Public Management Paper
1. Based on the course material and discussions to date, think about your own conclusions regarding public management. 2. Conduct some independent research on OCLS to locate at least one (public management) professional source not used in this class, and at least one (public management) scholarly source not used in this class. You will need to use these sources in this assignment. a. A scholarly source is written by experts and for experts and is intended to keep experts in the public management field up to date on the most recent research findings. The most common forms of academic sources are (1) non-fiction books and (2) scholarly journal articles (typically peer-reviewed). § Examples? Scholarly journals that publish public management-related research include: Public Administration Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, American Review of Public Administration, Public Performance & Management Review, Administration and Society, Public Services Quarterly, and Public Management Review, among others. § What is NOT scholarly? Textbooks, professional or trade magazines/journals, newspaper articles, magazine articles, articles without bibliographies or reference lists, encyclopedias, dictionaries, movies, TV shows, videos, book reviews, opinion pieces, newsletters, and websites are not considered scholarly/academic and do not fulfill this requirement. If you have a question about whether or not the source you found is scholarly, ask your instructor. b. A professional source is typically written for practitioners and is intended to keep public managers up to date on trends, innovations, forecasts, professional events, and policy changes. Professional sources include magazines and newsletters. These articles are not peer-reviewed. § Examples? Examples of professional public administration sources include publications such as Governing, Public Manager (PM), Government Executive, Government Technology, National Journal, The Economist, and Harvard Political Review The Public Manager, for example. Blogs, newspaper articles, popular magazine articles, encyclopedias, dictionaries, movies, TV shows, videos, book reviews, opinion pieces, and websites are not considered professional and do not fulfill this requirement § What to avoid? For the purpose of this class, textbooks, academic journals, websites, encyclopedias, dictionaries, movies, TV shows, videos, and book reviews are not considered professional sources and do not fulfill this requirement. If you have a question about whether or not the source you found is professional, ask your instructor. 3. Using (1.) the interview you conducted, (2.) your text, (3.) at least one professional source not used in this class, and (4.) at least one scholarly source not used in this class, compose a 1500-2000 word analytical narrative that follows all guidelines presented in the Academic Writing Visual. All paragraphs should be fully developed and consist of at least five (5) sentences. Organize your paper with the subheadings described below: a. Title Page: Include a title page with an original and meaningful title, your name, the course, and the submission date. b. Introduction: Begin with a well-written introductory paragraph, complete with a topic sentence (as the first sentence) and a thesis statement included in bold(as the final sentence in the paragraph). (1 paragraph) NOTE: For help with writing an effective thesis statement that serves as a roadmap for your paper, see the information about writing thesis statements in IWU Resources on the Course Dashboard menu. c. The Human Factor (chapters 3 & 4): Discuss why the human factor is a challenge for contemporary public managers. 1. Include references to chapters 3 or 4 of the text. a. Management Structures and Strategies (chapters 5 – 7):Explore how organizational structures, task assignments, organizational policies, operating procedures, innovative strategies, and/or contracting impact the job of public managers. § Include references to chapters 5, 6, and/or 7 of the text. § Also, include information from the interview you conducted to support your points and use proper APA in-text citations for the interview. b. Information, Budgeting, and Goals (chapters 8-10): Address how the power of information, information flow, the budgetary process and/or goals influence the work of public managers in a way that is different than their private sector counterparts. § Include references to chapters 8, 9, and/or 10 of the text. § Also, include information from the interview you conducted to support your points and use proper APA in-text citations for the interview. c. Communicating Public Management Decisions (chapter 11):Discuss the importance of public managers communicating effectively with the media, stakeholders, and/or the public. § Include references to chapter 11 of the text. § Include information from the interview you conducted to support your points and use proper APA in-text citations for the interview. d. Public Management as a Career (chapter 12): Discuss two (2) distinct public sector career take aways you have developed during the course. Discuss each in a separate paragraph, identified with a subheading. Each take-away paragraph should be informed by Chapter 12, Surviving and Thriving in Public Service evidenced by in-text citations. (2 paragraphs) § Discuss two (2) distinct public sector career take-aways you have developed during the course. Discuss each in a separate paragraph, identified with a properly-formatted APA subheading. § Each take-away paragraph should be informed by Chapter 12, Surviving and Thriving in Public Service evidenced by in-text citations. e. Conclusion:Wrap-up the paper with a well-organized conclusion paragraph that transitions effectively and leaves the reader with a powerful concluding thought. (1 paragraph). f. Reference List: Conclude your paper with a complete reference list in APA format that includes a reference for the text, the interview you conducted, as well as all outside sources that you cited in your paper.
