A Study On Public Organization Reform Of China Based On The Involution Theory

In China’s reform process, organization reform and innovation are importantaspects. For example, from the end of Qing dynasty and the beginning of the Republicof China, the involution phenomenon arose in the process of North China rural reform.This phenomenon didn’t disappear until the Chinese Communist Party took over themanagement of the rural area. Since the reform and opening up, China’simplementation of the "abolition of agricultural tax,""greater part system" and“provincial government directly governing county" and other measures can be wellexplained using the involution theory. Therefore, based on the involution theory, thestudy of the relationship between structure and efficiency in Chinese contemporarypublic organization reforms has its theoretical and practical significance.Historically, western scholars used the involution theory to explain some socialproblems arising during the National Agrarian Reform in the Philippines and NorthChina rural reform in the late Qing dynasty. They believe the involution issue led toserious social problems and delayed the social process. Therefore, the involutionphenomenon must be avoided in the process of public organization reform in China,which is the basic principle that must be adhered to and organizational innovationshould be considered from the perspective of avoiding the involution phenomenon.Structural adjustment should be consistent with efficiency.Secondly, this paper mainly sort and analyze Chinese reform experience usingthe involution theory, induction method, and analysis and synthesis method.Combined with Chinese public organization and management practice, the papersystematically analyzes the factors which influence public organization innovation.And the basic conditions, operation mechanism, organizational design principles, therelationship between structure and efficiency as well as specific organizational designare discussed to establish high-efficiency organizations. The paper through systematicanalysis believes the key guiding principle of public organizations is to avoid theinvolution phenomenon. That is, in the process of organization reform, organizationalstructure design may not necessarily lead to the improvement of efficiency andeffectiveness. On the contrary, the structure complexity must be consistent with itsfunction. Therefore, the paper deems that truly effective public organizations should be simplified, rational, scientific and efficient. And the involution phenomenon shouldbe avoided.Finally, the paper takes Binhai New Area as an example, systematically analyzesthe development orientation and ways of public organization innovation, including theorientation, trend, guiding ideology, the relationship between structure and efficiency,structural design methods, and specific innovative approaches. A public organizationprocess is designed to explore some basic principles and methods that can be referredto and the paper also offers its effective ways to design rational organization structure.