Governmental Reinvention and Privatization Essay

Governmental Reinvention and Privatization - Essay Example It begins with a description of the publications that most often have been associated with the reinvention movement. The primary purpose of the paper, however, is to review reinvention's assumptions, themes, and purposes. It concludes by presenting critical views of REGO's approach and some assumptions toward human resource reforming. For decades the civil service, also known as the merit system, has been accused of being too narrowly focused on protecting government employees from political or personal favoritism. It also has been criticized for not adequately supporting managerial objectives and organizational missions. These kinds of complaints constitute the motivating force behind reinventing government (REGO), which one notable scholar called the most energetic and robust reform movement in the past half-century (Light, 1994, 63). Human resources constitute the most influential of all factors that bear on the quality of an organization's products and services. If employees are not well trained, focused, and committed, then high quality organizational performance is not likely to materialize. This is the basic reasoning that underpins organizational concern for how human resources are managed. It is a logic that applies to both the private and public sectors. REGO claims that the traditional public sector em ployment principles of fitness and merit can coexist with increased managerial discretion and greater employee independence. It also contends that flexibility and innovation can be combined with a system that demands high levels of accountability and equity. (Thompson and Riccucci, 1998) The reinvention critique extends to most areas of government, in addition to targeting many of its recommendations at the civil service. Reinventing Government Reports Management reform is not new to the federal government. At least one major reform initiative has been undertaken every decade of the twentieth century. As Shafritz et al. (2001) report, they "all began with an assumption that government . . . was broken, fragmented, badly organized, and incapable of performing at a level acceptable to the public" (p. 61). The 1980s and 1990s were times during which an extraordinary amount of government reform activity took place (Peters, 1996, p. vii). One scholar of public sector change says the period reflected the greatest pressure ever placed on the U.S. government to innovate (Light 1994, p. 63). The reform movement is not just a United States phenomenon. The National Academy of Public Administration claims that "government performance and accountability is an issue throughout the world" (1995, p. 61). In announcing the creation of the National Performance Review, President Clinton stated that one of its principal goals was "to change the culture of our national bureaucracy away from complacency and entitlement toward initiative and empowerment" (National Performance Review, 1993, p. 1). This may be as succinct a summary of reinvention as

Participating in the Notre Dame executive MBA program Personal Statement

Participating in the Notre Dame executive MBA program - Personal Statement Example Her parents, even though they had no formal education themselves, understood its value, and worked long hours on the family farm so that they could raise enough money to pay her tuition. My Mum went on to be the first woman from her town to graduate from college, and later on also did her MBA from the University of The Hague in Holland. My Mum's example - her rise from a farm girl to a corporate woman - has constantly inspired me to strive for success both educationally and professionally.I have an undergraduate Degree in Engineering, which has provided me with excellent analytical skills and has enhanced my problem solving abilities. However, I have not had the opportunity so far, to study in depth, courses exploring business strategy and finance. In order to advance my career to its fullest potential I need to excel in these courses as well, apart from other areas of business.An MBA degree from Notre Dame University will equip me with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop m y capabilities. In business, decision-making must be done after careful thought, and not haphazardly. An MBA from Notre Dame will not only enable me to make balanced business decisions, but it will also give me access to information gathered by national and international experts on decisions made, that have yielded both positive and negative results. I also want to learn more about business strategy and put this knowledge into practice across a wide variety of situations. To be able to do this, I would like to take up a position in the Consulting and International Business Unit of my sponsoring company. Most of the employees working in this Department are MBA graduates. I would like to pursue an MBA both to make myself a competitive candidate for a position in this business unit, as well as to further develop my business acumen. As an Engineer for the last seven years, I have worked with international, cross-functional teams in high paced environments, with demanding deadlines, where my responsibilities have varied from taking care of highly technical projects to sales and business development functions. The versatility, analytical skills, teamwork and a wide knowledge of industry, which I have exhibited in my career, are some of the qualities I will bring to bear on my MBA program. Notre Dame's MBA program will allow me to develop my skills to fulfill my career objectives. It will also enable me to take advantage of resources that Notre Dame University offers, while simultaneously continuing my career in Chicago. A Notre Dame MBA will equip me with modern management tools, concepts and practical models that are not only appropriate for meeting current management challenges, but also adaptable to new and emerging situations. I will get to exercise teamwork, and analytical and leadership skills while discussing real-world business challenges. My decision-making and communication abilities will also be enhanced as I work with a diverse group of individuals to define goals, identify problems, and determine solutions to these challenges. The benefits of practical experience in my undergraduate education were immense, and I look forward to the exceptional learning opportunities at Notre Dame, for a continuation of the same. Apart from this, I am also attracted by the program's class size, which encourages a close-knit community where the students' strengths can easily be