As its title implies, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: AN ACTION ORIENTATION, 6e International Edition, encourages students to become active participants in public administration. Robert B. Denhardt and Janet V. Denhardt instruct readers on how to influence the operations of public agencies--helping them learn to get involved and effect positive changes, regardless of whether they are working outside the agency as citizens or within the agency as managers. With a strong emphasis on ethics, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: AN ACTION ORIENTATION, 6e International Edition, introduces the theories and scholarly literature of the field. In addition, it increases students? chances of being effective by developing practical skills such as personal management, communication, delegation, motivation, and decision making. Important topics such as nonprofit management, the global dimensions of public administration, and organizational theory are covered thoroughly in this book. Key Feature The text provides a thorough overview of the field of public administration in a very readable and engaging way, covering essential theory and history effectively while maintaining a consistent emphasis on practical applications and skills students can use in their own lives. Abundant study questions, case studies, exercises, activities, and other special features and learning tools, integrated throughout the text, provide strong support to help students master and apply the course material. The text features substantial coverage of ethics and conflicting values, agencies and nonprofits, the interorganizational context of public administration, the role and impact of technology, and other current topics of interest or importance in this dynamic field. The authors explore the daily activities and practical realities of public administration, providing students with a detailed understanding of how agencies, nonprofits, and other organizations function in the real world--and offering insights into how to influence their decisions and impact. New to this Edition The new edition remains comprehensive and detailed but features streamlined and reorganized material throughout, allowing for the addition of new cases and examples, as well as updated information in nearly every chapter, while keeping the text manageable, affordable, and very reader friendly. Numerous new cases offer longer and more complex examinations of realistic scenarios to help bring the material in each chapter to life for students. It has also been modified to reflect changes such as developments in e-government, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and the intergovernmental and fiscal challenges of coping with the threat of terrorism. The authors have thoroughly revised and updated the text to reflect the latest research, current trends and issues of importance in the field, and contemporary case studies that illuminate key aspects of social problems in a way that is relevant to today?s students. A new Student Companion Website offers tutorial quizzes for each individual chapte Table of Contents Preface. 1. Personal Action in Public Organizations. 2. The Political Context of Public Administration. 3. The Interorganizational Context of Public Administration. 4. The Ethics of Public Service. 5. Designing and Managing Organizations. 6. Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. 7. Budgeting and Financial Management. 8. The Management of Human Resources. 9. Leadership and Management Skills in Public Organizations. 10. Administration Reform and Technology. 11. The Future of the Public Service. References. Glossary. Index.