Theory and practice in public sector decision-making

¶ … tension between theory and practice. For example, books may explain how decisions should be made; however, reality and human nature dictates how they are made.

Just as no battle plan survives the first shot, scholarly resources such as books can provide practitioners with a wealth of knowledge about any area of interest, but no amount of "book learning" can replace the insights that are gained through empirical observations and personal experiences (Neuman, 2003). Moreover, valuable knowledge can be gained from a wide variety of sources besides books (Dulung & Pheng, 2005). Therefore, it is reasonable to suggest that there is dynamic tension between theory and practice because the latter continues to inform the former, particular in the public sector. Nevertheless, theory is generally based on the seminal work of others that typically includes findings from their own empirical observations and personal experiences, meaning that books do in fact provide a valuable foundation that can be used to recognize the decision-making processes that may otherwise appear irrational. Theoretical perspectives can help practitioners see "the big picture" and avoid being trapped and misguided by their own preconceptions and prejudices. More importantly, though, the exigencies of the human condition frequently demand on-the-spot decision making based on little more than intuition and knowledge rather than personal experience.