AS Jamaica approaches its next general election, noted academic Professor Edwin Jones will this Thursday launch his new sociohistorical book exploring significant aspects of the country’s more than five decades of national development.

The book, titled Contending with Administrivia…Competition for Space, Benefits and Power, is being launched at the Undercroft at University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus in Kingston.

Former Prime Minister PJ Patterson will give the main address at the launch, which is being held under the auspices of the Mona School of Business & Management, where Jones is a professor emeritus and an associate teaching fellow.

Published locally by Arawak Publications, Contending with Administrivia… is an assessment of factors influencing institution building and socio-political adjustment to internal pressures and external policy demands in Jamaica, especially in the country’s post-colonial phase.

It explores the problem of State weakness and is policy-centred. Professor Jones maintains that the central argument of the book is that, “there is need for a new quality of leadership across the public and private domains”.

The book, he says, views “the ongoing competition for space, benefits and power between organised private interests and centres of public power as a potent source of crisis and an obstacle to effective public management”. Another argument, he posits is that “different organisational forms matter and affect the way domestic public administration is conducted”.

Professor Jones is known for his definitive works in public management and development. This new publication emerged from a series of lectures delivered to students in the Department of Government at UWI.

“Many of the ideas in Contending with Administrivia… came from my students. I am in their debt,” Professor Jones says. Following the launch, the book will be available at all local books stores and online at amazon.com.