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First, I understood that Antony Downs (1968) explains that bureaucracy is a pivotal element of the society in decision making. Instead of elected leaders making decisions, bureaucrats actually make the most decisions that affect the society. Antony Down (1968) also reasons that bureaucratic officials are, like all other sectors of the economy motivated by their own-self interest. In the end effective public administration policy, is a delicate balancing act that requires the understanding of people’s wishes as well as the needs of the citizens.
Second, I also became aware that it is important to be understood that there is such a thing as value-neutral. In every situation, values are pervasive in the ways we handle issues. Second, it is important to also that every public service or program implemented has a direct effect on the lives of other people. The responsibility for the effect of this decision made is the responsibility of the people making that call. Contemporary scholars in public management and policy formation have favored a slightly lose structure compared to the traditional model of public management.
Third, I realized that value free means that the philosophy is not influenced by the society’s pressure. In essence, it is ethically neutral. However, values have some objectivity. Therefore, values depend on people’s evaluation and analysis of situations. Values are morally relative. Stepping out of the constraint of values require moral pluralism. Secondly, from this class, I understand that previous knowledge of an individual an affect the way an individual or a society can see in that the inference sometimes can borrow greatly from the opinions. In real meaning, previous knowledge can instill value, affect methodology and generate ideology. With all these available, there is likelihood that the conclusion could be one sided, a mere experiment to justify an already existing theory and this could be objective
Fourth, in public policy, it is important to understand that civic engagement is an ongoing process that involves dynamic conversation involving the public on the issues or as we put it the “ road-map” to the planning of the future. From this class, I understand that civic engagement is important to the understanding of the meaning of the contemporary challenges that bedevil public policy. I understand that the commitment to civic engagement lies on the bedrock of engaging the public and building sustaining relationship with the members of the community on matters that are pertinent to the locals.
Another lesson I learned from this class is that proponents of the new school of public administration argue for increased flexibility and creativity on the affairs of government. The central premise of this argument is the strive for increased customer satisfaction. Included in the platform is the decrease of instruction from the top administrators and increasing role of lower managers on decision making. The benefit of such management skills allows for creativity and productivity. It also allows managers to take ownership of the decisions that they make form the grassroots. The United States, being a humongous political entity, would be governed better with a more consistent and sound public participation. Community engagement on the affairs of the state would be key in the implementation and success of government operation. With limited public participation, the success of the new school of management would be futile.
Seventh, I realized that Woodrow Wilson was the modernist of the late 1800s and the early 20th century. Woodrow Wilson argued for a more robust civic engagement. Woodrow’s plans were made possible by an increasingly scientifically oriented society. According to Wilson, there was a need for the multidisciplinary approach towards civil service. The interdisciplinary approach of civil service would make it easy to have a comprehensive understanding of other disciplines would be ideal for the success of the government projects. In addition to having a multidisciplinary approach to civil service, Woodrow Wilson argued for a similarity in structure across all governments.
Another important lesson was the function of the United States government. At a glance, the functioning of the United States government is a cold-sandwich. However, this is not the case. The United States’ government is composed of the congress, the judiciary, and the presidency. In the United States, the power lies within the people who elect the president and the congress. The people get’s the opportunity to decide their representatives every four years courtesy of elections. Also, the United States constitution provides the blue print for the functioning of the system.
Eighth, I became aware that The United States constitution was ratified in 1788 and provides three distinct arms of the government each with the powers to check the other. For example, the president appoints justices of the Supreme Court who are members of the judiciary. The appointed justices are then subjected for approval by Congress. In similar fashion, the Judiciary can upheld or strike down laws passed by the legislature if it deems it contrary to the constitution of the United States. The United constitution also protects the rights of the citizens through the bill of rights as contained in the first seven amendments of the U. S constitution.
I also learned that motivation is a process that initiates, maintains and guides behaviors that are goal-oriented. It is a psychological concept that is directly connected to such important functions as job satisfaction and overall organizational performance. Motivation process involves social, emotional, biological and cognitive forces that activate behavior. It is critical to point out that the employees or the entire human resource fraternity is the life and blood of the existence of the organization.
Tenth, learned that human beings are motivated by the unsatisfied needs. The more the unsatisfied needs one has, the more he is likely to work in a bid to satisfy the needs. Motivation, in the business context, is defined simply as the will to work. Such will is driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic sources of motivation are associated with the internal relationship between the work and the person performing such work (Elliot & Dweck, 2007). On the contrary, extrinsic aspects of motivation revolve around such things as remuneration and monetary rewards. Abraham Maslow came up with a theory of psychology that sought to explain motivation in human beings.
Organizational strategy’s purpose is for shaping the future for a business. The role of organizational strategy is to create value in the eyes of the customer as well as implementing models that creates values in the eyes of the customers. The organizational design affects the ways in which a company can realize its strategy. When companies grow bigger, they expose themselves to external environments that may be complex and out of line for the business process. The business structures and designs that previously worked become complex to implement. In some cases, the structures and the designs of the business become barriers to the effectiveness of the business in areas such as efficiency, customer service, and employee moral as well as financial profitability. Because of this reason, companies must be able to change their designs such that the strategy for business is not compromised and the goal of profit making is not endangered.
Compared to organizational strategy, organizational design is a systematic methodology that is used to correct non-working aspects of work flow, procedures and systems and realigns the non-working aspects of business such that they meet the needs of the business in the contemporary. The aim of organizational design is the requirement of meeting the business realities and goals. When referring to design, the meaning is the integration of people that handle business process, the technology and the other systems that daily drive the operation of the entire system. In business, a well designed organization makes sure that the design of the company matches its strategy (Morsing & Oswald, 2009).
Some organizations are organized in hierarchical models where the center of command is clearly stipulated. While such organizations score big in terms of information flow towards one direction as well as the chain of command is clear. Hierarchical models are good for small organizations. However, hierarchical models do not work well when for creating innovations, flexibility, and complex systems. Under high pressure, hierarchies become useless and unreliable.
Contemporary scholars in public management and policy formation have favored a slightly lose structure compared to the traditional model of public management. In the United States, the period of Ronald Reagan presidency towards the Bush presidency of 2000- 2008 witnessed an increasing surge of privatization and the increasing role of corporate management in the government affairs. In contrast, the Obama administration has slightly taken a different route by a pursuing an increasing government role in the affairs of the state. Perhaps one such example is the Obamacare that attempts to provide universal healthcare for all Americans (Denhardt , 2012)

References

Denhardt, Janet, Denhardt Robert, The New Public Service  (2012) M. E. Sharpe Third Edition
Shafritz Jay M.& Hyde Albert C. Classics of Public AdministrationWadsworth Learning Seventh
Module 1a: Reinventing Government The Government Reinvention Movement