Rethinking Habermas, from the ideal to the individual: a practical application of critical management theory

Abstract

Abstract Contemporary public administration has much to do with routine. Daily circumstances afford us a perennial onslaught of quotidian tasks, which become routine or typical over time. The sedimentation of typical responses has provided a relatively stable and durable public sector, generally geared towards achieving larger public interests. However, buried within these sedimented practices are communication structures, often obscuring the relationship between action and consequence. This obfuscation impedes our ability to comprehend the situational and transformational aspects of public administration. Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action (ToCA) recognized these obfuscations as impediments to rational action, which worked toward the ends of enlightenment. However, Habermas’ ToCA has remained underutilized. Therefore, we present a theoretically practical interpretation of the ToCA as a remedy, putting forth the argument that it can be included in a modified framework to add utility to discussions of administrative praxis.