ECOLOGY OF PUBLIC

ADMINISTRATION
 What is Ecology?
• Ecology is a concept borrowed from the
field of biology, in which the term refers to
the study of organism in relation to its
environment. The analogy between
biological ecology and management
ecology is, however, imperfect.
The reason is that in contrast to
biological organism, human
organizations show greater propensity
to change and modify their
environments instead of adopting to
them or being subject to them.
Therefore the individual and his
organizational environment are in a
complex state of interaction with its
environment.
• McFarland stressess,
“Ecological approach lends
itself to those theories of
organization which take the
organization to be,by analogy, a
living, dynamic organism.”
Ecology refers in two things:
• Interaction of the organisms to
public administration and their
environment;
• Interation of the administrator with
the organixazation itself.
 Types of Environment
1. Organizational environment called as
External environment
- External environment refers to everything
outside the organizational structure of public
administration.
2. Individual environment known as Internal
environment.
- Refers to the relationship of the administrator
with his organization.
 Basic knowledge of the Ecology of Public
Administration
1. The Administrator's Attitude on the
Evironment

2. Ecology and Administrative Effectiveness

3. Factors of Environmental Constraits

 The Aministrator's Attitudes on the
Environment
Some social scientist claim that the
environment has significant impact or effet
on the administrative process. They have
cited many examples f this. In fact, one of
the ways to make better decisions,
according to one of them ,is “to” take control
over more of one's environment”.
The most formidable obstacle to this
strategy of development however, is posed
by the administrator himself, who would like
to pursue the status quo in the organization
for his personal benefits. To be sure , he
would not accept the concept of change for
it develops in him a certain ddegree of
uncertainty. This is one instance in the life
of the organization where the leadership of
the administrator is put to a test.
According to Robert A. Gordon and James
E. Howell;

The eniveronment helps to determine

the alternatives on the basis of which
business decisions are made and also
affectsw the vlue systems which supply
the criteria of choosing among these
alternatives.
Richard Eells has also suggested that a
study of the environment is important
not only for its scientific or theoretical
interest but also for its practical
meanings for them.
 McFarland also said;
Clearly the executive and his organization
may both benefit from the experience
difficulties with thier relationships to the
environment. Among the practical benefits of
the environment is the way it challenges and
stimulates the individual.
The perception of an individual depends
primarily on what one sees. What one sees,
however , depends on what one would like
to see.
- Arnold J. Tonybee
William G. Scott and Terence R. MitchellI put
it this way;
what one percieves is a function of both hs
past experiences and his immediate
environment. To some extent the specific
content of these experience and
environments are determined by one's
culture, but the underlying processes or
major contributing factors are the same.
 They argue further that;
the individual cannot be undrstood apart
from his environment. In fact, the person
environment forms a syndrome, two or more
mutual dependent interacting parts, creating
a fairly stable sturcture of relationships
which possesses an inheret potential of
predictability as long as one is sufficiently
sensitized to it.
 Macfarland says that;
Perception of the environment and the
meanings within it are thus an important
element of management action. Indeed ,
many managerial actions take the form of
influencing, or even creating ,aspects of the
environment.
It is part of the executive responsibility to be
alert to forces in the external environment
that affects the organization and its goals.
Organizations develop adaptive
mechanisms and structural devices for
coping with these envieronmental fctors and
relating them to the internal process of
management.
 Ecology and Administrative
Effetiveness
An organization must be designed in full
recognition of the rapid and dramatic
changes in the environment.Certainly, such
developments affect the way the organiation
performs its assigned tasks. As a result, the
organizational values and traditions are
subjected to pressures of change.More than
ever to be effective, the organiation must
permit itself to perform a kind of balancing
its ethos and that of its environment.
Only in this way could it be expected to meet
the challenges of the fast changing world.
By constantly adjusing to its environment,
particularly the forces of change,public
administration shall be in a better position to
serve the changing requirements of its
people.
 MacFalrand says;
The organization constitutes the manager's
immediate environment. Therefore
organizational variables are important
determinants of the manager's behavior.But
there is also the environment of the
enterprise itslef. That is , the organization
exists in a political, economic, social,
andtechnical environment of which it is an
integral part and to which it must relate.
 Robert Dubin stressess that
• organizational forms and technology
revolutionize the environment of
organization.

Arthur M. Weiner says, many envirnmental

factors influence management decisions.
Considering that public administration is an
organization by itself, by necessity it must
reflect the culture and values of its
environment. f this cannot be done , its
alternative is to change it .Both situation,
however, call for flexibility on tis part as it
relates itself with its environment.
It is noteworthy to consider that this situation
calls for the administrator's greater
detemination to tackle it.Certainly, its result
can trigger a chain of reactions affecting the
entire environment.
 MacFarland reported;
• We found that the external environment is
important because it contains influences
that shape the behavior of those insiede the
cmpany. The main way this occurs is
through information coming into the
organization from outside that helps it shape
its goals.According to his perception of
these signals and interpretations of thier
meanings , the executive's task environment
emerges.
 Factors of Environmental
Constraints
• Environmental Constraits
-This is in spite of its educational system
being closely matched with its manpower
requirements.
As seen by Harold Koontz and Cyril
O'Donnell there is always the phenomenon
of a shortage of educational brain power.
They claim that the characteristics of the
society, the presence of literacy level, the
 the availability of specialized vocational
training, higher education, and management
development program could lessen its
educational motives.
 Arsenio P.Talingdan says that;
Technical skill implies an understanding of
and proficiency in a specific kinf od activity,
particularly those involving methods,
approaches , processs or techniques in
dealing with educationas an external
contraints.
He also suggested that the conceptual skill
of an administrator should be developed. It
involves the ability to see the organization
as a whole or the ability to recognize and
integrate the interrelationships of any
various factors in that orgization.
In other words, the administrator, to be
effective as such must recognizes the
relationships. An administrator must
perceive the signifiant elements in any
management situation.
 Legal-Political Constraints
Albert K. Wickesberg says; the task and
duties required of the firm if it is to survive
and remain successful are continualy in flux
in response to the changing needs and of
the externel, environment,the interests and
personalities within the firm, and the goals
as these are formulated and reformulated for
the firm. The result is an ever-changing,
continually adjusting set of personal
relationships.
 He concluded that;
External as well as internal environmental
factors thus play a role in determining the
nature extent andeffectiveness of the
individual's authority.
Politics and adminstration are inseparable
very few administrator's understand,
however ,as a Filipino author views it, that
“politics is government itself: thus decision-
making in the government is shaped by
them.
 Politcs should never be a problem to a
knowledgeable administrator. Indeed
,politics would be an asset in public
administration, if he knows how to handle
this properly. If not, it will ,ofcourse, hamper
the effectiveness of his administration.
 Socio- Cultural Constraints
Benita Yap states that social processes are
interactive. In this wa, administrator,
interacting with the other members of his
social system, is capable of modifying the
behavior of his group. The extent to which
such interaction is reciprocal depends, of
course ,upon the dominating character
posessed by each person, as well as on the
rigidity of patterns of the group behavior.
JOhnson, Kast and Rosenzweig
• “ Broadly speaking, we are recognizing
thaat mans is just a subsystem of the
universe and tha his actions may have
ignificant adverse implications for his
environment , other living orgaisms,and
all mankind.”
R. N. Farmer and B.M. Rchman
Large number factors of that pronounced
the behavior, as well as the tie of
relationship between the administrator and
subordiantes.These factors are as follows;
1. The general attitude of the society
towards managers.
2. The dominant views authority and
subordinates
3.The extent to which cooperation between
various group is a way of life.
4.The view of achievement
5. The extent of inflexible class stucture and
individual class structure and individual
mobility
6. The view of scientific method
7. The view risk
8. The view of change
Due to varying beliefs, values or culture of
the people , these factors ,any social
scientist claim, could either contribute to the
building of the constructive atmosphere or
the failure of administration.
Clearly the skill in human relation is
essential to effective administrationin all
levels of the organization.Of this, it shoud
be pointed out that an individual with the
highly developed skill in human relations is
expected to be fulu aware not only of his
own attitudes, assumptions, beliefs and
values, but also to others.
 Economic Constraits
Economis stability is a signifantv economic
variable.It is accepted by many that money
is the life- blood of any organization.
Utilization of production factors is also an
economic environmental matter of great
significance.He should, therefore, consider
production factors, such as factor
endowment, the extent to which the country
has available natural resources,
 adequate and useful labor, capital which
can be employed for efficient production, or
the extent to which social overhead capital is
available. That is, the supplu and quality of
public utility-type services.
 Religious Constraint
religion can be considered as one of the
constraints or outside forces that creates a
problem to the effetiveness of public
administration.
One of the inalienable rights of every Filipino
is the freedom to exersice one's religious
belief. This right is mandated,sanctioned and
protected by the Constitution of the
Philippines.
 It says in its Section 8 Article
III,entitled Bills of Rights
No law shall be made respecting an
establismend of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof.The free exercise and
enjoyment of religious profession and
worship, without discrimination or
preference, shall forever be allowed. No
religious test shall be required for the
exercise of civil or political rights.
Unfortunately, there are some
experiences in the past that show that
the implementation of some programs
of the government ran counters to
constitutional rights. However, these
conflicts have been caused by different
interpretations of these provisions.
 The END!
And I Thank YOU!

Prepared By :
Renaira Mae A.
Atilano