Public Administration – Ludwig Von Bertalanffy’s System Theory & Mary Follett’s Management Theory

Introduction

The theory of public administration developed in the mainstream of the general political tradition and only at the end of the XIX century began to stand out in an independent field of scientific research. The modern stage in the development of the science of public administration (from the 1950s to the present) begins with a rethinking of the achievements of the previous development. As Sayre (1958) noted, in science there was a tendency to create universal theories. Many of the theories are widely disseminated and actively used in public administration today. I should mention Ludwig Von Bertalanffy`s system theory, Marry Follett`s Management theory, which form the basis for this study. The aim of the work is to characterize these theories, as well as to determine their place and role in public administration at the present stage.

System Theory and its Use in the Practice of Public Administration

In the 1930s and 1940s, Ludwig Von Bertalanffy laid the foundations of the concept of the organismic approach to organized dynamical systems, possessing the property of equifinality, i.e. ability to achieve goals regardless of violations at the initial stages of development. He generalized the principles of integrity, organization and isomorphism into a single concept. The scientist applied the idea of ​​open systems to an explanation of a number of problems of biology and genetics, but then came to the conclusion that the methodology of the system approach is broader and can be applied in various fields of science. Thus, the idea of ​​a general theory of systems arose.

L. Bertalanffy (1950) quite clearly formulated the problem of constructing a general theory of systems. For this, it is necessary: ​​firstly, to formulate general principles and laws of the behavior of systems without regard to their special kind and nature of the constituent

elements and strict laws in non-physical fields of knowledge; secondly, lay the foundation for the synthesis of scientific knowledge as a result of the discovery of isomorphism of laws relating to various spheres of activity. Bertalanffy’s ideas attracted the attention of the international scientific community.

The system approach allows to comprehensively evaluate any production and economic activity and management system activity at the level of specific characteristics. This helps to analyze any situation within a single system, identify the nature of the problems of entry, process and exit. The system approach helps to identify the reasons for making inefficient decisions, it also provides tools and techniques for improving planning and control. Therefore, the application of the system approach allows the best way to organize the decision-making process at all levels in the management system.

Mary Follett`s Management Theory and its Application

The conception of management from the standpoint of psychology and human relations is a school that developed in 1930-1950. The creators of this conception (Mary Follett and Melton Mayo) defined management as ensuring the performance of work with the help of others. Follett insisted that workers should play an active role in the management of production, similar to the role that active citizens play in society. Here is what she writes in this connection:

Active participation in the management of production or the contribution of various workers is now much more important than before, because now we have to connect much more knowledge and experience of different kinds … For this reason I believe that participation in the social process should not be self-sacrifice, but cooperation. (Metcalf & Urwick, 1941, pp. 214 -215)

Follett`s approach to the study of management problems differed fundamentally from the approach of scientific management based on the isolation of the components of the work

and their analysis, followed by an attempt at its artificial reconstruction. She began by assessing the complexity of the situation and focused on the working group and the need to integrate its actions as a single production unit. The ‘law of situations’, formulated by the scientist, consists in the fact that the work should be organized in such a way that instead of giving orders, both the boss and the subordinate follow what the situation requires of them. Follett`s concept of empowerment, rendering assistance to workers rather than exercising strict control, the right of employees, regardless of their power, to work on the situation, opened a new era in theoretical research.

Conclusion

My work was devoted to the characteristic of two important theories of public administration: Ludwig Von Bertalanffy`s System theory and Marry Follett`s Management theory. In the course of writing the work I came to the conclusion that the general theory of systems is the scientific and methodological conception of the study of objects, representing systems. The first version of the general theory of systems was put forward by Ludwig von Bertalanffy. His main idea was to recognize the isomorphism of laws governing the functioning of system objects. A further development of the theory of systems is the method of analyzing situations, primarily studying those external factors that affect the effectiveness of the organization. Drawing attention to the importance of human relations in the labor process, Mary Follett made a huge contribution to the development of management thinking of her era. She added a new dimension of management as a science (using the results of social sciences and especially psychology in research and theoretical development). Today, her teaching is as effective as it was at the time of its creation.

References

Bertalanffy, L. (1950). An outline of General Theory. British Journal for Philosophy of Science, 1(2), 149-150.

Metcalf, Н.С. & Urwick, L. (1941). Dynamic Administration. New York: Harper & Row.

Sayre, W. S. (1958). Premises of Public Administration: Past and Emerging. Public Administration Review, 18(2), 102-105.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 19, 2024]
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