Question

According to Felix A. Nigre’s definition of administration, which of the following is/are true?

i. It involves the organization and use of men and materials to accomplish a purpose.

ii. It is exclusively concerned with public sector organizations.

iii. It is a cooperative effort aimed at achieving a common objective.

iv. It requires a high degree of rationality in decision-making.

• A. Only i and iii
• B. Only i, ii, and iii
• C. Only i, iii, and iv
• D. All the above (i, ii, iii, and iv)

Answer 1

Answer:

A. Only i and iii

Understanding Felix A. Nigro's Definition of Administration

• Felix A. Nigro was a prominent American scholar and author in the field of Public Administration. His contributions are significant in understanding the nature and scope of administration.
• Administration, in its broadest sense, as often defined by scholars like Nigro, refers to the collective activities undertaken to achieve a predetermined purpose or objective.
• Let's analyze the given statements in the context of Nigro's perspective on administration:

Statement i: It involves the organization and use of men and materials to accomplish a purpose.

• This statement is TRUE. A core aspect of administration across all sectors (public or private) is the efficient and effective utilization of both human resources ("men") and physical resources ("materials") to achieve specific organizational goals.
• Nigro's definition, consistent with general administrative theory, emphasizes the instrumental nature of administration in deploying resources to achieve objectives.

Statement ii: It is exclusively concerned with public sector organizations.

• This statement is FALSE. While Felix A. Nigro specialized in Public Administration and wrote extensively about its unique characteristics and differences from private administration, his *definition of administration as a general concept* is not exclusively limited to the public sector.
• The principles of organizing resources and cooperative effort (as mentioned in other points) are applicable to both public and private organizations. The debate between the 'generic' (universal principles) and 'distinctive' (unique public sector characteristics) views of administration is central here. Nigro acknowledged the distinctiveness of public administration but did not define administration *itself* as solely public.

Statement iii: It is a cooperative effort aimed at achieving a common objective.

• This statement is TRUE. Cooperation and the pursuit of a common objective are fundamental tenets of administration. Administration, by definition, is a collective human endeavor.
• Nigro, like many other administrative theorists, stresses that administration involves people working together in an organized manner towards a shared goal that no single individual could achieve alone. This collective endeavor is vital for organizational success.

Statement iv: It requires a high degree of rationality in decision-making.

• This statement is FALSE in the context of it being a core definitional element emphasized by Nigro for the *general concept* of administration. While rationality is a desirable quality in administrative decision-making and is strived for, administration often operates under conditions of 'bounded rationality' (a concept developed by Herbert A. Simon) where perfect information and optimal choices are not always achievable due to cognitive limitations and external constraints.
• Nigro's primary emphasis in defining administration lies more on the *process of organizing and utilizing resources* and the *cooperative nature* of the effort, rather than the *degree of rationality* as an inherent definitional requirement.

Key Takeaways for Competitive Exams

• Remember that 'administration' as a broad concept often shares universal principles across sectors, even if 'public administration' has distinct features due to its unique political, legal, and public accountability environment.
• The focus on resource utilization (men and materials) and cooperative effort towards a common purpose are recurring and fundamental themes in classic definitions of administration by scholars like Nigro.
• Be aware of the distinction between the general concept of 'administration' and the specific field of 'public administration' when analyzing such questions, as their scopes differ.
• Understanding the concept of bounded rationality (by Herbert A. Simon) is crucial, as it explains that decision-makers in real-world administrative settings often make 'satisficing' decisions rather than perfectly rational ones.