Positivist and phenomenological research in public administration

Abstract EN

The research discusses what are themajor similarities and differences in how a public administrator committed tothe positivist perspective and one committed to the interpretivist orphenomenological perspective would approach the task of understanding andacting in public organizations? This paper considers how the two differenttheories, positivism and interpretivism, influence the way of thinking andpracticing in the field of public administration.

The research discusses thecore concepts of positivism and interpretivism and presents the role ofpositivist research in public administration, which dominated the establishmentof public administration during the Progressive era, as well as the limitationsassociated with it.

In addition, the research provides a better understandingof the historical context in which other new alternative theories werepresented in the field, including interpretivism.