ABSTRACT
The goals of the individual are subordinate to those of the organization, authority is distributed in a vastly uneven fashion, and there is relatively little opportunity for the participation of either those lower in the organization or clients of the organization in its decision processes. Theorists and practitioners in public administration have largely depended on the same approaches to organization and management as those in the private sector. Organization theorists only marginally connected to the field of public administration have set a high standard for public administration students interested in management concerns. Organizations need to think about and understand the forces and interrelationships that shape the behavior of systems. Change within organizations will come about more effectively if individuals understand and act more in tune with the larger processes around them. Most have drawn important material from the more general field of organization theory, though political theory has made important contributions as well.
