Wen Bo, associate professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macau (UM), has been awarded the William E. Mosher and Frederick C. Mosher Award for the article ‘Advancing the Frontiers of Genomic Public Administration: From Genetics to Administrative Attitudes, Behaviors, and Practices’ he co-authored. The article was also selected as the best article of 2023 by experts in the field of public administration.

The award-winning article was published in Public Administration Review (PAR). PAR, published by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), is a flagship journal public administration research, theory, and practice with a 75-year history. Publishing his research article in this leading journal and being the first Asian (Chinese) scholar to receive the William E. Mosher and Frederick C. Mosher Award underscores the recognition Wen has received from the international public administration community. Jos Raadschelders, fellow of the US National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and co-editor-in-chief of PAR, commented that Wen’s article presents compelling arguments and serves as an excellent example of interdisciplinary research in the field of public administration.

The award-winning article was co-authored by Wen Bo, Tang Shui-Yan, professor at the University of Southern California (USC), and Tao Lei, research assistant professor at the Education University of Hong Kong. Tang was Wen’s advisor during his PhD studies at USC, and Tao was Wen’s first doctoral graduate.

The article proposes an integrated research framework linking genetics, psychology, and public administration, with a focus on introducing perspectives and methodologies of behavioural genetics into research on public administration. It facilitates and enriches the study of the underlying micro-mechanisms of public administration behaviours, and also further promotes the integration and diversified development of public administration and other disciplines. In addition, the main argument of the article provides thought-provoking and practical insights, which will help government departments make informed decisions on prioritising the investment of limited public resources in improving individual behaviours and organisational processes that are more socially malleable. The article also outlines potential and systematic research agendas for researchers with common research interests, encouraging them to examine the genetic roots of administrative behaviours and practices and push the conventional boundaries of public administration, thereby improving the compatibility and prospects of the discipline.

As an outstanding young scholar in the field of public administration, Wen has published dozens of papers in internationally renowned journals in recent years, including The American Review of Public Administration, The China Quarterly, and Journal of Contemporary China. He has also received many honours and awards, including a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and the 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award from the internationally renowned journal Public Administration.

Source: Faculty of Social Sciences
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