Explain the character of Public Administration. Distinguish between Public Administration and Business Administration.

Public Administration as a discipline has tilted towards the management science. The thrust is on administrative and managerial tools and principles as budgeting, management techniques, application of operations research methods, computer technology, etc. Such heavy management orientation has tended to rob the discipline of its social science character. The discipline has gradually come to assume a vocational character, the objective being to produce public managers.

However it maybe said that since the dawn of ‘New Public Administration’ movement of the late sixties, there has been an increasing awareness of the basically social science character of the discipline of public administration. In brief, the entire evolution and changing character of public administration has reflected in the changing character of technology and the social and economic problems associated there within the administration of different societies.

Difference between Public Administration and Business Administration.

There is some fundamental difference between public and private administration. There is a political direction or ministerial responsibility in the former and such control is not seen in the latter. While the former is service-oriented, profit-making is the goal of private administration.

The scope of public administration is wider compared to private, which is narrower the former caters to the social needs like health, education etc:, while the other provides marketing goods only for the economic needs. Public administration has the essence of responsibility and duty within itself, while there is no such obligation in private. Despite these differences, they are the two species of the same genus.