Public Administration vs Business Administration

Influence from various groups (e.g., government committees, businesses, unions) on policy-making decisions.

The process where individuals within the government and outside organizations attempt to influence the formulation and implementation of policies.

The constant public attention and scrutiny that public officials face in democratic societies.

Public servants are accountable to the public and their actions are subject to public scrutiny and review.

The press and the public play a vital role in monitoring and influencing government decisions.

The difference in the primary goal between businesses and public organizations. Businesses focus on profit, while public organizations prioritize serving the public good.

The measurement of success in a business is typically clear: profitability. In public organizations, success is harder to quantify and may involve meeting social needs and providing services.

The bottom-line profit is a key metric for evaluating performance in a business, and individual managers can be assessed based on their unit's contribution to overall profitability.

Public/non-profit organizations have less clear performance metrics, as they primarily focus on serving the public. Their success is often judged by the effectiveness of service provision, which is harder to measure.

In public services, diverse stakeholders, such as citizens, organizations, and government agencies, are involved in the decision-making process. This creates a multi-faceted and sometimes slow process.

The decision-making in businesses is often centralized, with a smaller group of key individuals or a single leader making crucial decisions.

The actions and decisions of public administration are often under public scrutiny and subject to public opinion. Government activities are more visible and open to public debate.

In the private sector, businesses can be more secretive about their operations and don't face the same level of transparency as public organizations.