Riggsian Models

An understanding of public administration is essential for any country. Out of all the theories and models presented by different professionals, the Riggsian model of public administration has a special place. This model deals with the link between the external environmental factors and public administration.

Let us understand about the Riggsian model of public administration and the ecological approach to public administration Riggsian model. We cover quick definitions, different tools for accessing these models, and brief details. 

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Riggsian Model

The Riggsian model understands that every culture has some obstacles and supports the development and change in the administration. The Riggsian model of public administration is used to demonstrate the relationship between administrative systems and external conditions.

What is the Riggsian model of public administration?

The two main Riggsian models of public administration are:

1. Agraria-Industria Model

It considers that society is shifting from agricultural development to an industrial model. Agricultural development is based on ascriptive values as people are classified into birth or other factors. The industrial model is based on the achievement-oriented classification. The agricultural model has particularistic norms, whereas the industrial one has universalistic bars. Further, the agricultural model has diffuse patterns, low spatial mobility, simple occupational differentiation, few administrative structures, and no specified functions. In contrast, the industrial model has high mobility, an Egalitarian class system, specific patterns, and universalistic norms.

Like any other models, the Agraria- the Industria model has certain limitations. These issues include a general viewpoint, stressful administration environment, and unidirectional approach in analysing the environmental effects. 

2. Fused Prismatic Diffracted Model

According to the fused Prismatic Diffracted Riggsian model, agriculture, folk, and societies are fused, whereas the industrial societies are diffracted. The intermediate ones are considered as diffused by the Fused Prismatic Diffracted model. Hence, it considers a society to be fused if a single structure performs multiple functions. The society is considered diffracted if it has a single structure performing limited functions. This model is suitable for the developing, developed, and underdeveloped societies. 

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3. Prismatic Sala Model

This model analyses the interaction between the environment and administration system in prismatic societies. Here Sala is the administrative sub-system of a traditionally developing society. Some of the popular features of any Prismatic Sala model are:

• Authority and control: The authority is centralised while the control is localised

• Bazaar canteen system: The economic sub-system combines both the traditional economy and the market economy. Some of the features observed in the Bazaar canteen system include the black market, social injustice, poverty, exploitation, inflation, hoarding and adulteration

• Poly-communal: There is a hostile co-existence of the communities

• Poly-normative: The co-existence of traditional and modern norms leads to a lack of consensus based on behaviour norms

• Nepotism: The Sala model has nepotism in the recruitment process

• Overlapping: It has a high degree of overlapping due to the co-existence of the differentiated structures of a diffracted society and undifferentiated structures of the fused society

• Formalism: It has a high degree of formalism due to the discrepancy between the effective practices and formally described rules

• Heterogeneity: The prismatic society has high heterogeneity due to the continuous presence of different systems, viewpoints, and practices

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An Ecological Approach to Public Administration Riggsian Model

The ecological approach to public administration Riggsian model states that administration is the subset of society. Moreover, administration is influenced by the other sub-systems like economic dimensions and cultural, social, and political influences. The structural-functional approach to the Riggsian model states that society has different structures. These structures perform different communicational, symbolic, social, economic and political functions. All these functions are valid for the administrative sub-system. 

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Conclusion

One can quickly understand the meaning and importance of three different approaches to the Riggsian model from this article. The ecological approach to public administration is used to assess the condition of multiple developing states. We’ve incorporated a quick list of the top questions related to the Riggsian model of public administration so that students do not have to look for other sources for solving their doubts.