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What Are The Similarities Between Private And Public Administration?

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Iris Phillips Profile
Iris Phillips answered
Before trying to detail some of the similarities between public and private administration, it is necessary to take a brief look at some of the differences. One of the three main differences is found in the purpose of either type of administration. While private administration usually works towards a clearly defined goal, namely the improvement of efficiency and productivity, in order to increase profits; public administration tends to have the more ambiguous goal of enacting public policies.

This leads straight into the second difference, namely decision making. Within private administrations, decisions are being made 'at the top', then passed down and enacted. This 'chain of command' avoids any conflict of interest and results in a clearly defined goal. Public administration, on the other hand, decisions are made within a political, democratic environment. This means that each decision has to undergo a process of debate and a consensus must be achieved on every level within the decision making hierarchy.

Then, of course, there is the question of visibility. While the head of a private administration may work in a state of relative obscurity, the head of a public administration constantly operates in public view and has to be aware of and respond to public demands.

So what are the similarities between public and private administration?

  • Both are regulated and affected by political laws and regulations.
  • Both are used to improve effectiveness and productivity of an organization.
  • Both have to fight for influence and funding.
  • Both must operate as cost-effectively as possible.
  • Both answer to higher authorities and are held responsible for their actions.
  • Both work within a set of rules determined by the authorities above them.
This list contains only some of the main similarities found. A more detailed study may well reveal a much broader range of similarities.

Public administration can be defined as the organization and management of the government, government offices and public sector companies, the work required is often paper and computer based and requires a lot of administrative work. Private administration is the organization and administrative work within a private sector company.
  • Similarities
Both public and private administration will involve similar tasks and work such as filing, document authenticating and editing and meeting arranging. The administrative nature of the role will be similar in most companies, whether public or private. Both require some form of service to a company and its consumers (a government's consumers being the general public) and both value good organization.
  • Differences
The biggest difference between public and private administration is that private administration is motivated first and foremost by profit. The streamlining of the administrative side of a business will enhance a company's reputation and profits. The same cannot strictly be said for the public, governmental administration, whose driving motivation will be to improve life in the country and appease conflicting arguments and is, or should be, far less selfish in motive and seek to act as a service and not for profit. It could be said that public administration values quality over quantity whilst a good private administrator will need to be proficient in both quality and quantity for the good of the business. The tasks will differ in these ways too, with public administration focusing on services and private administration concerned more with consumerism and profits, as a generality.
  • Further resources
If you would like to read further into the subject then this article on the differences between public administration and private administration is very helpful http://ezinearticles.com/?Public-Administration-Vs-Private-Administration&id=2436668 whilst this Wikipedia entry gives a good background about public and governmental administration http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_administration.
Lily James Profile
Lily James answered

Public Administration is basically the development, implementation and study of different branches of the policies by the government. It pursues the public good by enhancing the civil society and the social justice. It deals with government and non-government organization.

On the other hand, Business Administration is the performance or management of the operations of a business. It deals with organizing the human resource and the other resources available to the organization in an efficient manner so that goals and objectives can be achieved.

The main difference between these two fields is that the Public Administration goals are related closely to the improvement of quality, justice, security, efficiency and effectiveness etc. Whereas in business administration the main concern is profitability of the organization.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Differences between public administration and business administration
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Though to my own experience! Business administration has to do with organization, Society, Environment, Situation of Government and their Social Responsibility in the areas where they operate and also the demand, supply Good and Services. But administration has there own limitation in areas of demand and supply, they also has noting to do with financial institution which business administration based there own life on.
david morrison Profile
david morrison answered
All administrations are over payed under worked employees.
They are the vampires of cost effectiveness, which is the opposite
of what companies need. They are also the dictators of a democracy
and any business. While the intentions of administrators should be to
increase productivity and provide a cost effective product. Their actions
of taking ballooning compensation and perks cause a higher priced product
and decreased employee morale resulting in an overpriced less
valued product.
The only difference I see is that we are stupid enough to continually vote in
these idiots to public administrations and seem to ignore history. It is hard to control the business administrators short of a complete employee boycott
which can get press attention.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
Private administration has a goal of making profit where as public has a goal of service providing.

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