This is a critical analysis of Korean public administration, where ego-centric governance is emphasized in both practice and theory. Archetypical ideas of modern ego-centric governance are drawn from Niccolo Machiavelli`s Prince. The psychoanalytic th...
This is a critical analysis of Korean public administration, where ego-centric governance is emphasized in both practice and theory. Archetypical ideas of modern ego-centric governance are drawn from Niccolo Machiavelli`s Prince. The psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud, Carl G. Jung, and Jacques Lacan are used for concepts and functions of ego. Against the strong ego emphasis in public administration, the paper argues for endeavors to prevent public administration from being too ego-centric by abolishing hierarchy and its control devices in government. It also suggests that the ideas of process and collaboration ought to be substituted for those of results and competition.