Public Administration Theory

Staci M. Zavattaro is Professor of Public Administration at the University of Central Florida, Florida, USA. She served as editor-in-chief of Administrative Theory & Praxis from 2018 to 2023. Her books include Cities for Sale, Place Branding Through Phases of the Image, and Social Media to Government: Theory and Practice (edited with Dr. Thomas Bryer).

• Introduction 1. Reckoning with Theoretical Research: A Heuristic for Gauging and Writing Public Administration Theory 2. Pariahs No More? On the Status of Theory and Theorists in Contemporary Public Administration 3. The University in the Knowledge Economy: Academic Capitalism and Its Implications for Doctoral Students in Public Administration 4. Advice to a Young Person Concerning Theory 5. Public Administration Theory as a Discourse 6. Back to the Future: Theorists as Facilitators of Voice, Yesterday and Today 7. Tools and Toys: Theory as Practical Play 8. Intersubjective Voices: The Role of the “Theorist” 9. What's the Use in Being Practical? Conclusion