Public Administration: Traditions of Inquiry and Philosophies of Knowledge (Public Management and Change series) - Softcover

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 Review

This book will examine the intellectual origins and identity of the discipline of public administration, its diverse research traditions, and how public administration research is conducted today. The question of whether public administration is an art or science, driven by values or facts will never be definitively answered because of the lack of consensus among scholars within the field. This divide has produced heated debates, but Norma Riccucci embraces this diversity of research methods rather than seeking to suggest that there is one right way. The intended purpose of this book is to engage reasonable-minded public administrationists in a dialogue on the importance of heterogeneity in epistemic traditions, and in general to deepen the field's understanding and acceptance of its epistemological scope. This book will provide an important overview of the discipline for graduate students and scholars.