Administrative and Management Cultures in the Australian Public Service

Abstract

This paper examines the management culture of the Australian Public Service (APS). I show that the APS has historically exhibited what Keeling calls an ‘administrative’ culture, or one that is procedural rather than result-oriented. The source of this culture lies in the distinctive requirements of public management which stem from the non-market environment, the political nature of public administration and consequent requirements for accountability, equity, consistency, legality and co-ordination. The paper also seeks to shed some light on the broader question of whether it is possible to replace the administrative culture of the public sector with a management one. This paper will show that, after a decade of reform, the culture of the APS as of 1992 remained predominantly procedural. I conclude that the administrative culture of the APS is unlikely to be replaced by a management one.