Administrative culture

Abstract

In a broad sense, administrative culture is the culture of the public sector, but more specifi cally, it can be defi ned as a set of values, beliefs, traditions, and practices that are widely shared among public employees (Sharma, 2002). Kluckhohn (1951, cited in Jamil et al., 2013, p. 900) stated that the essential core of culture consists of traditions (i.e., historically derived and selected), ideas, and especially their attached values. Based on a review of previous studies, Jamil et al. (2013, p. 900) further explained administrative culture as some values and basic assumptions [that] are fundamental and infl uence the way a group of people think, feel, and act, and distinguish them from other groups. To sum up these earlier discussions on administrative culture, Korean administrative culture can be defi ned as a set of the traditions, values, and beliefs held by Korean public employees. Korean administrative culture exists as a subculture of societal culture and is therefore mostly dependent upon the historical experiences, thought, traditions, and ideas of the society as a whole. This administrative culture has some characteristics that make it unique, as it is the product of both the historical evolution of the government system and the experiences of its members. Korean administrative culture represents the psychological and subjective aspects of public administration that have been generated and have accumulated during its long history. This includes a wide range of both the norms of public administration and the practices that have guided the actions of public employees and even ordinary citizens. Administrative culture is characterized by not being static but constantly changing over time, and this is dependent on changes in societal culture (Yun, 2006). © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Keun Namkoong, Kyung-ho Cho and Sangmook Kim; individual chapters, the contributors.