From Traditional Public Administration to Digital-Era Governance: Towards a Hybrid Framework of Administrative Accountability
| Vol-4 | Issue-04 | April 2019 | Published Online: 15 April 2019 PDF | ||
| Author(s) | ||
| Dr Gian Chand 1 | ||
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1Associate Professor, Public Administration, K.U. Kurukshetra |
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| Abstract | ||
| The evolution of public administration during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries has been characterized by a gradual transition from traditional Weberian bureaucracy to New Public Management (NPM) and, subsequently, to Digital-Era Governance (DEG). While NPM emphasized market-oriented reforms, managerial autonomy, performance measurement, privatization, and competition, growing evidence suggested that these reforms often fragmented governmental authority and weakened democratic accountability. In response, Digital-Era Governance emerged as a post-NPM paradigm emphasizing reintegration of public services, citizen-centric administration, and extensive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). This paper critically examines the theoretical evolution of these administrative paradigms and evaluates their implications for administrative accountability. Rather than treating digital governance as merely the technological modernization of government, the study argues that Digital-Era Governance represents a fundamental reconfiguration of relationships among the state, bureaucracy, and citizens. The paper further explores whether digitization strengthens transparency and responsiveness or merely introduces new forms of administrative complexity. Drawing upon classical and contemporary public administration literature, the study synthesizes theoretical debates concerning bureaucracy, managerialism, governance, accountability, and public value. It concludes that while Digital-Era Governance offers significant opportunities for improving service delivery and citizen participation, its effectiveness depends upon institutional capacity, legal safeguards, and democratic oversight. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Public Administration; NPM; Digital-Era Governance; Accountability; Governance; Digital Government; Administrative Reform; Public Value | ||
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