UNIT 3 BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH
Structure
3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Behavioural Approach
3.3 Conclusion
3.4 References and Further Readings
3.0 OBJECTIVES
After studying this Unit, you should be able to:
●● Discuss essential features of the behavioural approach to the study of
comparative public administration.
3.1 INTRODUCTION
In this Unit, we will discuss the behavioural approach with its features,
positive impact, and limitations in the study of CPA.
3.2 BEHAVIORAL APPROACH
During the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960, the behavioral movement had
become the dominant approach to the study of societies and organizations.
It was concerned essentially with the scientific study of human behaviour in
various settings. In political science and public administration, it started, as
a protest against the traditional, historical, and normative analysis.
Behavioural approach in public administration has borrowed concepts and
methodology from Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, and Political
Science.
Features
Behavioural approach in public administration, including comparative
public administration, has the following characteristics:
1. Its literature is descriptive and analytical and not prescriptive or
normative. Its emphasis is on ‘What is?’ And not on ‘What Should
be?’
2. It uses rigorous methods of field research, experimentation, and
observation.
3. Most behavioural studies use quantification and mathematization in
analysis.
4. It aims at formal theory construction through a proper systematic
methodology.
5. It is inter-disciplinary in character.
Behavioural approach has helped the development of comparative public
administration. Theory building necessitates the testing of hypotheses in
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Approaches to the Study various organizations, societies, nations, and cultures. There have been
of Comparative Public several studies of cross-national administrative systems within and between
Administration
nations. Among eminent scholars, those who have used behavioural
approach in comparative public administration are Robert Presthus, Morroe
Berger, Michael Crozier, Kuldeep Mathur, and Richard Taub.
Decline
In the late 1960s, there was a movement known as ‘Post Behaviouralism’
that emerged with great force. It also led to the New Public Administration
movement. This new approach emphasized that in public administration,
‘normativism’ or the issue of ‘what should be?’ cannot be ignored. Values
and ideals are important. Hence, values and facts-both-should be integral
parts of the study of public administration, including comparative public
administration. Thus, comparative public administration started focusing
on tackling problems of social and economic development while using
rigorous methodology of research. Accordingly, contemporary studies
on comparative public administration are policy-oriented and action-
oriented, with a major concern on the issues like poverty, education, health,
environment, and gender justice.
Positive Impact
Behavioural approach has made the following positive influences on the
study of comparative public administration:
1. It took comparative public administration from the ‘normative’ to the
‘empirical’ studies. This point was emphasized in an article published
by Fred W Riggs in 1962.
2. It made the comparative study of public administration more
scientific than before. Data collection, observation, and quantification
constructed a sound basis for the scientific development of the
discipline.
3. It introduced the element of ‘dynamics’ in public administration
by focusing on the behaviour of administrators and administrative
organizations in cross-national and cross-cultural contexts. Thus,
a limited focus on the structure of administrative organizations
was replaced by a wider canvas of an understanding of public
administration.
4. It promoted awareness of the environmental context of public
administration and made comparative studies more ecological in
character.
5. It promoted intellectual cooperation among scholars and institutions
of public administration across nations.
6. Its impact on the general discipline of public administration was also
positive, making it more scientific and broader in perspective.
Limitations
Behavioural approach in comparative public administration could not
continue in its original form for long because of the following reasons:
1. With the advent of post-behaviouralism, its more focus on ‘facts’
alone was challenged, and rightly so.
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2. It is difficult to study cross-cultural administrative systems with the Behavioural Approach
help of uniform operational definitions and methodology. There are
innumerable differences in the structures, perspectives, and behaviour
of administrative organizations in various continents and nations and
therefore, comparing them becomes highly problematic.
3. There was a dearth of scholars focusing on comparative public
administration in the non-western world, the communist nations, and
even in several countries of the west.
4. The financial and technical resources required for conducting cross-
national studies were difficult to find, particularly after the disbanding
of the Comparative Administration Group in 1970.
Nevertheless, the impact of behavioural movement on the study of
comparative administrative studies in indelible, although the nature of
behavioural studies has transformed and has amalgamated empirical as well
as normative orientations in its fold. Its methodology has become an accepted
feature of contemporary studies in comparative public administration.
Activity
‘Behavioral approach has impacted Indian public administration both
empirically and theoretically.’ Elaborate.
3.3 CONCLUSION
Nevertheless, the impact of behavioural movement on the study of
comparative administrative studies in indelible, although the nature of
behavioural studies has transformed and has amalgamated empirical as well
as normative orientations in its fold. Its methodology has become an accepted
feature of contemporary studies in comparative public administration.
3.4 REFERENCES AND FURTHER READINGS
Arora, Ramesh K. 2021. Comparative Public Administration: An Ecological
Perspective. New Delhi: New Age International.
Heady, Ferrel. 1995. Public Administration: A Comparative Perspective.
New York: Marcel Dekker.
Riggs, Fred W. 1961. The Ecology of Public Administration. Bombay: Asia
Publishing House.
Simon, Herbert. 1966. Administration: Administrative Behaviour. OUP:
International Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences. Vol. I.
Waldo, Dwight. 1955. The Study of Public Administration. New York:
Double Day.
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