Nature of modern public administration

“Private Sector Styles of Management” is what we can classify according to Cox

as minimalist in terms of governance. A private business aims to maximize its profit by

being cost efficient. The first thing it should consider as a private enterprise is that the

organization shall be capable of maximizing the usage of its allocated resources.

Another thing to consider is that it should as little as possible of its resources to

function. It can cut corners by having a minimal work force (in terms of size): that shall

be functional, competitive, productive and, efficient. The argument of the proponents of

the downsizing of the government body in terms of size is that the governing body

should be minimal to achieve a business-like functioning (aforementioned argument

above). The bureaucratic efficiency they are rallying for can be achieved through

downsizing, their main argument is that the lesser the people in the chain of the

command the easier for it to bring down decisions. (Cox 1999)

Another important aspect of the “Private Sector Styles of Management” is its

minimalist function in the governance: making the public administration’s stance as

managerial. It is a “customer oriented” administration that aims to please the people.

(Cox 1999) It becomes a full blown appeaser which aims only to satisfy its customers

(the people): a degradation of the real function of the government, by removing the

public in public administration. (Haque 2001)

The main reason for the examination of the possible infusion of the business

policies is to imitate private enterprises in order to accumulate maximum economic

gains.