How to Taking Advice Readily: A Study of Advice Taking in Public Sectors

In the context of deepening reform comprehensively, public management has become increasingly complex. The governing ability of civil servants needs to be constantly improved to ensure making scientific decision. Whether civil servants can take advice readily and listen to others' suggestions actively are the key to improve the administrative level of the government. The current research on voice and advice mostly focus on private sector, and rarely on the perspective of advice taking, especially in the public sector. After review of advice-taking literature, we find that decision-maker's advice taking is mainly influenced by three factors: the professional level of advisor; the types and timing of advice; the self-efficacy, emotional state and power of the decision-makers. Combining with the management characteristics of public sector, this paper applies the existing research conclusions to the advice-giving and advice-taking of civil servants, and expounds the public sector advisors how to make better suggestions in the organization, and improve the acceptance of advice; decision-makers how to seek advice actively and improve the quality of decision-making.