Recommendations for a Sustainable Public Administration

Abstract

Social, political and economic crises are caused by a complex system of underlying factors. Among those, in many cases two problematic factors play a fatal role in damaging the sustainable outcome of work-processes and on the long run in even causing catastrophic events like the COVID-19 crisis: the lack of the ability to cooperate and egoistic thinking. As an important institutional actor, public administration is deeply involved in those interdependencies. The following article firstly focuses on the general conditions for cooperation among individuals and organizational sustainability. From an interdisciplinary point of view, it describes research approaches of psychology, economics and ethical leadership. And secondly it deals with the question what kind of options exist, to maintain and support intra-organizational and customer-oriented empathy and procedural fairness as cooperation’s inevitable bases during this global crisis in which most interactions and administrative processes are limited to digitalized communication and meetings. The article combines the findings from the first part with new approaches from administrative practice, e-government and public administration theory. It tries to outline basic ideas to maintain a fair working culture and a professional service for citizens and to react to the risks of accelerated digitization.