Introduction to Public Management

Faculty

VALENTINE, Scott

Credit / Semester / Schedule / Language

2 Credits / Summer / Monday Period: 3 / English

Objectives/Overview

The purpose of this course is to help public management students hone and entrench the skills necessary to cultivate and implement good ideas and effective sustainable performance in public organizations. To do so, the course has been designed in a very unique manner. Firstly, prior to each class, students are asked to complete self-diagnostic exercises which help them to evaluate their current level of proficiency in the skill to be studied. Secondly, a comparably high number of case study discussions and group exercises will be undertaken in class. Accordingly, students need to come to class with their defences lowered. Students who get the most out of this course will be those who come to class prepared to participate and who come with an open mind.

A special note should be made on the textbook in use. The textbook, Developing Management Skills (Whetton and Cameron) has two very peculiar characteristics for public management use. Firstly, it is oriented toward management in for-profit organizations. Secondly, it espouses western managerial principles that may not be directly transferable across cultures. On the surface, the textbook may be less appropriate for public administrators in Asia. However, participants will find that the western business fundamentals covered in the text are to a large extent transferable and well-received in international non-profit organizations that strive to embed “new management” principles into the organizational culture. Furthermore, the western business focus permits in-class comparison and analysis of the transferability of these skills to an Asian Public Management venue. In both cases, the peculiarities of the text serve a valuable teaching function.

Previous experience has shown that this course is a very popular course for both the new managerial perspective it introduces and the bounteous opportunities presented for self-discovery.

Keywords

public management, English

Teaching Methods

Problem-based learning principles are used for classroom delivery. This implies a great deal of guided student participation and involvement. Students should prepare to come and have fun interacting and learning with the rest of class. Common elements of each class will include:

Comprehension quizzes- Each session will begin with short multiple choice tests to ensure comprehension of the assigned readings. This is done to ensure that students have the knowledge base necessary to participate in the class discussions.

Case Studies- Many classes also have case study components where students are asked in teams to solve problems based on a pre-assigned readings.

Exercises- There will be a number of exercises introduced in the class to entrench and practice skills covered.

Grading

Course grades will be based on: 9 short comprehension exams given at the beginning of class each week to evaluate comprehension of the week’s readings (30%), a reflective journal (20%), a group-led case study activity (20%), a short final essay (20%) and class participation (10%).

Required Text

Title: Developing Management Skills, 8th Edition (Global Edition),
(c)2011
Authors: David A. Whetten and Kim S. Cameron
ISBN 13: 978-0-13-510302-9
Publisher: Pearson Education

Other materials will be assigned.