The primary organisations of the Soviet Communist Party in non-production institutions

Abstract

The thesis examines the powers and tasks of primary party organisations (PPO's) in non-production institutions in terms of a concept I have called "staff generalism". Based on a number of Western line-staff models the concept proposes that a PPO's principal task is to monitor and work for long-term improvement in the performance of its "host" organisation. The closely integrated nature of the PPO's relationship with the "host" organisation provides the setting for the performance of this task, while a limited number of powers, formally summed up in the "right of control" but greatly variable in practice, provide the means. The empirical evidence presented in the thesis indicates that while "staff generalism" provides a good basic understanding of the intended and actual activities of PPO's, a number of other factors must be considered. They also have extensive and important ideological tasks not fully explained by "staff generalism"; the Soviet authorities appear to expect, and gain, a greater degree of involvement in short-term operations than is allowed for by "staff generalist" principles; and a large amount of illegal and semi-legal PPO-"host" organisation collusion prevents a proper "staff generalist" performance. These findings are derived from a considerable amount of empirical analysis of PPO ideological and operational activities. (Chapter One examines ideological activities; Chapter Two, PPO powers; and Chapter Three their operational activities.) Other chapters devote specific attention to case studies of PPO behaviour. (Chapter Four describes the activities of ministerial PPO's since 1965 and Appendix B the role of the PPO of the Moscow Union of Writers in the 1962 to 1964 literary debate.) Chapter Six summarises the effectiveness of PPO's. The thesis presents and analyses a considerable amount of previously unused information on the work of non-production PPO's. In doing so it has developed, applied and attempted to evaluate a concept previously little known to political scientists. It reaches the conclusion that the concept contributes to an understanding of the Soviet system. It also concludes that the leaders of large-scale Western organisations, with the benefit of Soviet experiences, might use the concept as the basis of a new approach to the functioning of staff agencies in their organisations.