Public Administration in the Pendleton Act of 1883 - Assignment Example

Public Administration Abstract This paper discusses the Pendleton Act of 1883, stress management, effective listening skills and speaking, management by objective, quality of work life, and public service. The Pendleton Act helped reform the federal personnel procedures, by providing better methods of electing the personnel with capability to serve in the administration, hence eliminating the spoils system that related politics with administration. Stress management aims at attaining individuals’ health and organization wellbeing through various applications. As prevention mechanisms, primary, secondary, and tertiary methods that seek to avoid stressor factor, and reduce stress after exposure are some specific techniques that reduce stress levels. This document identifies the eight conceptual categories as criteria for measuring the quality of work, basics for effective listening, and importance of speaking as part of oral communication and interpersonal skill that effects change in public organizations. It defines management by objective as a tool that measures performance against set objectives, and its benefits to organizations through motivation means to the employees, and controlling performance. Finally, it mentions the recommended strategies to attract and maintain employment, and their quality roles in public service. Keywords: Pendleton Act, Management, Public Administration, Public Management, Performance, Public Service, Employment, Effective Listening, Stressor, Stress Management, Management by Objective, Quality of Work Life, Organization, Communication, Politics Pendleton Act: The act acted as a one major historical contribution to the changes in financing the American political campaigns. It is an act that was passed in 1883 as part of the civil service reform and led to an end of the spoil system, which saw employment of jobs given to individuals for political allegiance (Schultz, 2009). Before the act, organization of campaigns were aimed at the people, such that those who were seeking jobs (the prospective and the current government employees) in the government, would fund the political campaigns, and once the candidate won the election, then they were rewarded with jobs in formed government. The Pendleton Act was a public service legislature in the US, that was enacted due the indignation of the spoil system that denied justice in employment of many civil servants, hence providing better methods of electing the personnel with capability to serve in the administrations levels; inclusive were selection criteria in an open competitive examination, a guarantee to the public service employees against any form of coercion for political reasons, and consideration of populations in allocation of employments in their territories (Gildenhuys, 2004). The act began by preventing influence of politics in administration, what most people refer as politics administration dichotomy, by treating administration governance as a single entity (Stillman, 2010). The act sought to ensure that qualified individuals filled government jobs after an examining criterion for public employment, and reform the civil service by ensuring that public administration was neutral from political influence. It influenced the development of the public personnel administration in term of efficiency in government, morality, and professionalism in public service. Stress management: The idea embedded in the concept arises from an individual’s ability to cope with pressure (e.g. deadline at work) on his or her environment. Hence, stress is perceived as a coping response of the mind or the body, which needs to be controlled so as to attain a general well being. According to Dale, it aims at ensuring an individual’s health and organization well being through psychological, medicinal, organization development, and public administration applications (1969). It generally involves both emotional and physical practices to work out. There are numerous stress management techniques and vary depending on the situation, fitness to individuals, and how regular it is practiced to be effective. There are primary prevention techniques of stress that seek to avoid exposure to the stressor, which may include planning and prioritizing, avoiding excessive drinking, or even drug taking. There are also secondary prevention techniques that seek to minimize the level of stress arousal after exposure to the stressing agent, which include relaxation techniques like exercises. Lastly, there are the tertiary preventions, which include catharsis and inspiration for positive thought among other ways that reduce the level of stress after exposure (Bryce, 2001). In organizations, stress management can be supported by means of role clarification and co-worker support groups. Seven basics of effective listening: Listening is far off different from hearing, and listeners can be categorized differently based on their purpose. To become a better listener, there must be some reference of skills that one ought to assess, to improve the existing situation. The basics of effective listening entails attentiveness, avoiding talking and/or thinking while listening, patience, getting rid of distraction, empathizing with the speaker, putting the speaker at ease, and effective listening behavior (Rizvi, 2005). Other factors include avoiding jumping into conclusions or hasty decisions, while most people believe that recognizing their own prejudice is also essential. Speaking is a form of oral communication, which encompasses a range of issues from a social and professional relationship perspective. As an interpersonal skill, it is vital to effect change in public organization, allowing people to communicate important messages inside or outside the organizations, whether publicly or at interpersonal levels (Denhardt, R. and Denhardt, .J, 2008). It allows communication between the managers and the employees in organizations, and plays an effective role as a form of communication that is central to the exercise of authority. Management by Objective (MBO): It is comprehensive goal or success oriented system of managing, which integrates several managerial activities for achievement of organization and individuals objectives. Dale describes it as a tool that measures performance against set objectives, such that managers and subordinates jointly formulate realistic performance objectives, determine and agree on means of achieving them, and compare actual against expected results (set objectives) as an on-going process (1969). MBO is a tool that improves motivation of the employees in an organization based on the set targets; it generates a positive view among the workers, who become willing to work and apply self control because of commitment to objectives, and acceptance of responsibility. It also serves as a means of controlling or reviewing the performance to make adjustments, and discuss the way ahead on the part of the supervisors and mangers. Through it, the organization and the management can keep ahead with the changes and development. Judging the quality of work: Quality of work life is a concept related to motivation. Its characteristics contribute to motivation, job satisfaction, and finally the general performance in the organization. It does so by improving the organization culture, promoting human dignity and development, considering compatibility between the employees and organizational objectives, and ensuring employees work together collaboratively. The conceptual categories as put forward by Richard Walton include: “Adequate and fair compensation, Safe and healthy working conditions, Opportunity to use and develop human capacities, Social integration in the work force, Opportunity for career growth, Constitutionalism in the work organization, Work and quality of life, and Special relevance of work” (“Quality of work,” n.d). They are the criteria for measuring the quality of work life (QWL), and are viewed as a general attitude in an individual towards their job. Recommendations in public service: Public service is an area open to criticism and prone to conflicts, in case of lack of transparency and mismanagement. Use of lucrative salary structures and remuneration as a HRM practice places consideration on qualified individual’s level of education, hence attracting and retaining many. Regular improvements of the terms and the conditions of service with respect to environment, time, social, and even economic changes encourage employees to better performance and remain in the public service. Managers and subordinates should build trust and collaboration with those they serve, partner for value and share information, exercise control based on professional advice and information, provide options and information, and consult citizens as their partners (Stillman, 2010). Recommendations to rights of consultation, participation, redress, choice, and information spur both employees and customers of the public service. Others are improving communication and delivery of service to the public. Reference List Bryce, C.P. (2001 March). Insight into the Concept of Stress. Retrieved from http://www.paho.org/english/ped/stressin.pdf. Dale, E. (1969). Management: Theory and Practice. Philippines: Rex Bookstore, Inc. Denhardt, R. B., & Denhardt, J. V. (2008). Public Administration: An Action Orientation. 6th ed. Belmont CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Gildenhuys, J. S. H. (2004). The Philosophy of Public Administration: A Holistic Approach: An Introduction for Undergraduate Students. Stellenbosch: Sun Press. Quality of Work Life. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.whatishumanresource.com/quality-of-work-life. Rizvi, M. A. (2005). Effective Tech Communication. New Delhi: Tata Mc-Graw Hill Publishing Company Limited. Schultz, D. A. (2009). Encyclopedia of the United States Constitution. New York, NY: Infobase Publishing. Stillman, R. J. II. (2010). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases. 9th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Read More