Comparing and Contrasting Management in the Public and Private Sectors in Nigeria

Introduction

The term ‘management’ is very ambiguous; it is difficult to give a statement that describes the exact meaning of the word. The goal of this paper is to compare and contrast management in the public and private sectors in Nigeria. Instead of discussing only the differences between public and private organizations, this paper discusses the differences in managerial roles in both sectors. We begin by looking at some assorted opinions, after which we discuss the general description of the public and private sectors and the state of these sectors in Nigeria today. We will then discuss similarities between public and private management in Nigeria and three possible arguments that can be used to support the differences between public sector and private sector management. This paper explains the difference in the mangers’ job context; purposes and goals, accountability and autonomy. Finally, we will give a brief summary of the paper in the conclusion.

Some Opinions

Since the 1800’s, different scholars have given different interpretations of management from their points of view. Mary Parker Follett, an American social worker and management consultant gave a popular definition. She says, “management is the art of getting things done through people” (Tripathi, 2008). George R. Terry, the 16th President of the Academy of Management gave a somewhat more elaborate definition. He defined management as a process “consisting of planning, organising, actuating and controlling, performed to determine and accomplish the objectives by the use of people and resources” (Tripathi, 2008). His definition describes management as a process—a systematic way of doing things. Both definitions do not suggest that public sector management is any different from private sector management.