Eco-government: a new approach to bureaucracy pathology challenges

Abstract

Persistent bureaucratic pathologies—such as corruption, inefficiency, nepotism, and resistance to change—continue to undermine public sector performance in many countries. Conventional bureaucratic reform approaches, which often emphasize structural adjustments and procedural compliance, have shown limited effectiveness in addressing these deeply rooted dysfunctions. This article introduces Eco-Government as a novel conceptual framework for understanding and responding to bureaucratic pathology by viewing bureaucracy as part of a dynamic governance ecosystem. Drawing on insights from organizational ecology and public administration theory, the study conceptualizes bureaucracies as adaptive systems shaped by continuous interactions between internal organizational factors and external political, socio-cultural, legal, and technological environments. Through a comprehensive review of the literature and illustrative empirical cases, the article demonstrates how ecological conditions can either reinforce or mitigate bureaucratic dysfunction. The analysis highlights key mechanisms—adaptation, innovation, resistance, connectivity, and feedback loops—that influence bureaucratic behavior within governance ecosystems. The study contributes theoretically by reframing bureaucracy as a living system rather than a static administrative apparatus, and practically by offering ecologically informed policy recommendations that move beyond mechanistic reform strategies. By emphasizing environmental alignment, systemic interdependence, and institutional learning, the Eco-Government framework provides a holistic and context-sensitive approach to fostering sustainable bureaucratic reform and resilient governance.

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