh chapter discusses administrative empowerment, defining its concept, benefits, steps to implement it, main elements, and obstacles.
The eighth chapter of "Modern Public Administration" explores total quality management (TQM), explaining its concept, benefits in the public sector, fundamental pillars for success, implementation stages, and key quality systems and awards, such as the Baldrige Award, the European Quality Award, the Deming Prize, the King Abdullah II Award for Excellence in Government Performance and Transparency, and the ISO 9000:2000 quality management system. It also discusses the obstacles to implementing TQM in the public sector.
The ninth chapter of the book addresses knowledge management, defining its concept, benefits, types, main elements, and obstacles in organizations. The tenth chapter discusses governance, its concept, components, and elements, while the eleventh chapter covers e-government, defining it, highlighting its main obstacles, stages of implementation, and key advantages and examples.
The twelfth and final chapter of "Modern Public Administration" explores the concept of reinventing government, highlighting key models of public administration reform in the modern era.
The Relationship Between the Doc Suite HR System and the Book "Modern Public Administration"
The Doc Suite HR system is used in organizations to manage various aspects of human resources, including salaries, employees, leave, training, and more. In contrast, the book "Modern Public Administration" provides a comprehensive overview of modern administrative concepts and principles, including human resource management.
The relationship between the system and the book lies in the fact that "Modern Public Administration" provides the theories and concepts that human resource management systems like Doc Suite HR rely on to organize and manage human resources within organizations.
The Role of the Doc Suite HR System in Modern Public Administration
The Doc Suite HR system plays an important role in modern public administration in several ways:
Organizing Human Resources: It helps organize various aspects of human resources, such as employee management, payroll tracking, and performance management.
Improving Efficiency: The system facilitates administrative processes more efficiently, saving time and effort for employees and managers.
Supporting Decision-Making: It provides detailed data and reports on human resources, aiding management in making strategic decisions based on accurate information.
Enhancing Communication and Interaction: It facilitates communication between employees and management through features like electronic leave requests and suggestions.
Ensuring Legal Compliance: It helps verify compliance with regulations and operational policies, reducing the risk of legal issues.
In short, the Doc Suite HR system is an important tool that contributes to improving human resource management and enhancing work efficiency in modern organizations.
You can download the book "Modern Public Administration" directly from here.