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An Approach to a Science of Administration

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  • Stene, Edwin O.

Abstract

Writers on public administration place much emphasis upon the possibilities and importance of discovering and applying scientific principles in their field of study. But very few of them have ventured to state the basic premises upon which they seek to build that science. Many of those whose writings imply that major principles have been discovered announce, not premises, but conclusions, which, regardless of their practical merits, can hardly be called anything but opinions. On the other hand, several scholars seek to escape from errors of commission by avoiding the use of such scientific terms as “principles” or “efficiency.” If they go beyond descriptive analyses to advocate particular plans of organization or methods of procedure, they use terms which denote value judgments, thereby admitting by implication that they are expressing mere opinions. In a few published discourses, basic premises are stated and reasoning is developed therefrom. However, most of those premises—or “principles”—are referred to by name only, such as “the principle of leadership”; they are not stated in terms of precise causal relations which can be verified or which can serve adequately as bases for further reasoning.It may be regarded as unwise to venture a statement of what one considers the basic premises upon which a science of administration may be built. But every body of theory is built upon fundamental assumptions, either expressed or implied. Moreover, a body of theory is complete, and has scientific value, only when the premises are sufficiently clear to permit objective scrutiny and verification. Erroneous hypotheses, stated precisely, may be more scientific than vague or unexpressed assumptions; for only the former will lend themselves to verification. In other words, trial and error is an essential part of scientific method.

Suggested Citation

  • Stene, Edwin O., 1940. "An Approach to a Science of Administration," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 34(6), pages 1124-1137, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:cup:apsrev:v:34:y:1940:i:06:p:1124-1137_05
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    Cited by:

    1. Jeffrey Cummings, 2003. "Knowledge Sharing : A Review of the Literature," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 19060.
    2. Luciana d'Adderio & Martha S. Feldman & Nathalie Lazaric & Brian Pentland, 2012. "Special issue on routine dynamics exploring sources of stability and change in organizations," Post-Print halshs-01246464, HAL.
    3. Paula A. Jarzabkowski & Jane K. Lê & Martha S. Feldman, 2012. "Toward a Theory of Coordinating: Creating Coordinating Mechanisms in Practice," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(4), pages 907-927, August.
    4. Giada Baldessarelli & Nathalie Lazaric & Michele Pezzoni, 2022. "Organizational routines: Evolution in the research landscape of two core communities," Post-Print halshs-03718851, HAL.
    5. Brueller, Nir N. & Ellis, Shmuel & Segev, Eli & Carmeli, Abraham, 2015. "Knowing when to acquire: The case of multinational technology firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 1-10.
    6. Bazin, Yoann, 2013. "Understanding organisational gestures: Technique, aesthetics and embodiment," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 377-393.
    7. Markus C. Becker, 2012. "Distributed Knowledge and its Coordination," Chapters, in: Richard Arena & Agnès Festré & Nathalie Lazaric (ed.), Handbook of Knowledge and Economics, chapter 20, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Bing Bai & Byungjoon Yoo & Xiuquan Deng & Iljoo Kim & Dehua Gao, 2016. "Linking routines to the evolution of IT capability on agent-based modeling and simulation: a dynamic perspective," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 184-211, June.
    9. Wang, Ling & Zhang, Yujia & Yan, Yushan, 2023. "Offensive patent litigation strategic choice: An organizational routine perspective," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    10. Giada Baldessarelli & Nathalie Lazaric & Michele Pezzoni, 2022. "Organizational routines: Evolution in the research landscape of two core communities," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 1119-1154, September.
    11. Ye-Chan Park & Paul Hong, 2022. "Knowledge Sharing Practices for Corporate Sustainability: An Empirical Investigation of Sharing Economy Firms in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-19, December.
    12. David Obstfeld, 2012. "Creative Projects: A Less Routine Approach Toward Getting New Things Done," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(6), pages 1571-1592, December.
    13. Annosi, Maria Carmela & Appio, Francesco Paolo & Martini, Antonella, 2024. "Institutional context and agile team innovation: A sensemaking approach to collective knowledge creation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    14. Mar Pérezts & Sébastien Picard, 2015. "Compliance or Comfort Zone? The Work of Embedded Ethics in Performing Regulation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 131(4), pages 833-852, November.
    15. Paul Spee & Paula Jarzabkowski & Michael Smets, 2016. "The Influence of Routine Interdependence and Skillful Accomplishment on the Coordination of Standardizing and Customizing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 759-781, June.
    16. Waldemar Kremser & Georg Schreyögg, 2016. "The Dynamics of Interrelated Routines: Introducing the Cluster Level," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 698-721, June.
    17. Scott F. Turner & Violina Rindova, 2012. "A Balancing Act: How Organizations Pursue Consistency in Routine Functioning in the Face of Ongoing Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 24-46, February.
    18. Fleur Deken & Paul R. Carlile & Hans Berends & Kristina Lauche, 2016. "Generating Novelty Through Interdependent Routines: A Process Model of Routine Work," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 659-677, June.
    19. Schmidt, Heiko M. & Santamaria-Alvarez, Sandra Milena, 2022. "Routines in International Business: A semi-systematic review of the concept," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(2).

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