The Definition of Public Service T00432684 In order to gather a definition of any word, it is not simply to give a term, or phrase, meaning, but to also at the same time identify its origin and purpose. All of this is then applied to a specific perspective. This perspective then allows a word to take on it’s own individualized life each time it surfaces as a spoken word, an action, a written text, thought, or observation. Approaching the term “public service” embodies the aforementioned idea that a definition, despite having a generalized meaning, can shift its purpose when used in differing perspectives and circumstances. To begin dissecting my own definition, I will start with identifying each of the three parts of an academic definition 1) “the term (word or phrase) to be defined”, 2) “the class of object or concept to which the term belongs” and 3) “the differentiating characteristics that distinguish it from all others of its class” (Pepper & Driscoll, 1). By understanding and analyzing the significance to each part of a definition as it applies to “public service” it will help narrow the definition in regard to my own perspective and strengthen the definition I will develop through this paper. Public service, as discussed throughout the weeks we have been in this course, could be an amalgamation of things when unearthing our own examples. Public service could be everything from the Google search engine, to working for Heifer
Having a Service-Learning Writing Project (SLWP) in this class, and after actually dictionary defining the word “service” for myself, I have discovered that my WRA class is apart of that definition. The Oxford English Dictionary has a definition saying “employment in duties or work for another”, and that is exactly what we did. Our services work along the line of the definition of us being beneficial, and both
Throughout this journey I realized that these public employees really are trying to make a difference in the world. They do not run off of getting big bonuses or chasing money. Making a difference in peoples lives is what they are after. In my last year of high school I realized that money does not drive me, it’s making a difference in people. 4 years later I made a decision to pursue a degree that not only allows me to give back to my community, but to give back to the nation as a
“A successful life, by definition includes service to others” (The Bush School of Government and Public Service, 2013). For centuries the idea of serving one’s nation has been known as a noble calling. While several countries have utilized a compulsory military and/or public service obligation, the United States of America has maintained the notion that one should feel called / led to serve. Outside of the Selected Service, the U.S. has maintained an All-Volunteer Force. With the continued pressures from the decade long war(s) one could argue that the United States adopts a compulsory public service obligation.
Our class has spent this semester developing insights and creating definitions of the entity we are committed to build future careers around. In the past weeks, we have collaboratively arrived at various definitions that incorporate elements derived from these multidisciplinary-informed investigations. A longitudinal analysis of these group efforts understandably demonstrates sufficient congruity among descriptors ( Activity-Motive-Purpose-Outcome ) to allow construction of a preliminary composite definition of our subject as “ outcome driven behaviors motivated by and directed towards building social capital and encouraging self-actualization”. This global definition encompasses a range of diverse activities ( such as teaching a recent immigrant a new language or mounting a multinational response to an emerging epidemic ) that are generally accepted as falling within the behavioral parameters of the profession we aspire to .
The public sector is owned and operated by the Government, and exists to provide non-profit services for its citizens (privacysense). The main aim of the public sector is to provide value for money for taxpayers and other stakeholders defined as “the most advantageous combination of cost, quality and sustainability to meet customer requirements” (finance-ni.gov.uk). It is essential that management of public sector organisations realise the importance of providing good quality information, in order to facilitate effective decision making, efficient performance measurement and provide assurances as to good value for the taxpayer (nao.org.uk). The public sector in the UK is a significant portion of the overall economy and includes the delivery of essential services including: National Health Service, Education, Police, and Military.
Public service is the serving of the public by carrying out legislative, executive, or judicial orders through governmental agencies and organizations, and by reforming government programs to better help people. In recent decades, the reinvention, re-engineering, and restructuring of government have been discussed to provide more efficient and effective ways to serve the public. “Theorists of citizenship, community and civil society, organizational humanists, and postmodernist public administrationists have helped to establish a climate in which it makes sense today to talk about a New Public Service” (Denhardt & Denhardt, 2000). Reinventing government through the New Public Service can have a positive impact on the operations, effectiveness, and efficiencies of public organizations and programs.
Since the turn of the millennia, there has been a greater call for the establishment of a proper framework for politicians, government departments, and non-government organisations (NGO’s) alike to refer upon when dealing with public participation and development (Monno & Khakee, 2012). Although there has been the construction of various public participation procedures which aims to quell this problematic issue which ranges from public open forums to the more formal proceedings such as government led initiatives and meetings, the distinctions between rhetoric and the reality has been far and few when compared in actual practice.
Public services had been argued to have a more strategic outlook for factors such as ageing population, health care and pension costs, and householders are demanding the government to be more responsible in taxpayer’s money. However, this essay will indicate the factors led to these calls and what difficulties remain for pubic managers trying to do so, as well as how can a successful strategy can help managers to overcome and focus on the external and internal environment of the organization. This essay is outlined as follows. The next section is going to show what factors have led to calls for public services to have more strategic out and what difficulties remain for public managers trying to do so and arguments that support and that doesn’t, finally the last section is what the writer’s conclusion for this issues is.
It is ‘over the last 30 years’ that youth and community groups have experienced a ‘major change in the ways public services have been perceived, managed and provided. Merton et al (2009:94) claim ‘the business model has prevailed and public services,
PSC ought to present the idea of Public Service Trainee for a three-year time frame to youthful and splendid experts from various areas. The enrollment will be on an agreement premise and take after some cutting edge techniques
Box’s book offers insight into the inner working of conduct in the public sector. The book is filled with example of professional duty to one’s community and the standards and policy put in place to ensure proper treatment of humans. The author discusses relevant topics that I will discuss in my report. These issues include professional responsibility to our communities and quality service that is needed to ensure a healthy and growing population. My report is on accountability of patients with their dental care, and I believe it is important to show the accountability that dentists have to ensure that patients are accountable.
USlegal.com defines a public servant as someone who is employed by the government, either throughout appointment or election, for example, Mayors, governors, and state legislatures, and city council members. Public servants are not just elected or appointed by the government, they are more broadly defined as people who are employed by the government such as police officers, firefighters, health officers, city administrators, city attorneys, animal control officers, and other city personnel authorized to enforce city ordinances, and codes (“Public Servant Law”, n.d., para. 1). Judges in the Municipal Courts are public servants limited to their jurisdiction and have authority to handle certain types of cases such as criminal misdemeanors, traffic violations, municipal ordinances, enforcement or regulatory violations that occur within its municipal city limits (Alabama State Bar, p.1).
The public servant is thus continuously faced with instances where they must interpret concerns from the public and determine what and what does not meet the public interest, as relevant to their respective administration (Inwood, 2012). The public servant might be required to make determinations about what constitutes a public interest given then way they interpret various codes and duties within their position. The most effective way to ensure ethical behaviour in this area is for the public service to establish a good working relationship with societal interest affected by legislation, and “broker” differences between competing groups (Inwood, 2012, p. 344). If the bureaucrat finds herself or himself acting in accordance with the public interest and common will of the people, they are effectively and ethically exercising their discretion (Herring, 1992). Alternatively, if a bureaucrat finds herself or himself choosing a course of action that differs or conflicts too greatly with the public interest, they can more readily identify their missteps and refer back to the will of the people. Given how public interest is used as a barometer of societal concerns and opinions, one cannot discount the significance of the public servant 's duty to exercise ethical conduct in maintaining the public interest through effective formation and implementation of public policy.
Additionally, volume 76 issue 1 provides a symposium entitled, “Towards an Experimental Public Administration.” The symposium contains a series of eleven articles and accompanying commentaries. As the title suggests, each study strove for experimental excellence, a characteristic of post-positivist research. The articles focused on public perceptions of public policy and administration (James et al. 2015; Manning, 2015; Marvel & Girth, 2015; Wilson, 2015; Hvidman & Andersen, 2015) and citizen participation in the processes of public administration (Arceneaux & Butler, 2015; Snyder, 2015; Adres, Vashdi, & Zalmanovitch, 2015; Josse, 2015) amongst other things. Similar to those articles not included in the symposium, the authors of the symposium relied on post-positivism as a basis for their knowledge generation. With empiricism and mixed-methodology at the cornerstone of their findings, they placed themselves firmly in a post-positivist stance. Together, these empirical studies provide a convincing argument that this form of research can be a productive way of understanding citizen engagement and utilizing the findings in a practical application. From an objectivist point of view, these findings are valid and contribute to a growing knowledge base.
The Public Sector is owned and operated by the Government. The object of ensuring that the standards of service are directed to the level specified by the Government and profitability passes to the Government for the benefit of the nation.