
Public Administration
Traditions of Inquiry and Philosophies of Knowledge
Norma M. Riccucci(Author)
Georgetown University Press
Published on 16. June 2010
Book
Paperback/Softback
176 pages
978-1-58901-704-7 (ISBN)
Description
Is public administration an art or a science? This question of whether the field is driven by values or facts will never be definitively answered due to a lack of consensus among scholars. The resulting divide has produced many heated debates; however, in this pioneering volume, Norma Riccucci embraces the diversity of research methods rather than suggesting that there is one best way to conduct research in public administration. "Public Administration" examines the intellectual origins and identity of the discipline of public administration, its diverse research traditions, and how public administration research is conducted today. The book's intended purpose is to engage reasonable-minded public administration scholars and professionals in a dialogue on the importance of heterogeneity in epistemic traditions, and to deepen the field's understanding and acceptance of its epistemological scope. This important book will provide a necessary overview of the discipline for graduate students and scholars.
Reviews / Votes
An important overview of the discipline of public administration for graduate students and scholars in public administration, public management, and public policy. This book is an outstanding contribution to the field and literature of public administration and it...will become a 'must read' on book lists for many university courses. Political Studies ReviewMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Washington, DC
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
US School Grade: College Graduate Student and over
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Not illustrated
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 139 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
221 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58901-704-7 (9781589017047)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2010
Georgetown University Press
€31.99
Available for download
Persons
Norma M. Riccucci is a professor of public administration at Rutgers University, Newark. She is the author of Unsung Heroes: Federal Execucrats Making a Difference and How Management Matters: Street-Level Bureaucrats and Welfare Reform which won the 2009 Herbert Simon Book Award from the American Political Science Association.
Content
Introduction 1. Intellectual Heritage and Theoretical Developments: Is Public Administration an Art or a Science? 2. Searching for a Paradigm: Public Administration as a Postnormal Science 3. Identity Crises in the Social Sciences 4. Searching for Truth: The Logic of Inquiry in Public Administration 5. Theory Building through Qualitative Approaches 6. Theory Building through Quantitative Research 7. Theory Building through Mixed-Methods Research 8. Heterogeneity in Epistemic Traditions References Index