The Legal Status of the International and Universal Exhibition, Brussels 1958
| Author | Edmond Jorion |
| Published date | 01 March 1959 |
| Date | 01 March 1959 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002085235902500112 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
iv
mind.
Civil
servants
should
remember
that
communication
requires
a
spirit
of
co-opera-
tion.
This
is
promoted
or
sustained
by
the
in-
terest
of
the
communication
both
to
the
sender
and
the
receiver.
Gossip
is
often
found
to
be
one
of
the
by-
products
of
inadequate
communication
in
pub-
lic
services.
Information
on
forthcoming
pro-
motions,
transfers,
dismissals
may
often
circu-
late
in
advance
of
the
official
decisions.
This
disturbs
and
embitters
human
relations.
BARRIERS
TO
EFFICIENT
COMMUNICATION
.
’I’here
are
many
possible
barriers
to
efficient
. communication,
such
as :
-
faulty
organisation :
excessive
centralisa-
tion
or
decentralisation;
-
deficient
management :
lack
of
media
for
the
exchange
of
ideas,
e.g.
bulletins,
perio-
dicals,
meetings;
-
mental
barriers :
ill-will,
lack
of
discipline,
unfairness,
prejudice,
lack
of
co-operation;
-
language
barriers :
unfamiliarity
with
the
language
used,
inability
to
express
oneself
orally
or
in
writing,
or
to
understand
what
is
said
or
written;
-
lack
of
public
information;
-
physical
barriers :
distance,
faulty
lay-out
of
offices,
lack
of
communication
media
such
as
telephone
and
telegraph
connec-
tions.
Communications
may
be
improved
by
the
study
of
these
obstacles,
as
a
first
step
to
their
removal.
METHODS
OF
IMPROVING
COMMUNICATION
IN
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
The
methods
to
be
used
have
been
evolved
through
the
many
studies
of
organisation
and
management
undertaken
by
experts
and
spe-
cialists.
The
most
important
are :
-
to
set
up
a
better
structural
organisation,
in
which
internal
relations
are
as
simplified
as
possible;
-
to
promote
psychological
conditions
favour-
ing
communication
exchanges;
-
to
ensure
clarity
and
precision,
both
oral
and
written;
-
to
ensure
objective
and
fair
communica-
tion.
An
instance
of
communication
lack-
ing
in
objectivity
would
be
exaggerated
publicity
giving
rise
to
adverse
reactions
among
the
general
public.
CONCLUSION
Administrative
activity
requires
a
special
effort,
whatever
the
importance
attached
to
communication
in
public
administration.
How-
I
ever
much
its
importance
is
stressed,
the
eco-
;
logical
conditions
should
be
improved
in
order
’I’
to
obtain
the
best
possible
executive
action.
,
A
team
spirit
requires
vertical,
horizontal,
in-
!
ternal
and
external
communications.
I
..
il
The
need
for
adequate
communications
has
gained
increasing
recognition
in
public
admin-
istration
for
several
years.
Systematic
teach-
!
ing
of
communication
may
serve
to
alleviate
:
the
perils
of
over-specialisation,
and
of
exces-
I
sive
administrative
decentralisation.
Schools
I
of
Public
Administration
have
an
essential
role
I
to
fulfil
in
this
connection,
in
particular
in
publicising
and
applying
the
results
of
studies
undertaken
by
private
enterprise.
The
Legal
Status
of
the
International
and
Universal
Exhibition,
Brussels
1958
by
Edmond
JORION,
Administrative
Director
in
the
Ministry
of
Education
(Belgium),
Lecturer
in
the
University
of
Brussels.
I
For
six
months,
the
Brussels
Exhibition
of
i
1958
was
the
meeting
ground
of
some
fifty
na-
!
tions,
representative
of
practically
the
entire
j
population
of
the
earth.
Every
form
of
hu-
f
man
labour
and
ingenuity
found
expression
I
there.
One
of
its
aspects,
however,
escaped
I
general
notice
and
is
the
subject
of
this
study,
!
j
its
legal
status.
)
Few
visitors,
naturally
enough,
thought
of
i
the
ponderous
and
complicated
mass
of
sta-
!
tutes,
by-laws,
regulations,
conventions
and
I
other
instruments
governed
by
public
or
pri-
I
vate
law,
which
had
to
be
issued
and
applied
I
in
connection
with
the
Exhibition.
I
Legally,
as
will
be
shown,
the
Exhibition
was
really
a
conventional
public
service,
slightly
adapted
to
suit
its
specific
objectives.
I
The
preceding
Brussels
Exhibition
took
To continue reading
Request your trial