ABSTRACT
One of the most important social obstacles to administrative reform remains indifference to administration. The direct impact of geography on the administrative subculture is so obvious that it is least analyzed. In the political struggle over administrative reform, both reformers and their opponents appeal to history as proving their respective cases. A low-level technology is therefore a handicap to administration and a damper on administrative reform. Cultural diversity is a handicap in administrative cooperation as is well illustrated in national administrations embracing diverse cultures and in international organizations. Administrative reform, like administration, involves time, effort, and investment, scarce resources in any society, particularly in poor countries whose subsistence economy cannot afford the risk of reform failure. The extent to which reformers are successful depends on astute political tactics and manipulation of political forces within the society. Organizational politicians are able to divide the reformers, take the credit for themselves, or exploit the petty personal differences between reformers.
