Summaries of Articles published in French and Spanish
| DOI | 10.1177/002085237303900409 |
| Published date | 01 December 1973 |
| Date | 01 December 1973 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
i
Summaries
of
Articles
published
in
French
and
Spanish
A
Theoretical
Pattern
of
Administrative
Change
A.
SALINAS
Administrative
change
follows
an
erratic
and
disorderly
course
and
depends
on
a
multiplicity
of
variables
that
have
different
interrelation-
ships.
An
attempt
should
nevertheless
be
made
to
understand
its
dynamics.
A
series
of
reciprocal
influences
determine
institutional
change,
and
the
support
of
a
political
elite
is
required.
If
that
elite
is
un-
favourable
to
change,
efforts
have
to
be
made
to
influence
sectors
within
the
administration
that
will
be
able
to
conduct
the
reform.
Chan-
ges
may
be
structural
or
behavioral.
Four
interdependent
factors
which
explain
the
dy-
namics
of
change
in
complex
organizations
are,
hence,
the
supporting
infrastructures,
systematic
sensitization
or
training
activity,
the
increased
professionalization
and
consequent
prestige
of -
the
administrative
elites,
and
the
influence
of
the
latter
on
the
political
elites.
These
factors
form
a
self-sustaining
circuit
which
may
start
from
any
one
of
its
four
points.
Reform
should
aim
at
reinforcing
the
entire
circuit,
and
be
carried
out
consistently
by
a
Central
Reform
Unit.
As
to
the
dynamics
of
behavioral
change,
an
effort
is
made
in
theory
to
work
out
a
sequence,
viz.
the
assimilation
of
certain
values,
I
the
exteriorization
of
certain
behavior,
and
the
development
of
a
given
structure
of
attitudes.
Like
the
circuit
just
mentioned,
the
sequence
may
begin
at
any
point.
Behavior
is,
how-
ever,
less
difficult
to
influence
than
values
and
attitudes.
What
should
first
be
done
is,
therefore,
convincingly
to
point
out
the
draw-
backs
of
a
present
form
of
behavior,
so
that
the
persons
or
groups
concerned
will
them-
selves
work
out
the
best
behavior
to
adopt
according
to
circumstances.
The
Central
Re-
form
Unit
should
combine
systematic
training
efforts
with
infrastructural
alterations
so
as
to
bring
about
behavioral
changes.
The
following
stand
out
among
the
highly
interacting
factors
conducive
to
change :
j
(1)
The
existence,
outside the
organization,
of
a
person
or
group
powerful
enough
to
I
insist
on
change.
The
difficulty
in
this
respect
is
to
ensure
that
the
behavioral
changes in-
duced
become
permanent
through
no
longer
being
the
result
of
outside
pressure
but
an
outward
impulse
of
the
administration.
In
relation
to
the other
administrative
units,
how-
ever,
the
Central
Reform
Unit
is
an
outside
agency.
It
should
therefore
endeavour
to
en-
courage --the
establishment
of
Reform
Offices
in
the
various
departments
and
to
assist
in
the
training
of
their
staffs,
so
that
changes
may
originate
from
within
each
sector.
(2)
Historical
events
may
provide
opportuni-
ties
for
introducing
more
rapid
and
drastic
changes
than
in
normal
times,
when
author-
itative
action
is
liable
to
provoke
resistance
and
will
only
be
effective
if
sustained.
In
any
case,
such
action
is
better
combined
with
participation.
(3)
The
establishment
of
a
structure
or
system
providing
certain
advantages
which,
alone,
does
not
lead
to
durable
change though
it
is
a
necessary
adjunct.
The
Central
Reform
Unit
should
supplement
its
training
efforts
by
others
in
connection
with,
for
instance,
civil
service
legislation
and
administrative
modern-
ization.
(4)
External
pressures,
which
may
deeply
affect
the
members
of
the
organization,
ac-
companying
changes
in
the
administration
or
its
surroundings.
It
is
important
that
the
Central
Reform
Unit
should
anticipate
these
and
prepare
the
structures
and
officials
affected
to
cope
with
them.
(5)
Individual
or
joint
action
resulting
from
self-motivation,
which
is
the
factor
whence
the
greatest
and
most
durable
advantage
can
be
derived.
When
persons
or
groups
understand
their
own
motives,
productivity
increases,
rela-
tionships
improve,
lessons
are
better
learned
from
experience,
and
fuller
use
can
be
made
of
abilities.
Training
efforts
in
this
respect
should
be
supported
by
the
necessary
organ-
izational
changes.
The
following
are
indicators
of
an
admin-
istrative
reform
in
progress,
and
enable
the
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