Mary Parker Follett
Mary Parker Follett was born in 1868. She is significant because she was one of the few female voices in public administration. At the time, bureaucracy, hierarchy, and process were the main characteristics of public administration. Follett knew that these elements were not as essential as the human resources within the public administration systems (Ohio University, 2020). Diversity is one of Mary’s main contributions to the sector. When hierarchical regulations ruled the day, Mary advocated for different thoughts within a group. The goal was to ensure that various ideas were considered and articulated, leading to the selection of the best decision (Malone, 2020).
Mary also strongly advocated for lifelong learning. She believed that education is important for constant advancement as well as improvement. Learning at the individual and organizational levels was portrayed as critical. Today, this belief is captured in adult learning. Mary Follett also advocated for engagement as a part of lifelong learning. Accordingly, this meant that the public administrators would be engaged, leading to improvement (Malone, 2020).
Moreover, Mary Follett understood that the human element is critical for every organization instead of other processes. Mary argued for positive organizational cultures and the need to place people first. Due to these aspects, Mary Follett is regarded as the “Mother of Modern Management” (Arthur, 2019).
References
Arthur, G. (2019). Mary Parker Follett: Philosophy of Administration and Organisation.
Malone, P. (2020). The Genius of Mary Parker Follett. PA Times. Retrieved from https://patimes.org/the-genius-of-mary-parker-follett/
Ohio University. (2020). Five Key Figures in the History of Public Administration.
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Question 
Mary Parker Follett
Choose a person you feel is the most significant to the history of public administration. Explain why this individual was so significant to the development of the field. How did he or she affect the evolution of the field?