Luther Gulick

Gulick sought to differentiate public administration from the then-dominant "scientific management" theories of Frederick Taylor, which had provided the basis for the assembly-line modernization of industry. Where public sector scientific management saw political elements as problems to be minimized, if not eliminated, Gulick emphasized the inevitable and desirable integration of the politics and administration. Gulick was a strong influence on the later thought of Herbert Simon, discussed below. He also figured in the founding of the Brookings Institution, the International Management Association, the American Society for Public Administration, the National Academy of Public Administration, and the National Planning Association.

POSDCORB. Gulick's theory of administration was a variant of structural-functionalism, analyzing organizations in terms of seven essential functions (forming the acronym PODSCORB):

planning,

organizing,

staffing,

directing,

coordinating,

reporting, and

budgeting.

The best organizational structure followed function, hence organizations should have functional divisions around these seven functions (though not necessarily seven divisions as some might be combined structurally; however these seven functions describe the executive role worldwide).

Span of control. An executive's span of control rested on diversity, stability, and space. The more diverse the functions being supervised, the more unstable the staffing, and the less the face-to-face contact, the fewer subordinates the executive could control effectively.