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Vocabulary Exercises. B. Pre-reading Exercises. Role-Types, role conflicts, role overloads. Political executives
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Vocabulary Exercises
Ex. 1. Which words can you derive from the following:
| 1) appoint 2) identify 3) supervise 4) initiate 5) assist 6) interfere 7) just 8) complain 9) believe | 10) obscure 11) treat 12) ignore 13) flexible 14) require 15) lead 16) affect 17) effect 18) top |
Ex. 2. Complete the following sentences using a word derivationally related to the word given in brackets:
1) Any organisation is a system of roles in which rights and obligations of each employee are clearly …. (identification)
2) Political executives are political … in most cases. (appointment)
3) This is the political executive who …, shapes, promotes, and oversees policy changes. (initiative)
4) The work of professionals … considerable autonomy and …. (requirement, flexible)
5) Nonprofessionals are evaluated by their immediate …, while the work of professionals is evaluated by peer review of their colleagues. (supervision)
6) People often … that public bureaucrats … them like a number and … unique problems and circumstances. (complaint, treatment, ignorance)
7) Street-level bureaucrats … can affect their work with clients. (believe)
8) The role of policy entrepreneurs … strategic planning, political activism, and conceptual …. (requirement, lead)
Ex. 3. What's the English for:
| 1) требовать (что-либо от кого-либо 2) назначать на должность 3) приступать (к чему-либо), вводить в курс дела 4) помогать, содействовать кому-либо 5) вмешиваться, быть помехой | 6) гибкий, легко приспосабливаемый 7) жаловаться на что-либо 8) главный, ведущий 9) нижний, последний 10) вести себя по отношению к кому-либо/чему-либо 11) перенапряжение 12) ведущая роль |
Ex. 4. Translate the following words and word combinations:
| A 1) to perform a role 2) source of stress and overload 3) to demand 4) appointment 5) to neglect 6) to identify (rights and obligations) 7) top 8) bottom | В 1) to require (individual attention) 2) to complain 3) to treat 4) to ignore (problems) 5) supervision 6) flexible 7) public 8) private |
B. Pre-reading Exercises
Ex. 1. Guess the meaning of the following words and word combinations:
Role-type, role conflict, desktop administrator, to require leadership, to be given limited resources, consensus, charismatic leader, to step into a role, source of stress, to balance expectations.
C. Reading
Ex. 1. Read the text for general information to complete the following statements:
1) The text deals with the problem of …
2) The text views a public organization as a system of specific roles, role-types, the most common of which are …
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3) The role of a policy entrepreneur requires …
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL:
ROLE-TYPES, ROLE CONFLICTS, ROLE OVERLOADS
Large organizations employ many individuals. Charismatic leaders, caring supervisors, innovative program directors, and numerous street-level employees lend individuality and character to the whole organization. One should also remember that higher moral and ethical standards are expected of public employees rather than of private employees, and that public managers work within very strict limits of legislation, executive orders, and regulations surrounding government. But unique contributions of individuals do not obscure their general patterns of behavior, or roles.
A role is a predictable set of expectations and behaviors associated with an office or position. Like an actor assigned a part, cabinet secretaries, police officers, and policy analysts step into roles that are already largely defined.
A person usually performs several roles and it may become a source of stress and overload. Role overload is more than just too much work, or overwork. Role overload exists when the demands of various roles overwhelm an individual’s ability to balance expectations, when the demands of one role make it difficult to fulfill the demands of others. The lawyer who must cancel an appointment to care for a sick child or the professor who neglects his students to fulfill administrative obligations is experiencing a role conflict.
Viewing organization as a system of roles helps to identify rights and obligations of each employee. Roles provide the consistency that holds an organization together. An organization that falls apart when individuals leave has not built an adequate structure of roles.
Although public organizations contain many specific roles, five role-types– the political executive, desktop administrator, professional, street-level bureaucrat, and policy entrepreneur – are the most common.
Political executives
Political executives (the secretary of a State Department, the city manager, or the county administrator) occupy the top of public organizations. Although their jobs and responsibilities are different, they all perform the functions of a political aide, policy maker, and top administrator.
In most cases, political executives are political appointees – elected officials give them their jobs. That is why their position, their tenure, and their influence while in office derive from the authority of elected officials. The official who wins the election most commonly appoints loyal supporters. They are advisors for selected officials.
Elected officials cannot do everything. They can do little more than point the general direction and scrutinize the final result. That is why political executives appointed by them are also policy makers. The political executive initiates, shapes, promotes, and oversees policy changes. They may also have responsibility for major decisions. The ultimate authority, however, rests with the elected official.
Political executives are also top-level administrators. It is a difficult role. Public executives are legally responsible for implementing policy They must cut through the red tape, resistance of change, intra-organizational conflict to assure that the public is served well. Those political executives who fail to reach down and get the support and enthusiasm of their agency personnel will effect little change in policy. But if they completely disregard the preferences, knowledge, and experience of their agencies, stalemate ensues. If they uncritically adopt the views of their elected officials or their agencies, they may lose influence with elected officials.
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