Sapere aude!
While there is extensive work committed to what a leader should or ought to do in their work, much of the work is outdated or irrelevant to nonprofit leaders specifically. Unlike private leadership, nonprofit leaders have duties that transcend immediate employees, organizational management, and stakeholders. Leaders in the nonprofit sector have unique duties to the... Continue Reading →
A key focus in the scholarship of public administration sought to accomplish a task and carry out the will of the people. The early writers, including but not limited to Max Weber, Frederick Taylor, and Luther Gulick, sought to understand organization and how to best manage it. All three understood that their work was to... Continue Reading →
As with any field of study, there needs to be defined and uniform standards with which to research and expand the realm of knowledge of the field. The same is true for the field of public administration. But, it is often argued, that because public administration is in its infancy, it lacks a uniform standard... Continue Reading →
The following is an excerpt from my book Public Administration and Enlightenment Ethics The Enlightenment was a philosophical revolution that grew out of Europe in the 16th century and spread to the Americas in the 17th and 18th century (Szalay, 2016). This movement, also referred to as the Age of Reason is often contrasted against... Continue Reading →
Discussing difficult issues with compassion and reason Many public administrators find themselves in a bad light from time to time either from actions directly associated with their agency, or completely removed. It is no secret that public administrators are sometimes seen as a faceless ineffective government worker stuck in the “iron cage” of bureaucracy as... Continue Reading →
This study used a grounded theory to evaluate the progress and feasibility of the Texas Higher Coordinating Board’s (THECB) 60x30TX program (60x30TX; the program). Through research into the data compiled by THECB, Texas Public University information, qualitative analysis, as well as select interviews with individuals involved in the program, this research helps to determine if the program was implemented as intended and if the main goal is attainable. The following research has found that while the state of Texas has experienced a moderate growth in college enrollment compared to the national average, falls short of the goals and benchmarks set by the THECB. The program, as a whole, focuses on informing students and parents on college options, but fails to provide continued support throughout college. The concluding recommendation is to offer more financial assistance and guidance through university financial aid offices and state-funded mini-grants.
Evaluations, assessments, and audits in public administration provide a unique and heavily relied upon service to their clients - a facts-based report regarding the goals and objectives of the program, agency, or policy. Because these evaluators operate in the public sphere, they have an additional task of keeping the public interest in mind when carrying... Continue Reading →
Scientific inquiry has largely been embraced in the post-Enlightenment era and has continually assisted people to investigate, observe, and improve processes or events. It is within human nature to suffer from certain biases and fallacies to either not understand the way something happens, or distort it to confirm our own beliefs (Shermer, 65). People have,... Continue Reading →
This was published in the PA Times February 26, 2020 and can be found here. In a study exploring what public administrators saw as the core values or virtues in public administration, Anthony D. Molina found that “public administrators act on a combination of ethical, professional, democratic, and human values as a way of maintaining... Continue Reading →
This article was published in the PA Times Online January, 2020 and can be viewed here. “The central concern of administrative theory is with the boundary between the rational and the non rational aspects of human social behavior” - Herbert Simon in Administrative Behavior (1947) In his existential masterpiece The Myth of Sisyphus, Albert Camus... Continue Reading →
One of the age-old philosophical questions, what does it mean to live a good life, is one that has not been answered sufficiently. But with a continually advancing global and scientific community, people are closer than ever to answering what makes a good life. There have been many who claimed to have answered this question,... Continue Reading →
When asked “what would you do?” when the Gestapo is at the door asking if you are harboring any Jews, the answer is actually a simple ethical answer to a simple ethical question (Paul and Elder, 25). Lie! Lie to the officer, slam the door and go enjoy some lekach with your new Jewish friends.... Continue Reading →
In a fascinating research paper coming out of Lithuania, the authors Kristina Kersive and Asta Savaneviciene use several researched conclusions regarding organizational competence formation and management. This compilation of scientific studies focus on cross-cultural management to lead managers to a better understanding of cross-cultural integration. This integration of the organizational culture and the culture of... Continue Reading →
It was Summer 1924, and Max Brod was in Franz Kafka’s office. Kafka died of tuberculosis in Austria leaving his dear friend, Brod, two written requests. Brod sat down at Kafka’s paper strewn desk, moving stacks of writings to make room. The first note, undated written in pen read: Dearest Max, My last request: Everything... Continue Reading →
An interesting part of human behavior is the way we learn and share stories or lessons. Taking this observation and applying it to the history of any people, one will find that metaphors, symbols, and similes are everywhere - ingrained into our language and culture. To define these terms in my own words, metaphors and... Continue Reading →
“Man is born free, and he is everywhere in chains” Jean-Jacques Rousseau There are many issues plaguing modern society and, as throughout history, thinkers often ponder and debate solutions. They may treat each issue in isolation, but problems often have common roots in inequality which can be treated collectively with what Enlightenment philosophers call a... Continue Reading →
The principles laid down in America’s founding was a product of the Enlightenment Era and focused on scientific inquiry, individuality, and of course liberty. But the failing in the application of the America’s founding principles of liberty did not grant minorities the same rights. Though the founding fathers understood the importance of individual liberty, they... Continue Reading →
This piece was published in PA Times Online February 12, 2020 and can be seen here. Motivation, for most, lies in monetary gain - but it is not just pay raises that keep employees motivated.[1] People naturally have a need for equality in their work and social circles because while “no two humans are biologically... Continue Reading →
As with any field of study, there needs to be defined and uniform standards with which to research and expand the realm of knowledge of the field. The same is true for the field of public administration. But, it is often argued, that because public administration is arguably in its infancy, it lacks a uniform... Continue Reading →
"One should never miss an opportunity to celebrate the enlightenment or to mock priestcraft and the worship of mediocre princes and tycoons" - Christopher Hitchens
C. B. Scott, MPA 