Restructuring the Public Service—The Integration of Data Entry and Clerical Areas

1992 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Whyte

The 1987 second-tier wage agreement between the federal public service and the government provided for the restructuring of employment in the public service, including the integration of job classifications and extensive job redesign. This paper is based on research, conducted within a department of the federal public service, into the process of integrating data entry processors and their functions into the mainstream clerical work area. It also examines the wider process of participative work design, in particular its ability to provide a mechanism for worker participation and to improve the workers' quality of work life. In terms of the integration of data entry and clerical streams the process has been very successful. There is some dissatisfaction and disenchantment on the part of some clerks, but for most workers it has provided positive and worthwhile improvements in job satisfaction. In terms of the participative work design, the process has been less successful, although it seems to have contributed to a shift in organizational culture toward increased participation and consultation with workers.

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 770-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunkui Zhu ◽  
Chen Wu

Purpose This paper aims to examine different hypotheses concerning the effects of public service motivation (PSM) and other attitudinal or institutional dimensions on organizational performance (OP). Specifically, based on the experience of Chinese provincial governments, this study provides new evidence about how PSM may affect OP. Design/methodology/approach This study collected data from a survey of different provincial government departments in Sichuan Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province and Chongqing Municipality in 2011. Using data from 761 respondents, Pearson correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to explore the relationships between related factors. Findings PSM, job satisfaction, affective commitment and job involvement have statistically significant effects on OP, and these results are consistent with the findings of previous researches that PSM positively affected OP at a significant level. The results suggest that, if civil servants have a strong PSM, the performance of their organizations will be high. Research limitations/implications Future research should look for additional factors that affect OP, comparing employees’ perceptions of an organization’s performance with objective data to determine whether, and to what degree, subjective measures of performance are valid measures of OP in the public sector. Practical implications In the process of improving government performance, it is significant to give attention to the government employees’ mentality. The government training and promotion system should encourage civil servants to care about the public interest. A more flattened organization should be considered as part of the next steps in government reform, and more opportunities should be provided to involve more government employees in policy making. Originality/value This study helps to clarify the effects of individual factors of PSM on OP in China in a tightly controlled bureaucratic environment, where related data are hardly accessible.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Tawanda Zinyama ◽  
Joseph Tinarwo

Public administration is carried out through the public service. Public administration is an instrument of the State which is expected to implement the policy decisions made from the political and legislative processes. The rationale of this article is to assess the working relationships between ministers and permanent secretaries in the Government of National Unity in Zimbabwe. The success of the Minister depends to a large degree on the ability and goodwill of a permanent secretary who often has a very different personal or professional background and whom the minster did not appoint. Here lies the vitality of the permanent secretary institution. If a Minister decides to ignore the advice of the permanent secretary, he/she may risk of making serious errors. The permanent secretary is the key link between the democratic process and the public service. This article observed that the mere fact that the permanent secretary carries out the political, economic and social interests and functions of the state from which he/she derives his/her authority and power; and to which he/she is accountable,  no permanent secretary is apolitical and neutral to the ideological predisposition of the elected Ministers. The interaction between the two is a political process. Contemporary administrator requires complex team-work and the synthesis of diverse contributions and view-points.


2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 157
Author(s):  
Bernard Oladosu Omisore ◽  
Oyende Adeleke A.

Performance of the Nigerian public service has been a major concern to policy makers and researchers alike. This is because despite all measures put in place to arrest the ugly trend, it seems, it has defied all approaches towards tackling the problem of inefficiency and capacity collapse. Work ethics, attitudes and values can be influenced by the organization, through interventions like training, motivation and coaching, etc. However, they cannot be changed forcibly because they are intrinsic. It is, therefore, of fundamental importance that public functionaries act justly and fairly to all, not only paying lip service to ethical conduct but also ensuring that these are manifestly and undoubtedly seen to be done. This paper discusses the challenges of work ethics, values, attitudes and performance in the Nigerian public service. The major causes of unethical conduct in the public service were identified and the institutional mechanisms established by the government to curb these unethical behaviours were examined. This paper adopted content analysis as a method of data gathering and analysis. It suggested viable options for effective and efficient service-oriented public service. 


Author(s):  
Pandelani H. Munzhedzi

Accountability and oversight are constitutional requirements in all the spheres of government in the Republic of South Africa and their foundation is in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996. All spheres of government are charged with the constitutional mandate of providing public services. The level of responsibility and public services provision also goes with the level of capacity of a particular sphere. However, most of the direct and visible services that the public receives are at the local sphere of government. As such, enormous resources are channelled towards this sphere of government so that the said public services could be provided. It is imperative that the three spheres of government account for the huge expenditures during the public service provision processes. The parliaments of national and provincial governments exercise oversight and accountability over their executives and administrations through the Public Accounts Committees, while the local sphere of government relies on the Municipal Public Accounts Committees. This article is theoretical in nature, and it seeks to explore the current state of public accountability in South Africa and to evaluate possible measures so as to enhance public accountability. The article argues that the current public accountability mechanisms are not efficient and effective. It is recommended that these mechanisms ought to be enhanced by inter alia capacitating the legislative bodies at national, provincial and local spheres of the government.


Author(s):  
Agus Mulyawan ◽  
Rita Sekarsari ◽  
Nuraini Nuraini ◽  
Eriyono Budi

ABSTRACT Covid-19 is still a serious world problem with the number of cases still rising and falling every day. In response to this, the government is currently aggressively humiliating the Covid-19 Vaccination program and at the same time encouraging the public to continue to carry out health protocols such as wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining distance. This study aims to describe the level of community compliance in the application of post-Covid-19 vaccination health protocols in the Pakuhaji Health Center Work Area. The design in this study was cross sectional. Data collection using online and manual questionnaires. The sample is 85 respondents who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 to 1 or 2, respondents were taken by purposive sampling technique. The results obtained as many as 17 respondents (20%) in the non-compliant category and 68 respondents (80%) in the obedient category. And based on the characteristics of the respondents age, gender, and education. Based on this study, it was found that respondents with early adulthood (18-40 years) were more obedient to the implementation of health protocols. based on gender, female respondents were much more obedient in implementing health protocols and furthermore based on education level, respondents with middle to high education levels were much more obedient in implementing health protocols. ABSTRAK Covid-19 hingga saat ini masih menjadi permasalahan dunia yang serius dengan jumlah kasus yang masih naik turun setiap harinya. Dalam menanggapi hal tersebut pemerintah saat ini sedang gencar malukan program Vaksinasi Covid-19 dan sekaligus menganjurkan masyarakat untuk tetap melakukan protokol kesehatan seperti memakai masker, mencuci tangan dan manjaga jarak. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui gambaran tingkat kepatuhan masyarakat dalam penerapan protokol kesehatan post Vaksinasi Covid-19 di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Pakuhaji. Desain pada penelitian ini adalah cross sectional. Pengumpulan data menggunakan kuesioner secara online dan manual. Sample berjumlah 85 responden yang sudah vaksinasi Covid-19 ke 1 atau 2, responden diambil dengan teknik purposive sampling. Hasil penelitian didapatkan sebanyak 17 responden (20%) dengan kategori tidak patuh dan 68 responden (80%) dengan kategori patuh. Dan berdasarkan karakteristik responden usia, jenis kelamin, serta pendidikan. Berdasarkan penelitian ini, ditemukan responden dengan usia dewasa awal (18-40 tahun) lebih patuh terhadap penerapan protokol kesehatan. Selain itu berdasarkan jenis kelamin, responden perempuan jauh lebih patuh dalam penerapan protokol kesehatan dan selanjutnya berdasarkan tingkat pendidikan, responden dengan tingkat pendidikan menenga hingga tinggi jauh lebih patuh dalam penerapan protokol kesehatan.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
Ivandi Setiawan ◽  
Rasji .

PPAT is a public official authorized to make authentic deeds concerning certain legal acts concerning the right to land or the Property Right of the Flats Unit. Government Regulation No. 24 of 2016 is the latest regulation made by the government to regulate provisions on PPAT. in Government Regulation No. 24 of 2016 in Article 12 paragraph one explained that the scope of work area of PPAT is expanded into one province where in the previous regulation that is government regulation number 37 year 1998 explained that the scope of work of PPAT is only limited to district only. but the fact is now the government regulation number 24 of 2016 has not been applied efficiently, especially in terms of the scope of work of PPAT, it happens because of several factors that hamper causing the loss of effectiveness in Article 12 Paragraph one of Government Regulation No. 24 of 2016 . it is of course also contrary to the legal certainty that the public should have legal certainty with the enactment of the government regulation number 24 of 2016 by the government then the regulation should be applicable in the scope of the working area of PPAT should be applicable in practice in the community. contrary to lex posterior derogate legi priori principle which explains that in the same rules the new rules can replace the old rules. the approach used in this study using the approach of law.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Kübler ◽  
Émilienne Kobelt ◽  
Stephanie Andrey

AbstractDrawing on the concept of representative bureaucracy, this article examines how two multilingual states – Canada and Switzerland – deal with issues related to the participation of different linguistic communities in the federal public service. Following a political mobilization of the linguistic cleavage, strategies to promote multilingualism in the public service have been adopted in both countries. The Canadian strategy focuses on equal treatment of Anglophones and Francophones in the public service. In Switzerland, adequate representation of the linguistic communities is the primary goal. These differences are explained by the characteristics of the linguistic regimes in each of the two countries as well as by the peculiarities of consociational democracy in Switzerland. In both countries, the linguistic origins of public administration staff, overall, mirrors the proportions of the linguistic communities in the wider society. Within administrative units, however, linguistic diversity is hampered by the logics of language rationalization, where minorities are under pressure to communicate in the language of the majority.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-410
Author(s):  
Tim A. Mau

PurposeThe public administration literature on representative bureaucracy identifies several advantages from having a diverse public service workforce, but it has not explicitly focused on leadership. For its part, the public sector leadership literature has largely ignored the issue of gender. The purpose of this paper is to rectify these limitations by advancing the argument that having a representative bureaucracy is fundamentally a leadership issue. Moreover, it assesses the extent to which representativeness has been achieved in the Canadian federal public service.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins with a discussion of the importance of a representative bureaucracy for democratic governance. In the next section, the case is made that representativeness is fundamentally intertwined with the concept of administrative leadership. Then, the article provides an interpretive case study analysis of the federal public service in Canada, which is the global leader in terms of women's representation in public service leadership positions.FindingsThe initial breakthrough for gender representation in the Canadian federal public service was 1995. From that point onward, the proportion of women in the core public administration exceeded workforce availability. However, women continued to be modestly under-represented among the senior leadership cadre throughout the early 2000s. The watershed moment for gender representation in the federal public service was 2011 when the number of women in the executive group exceeded workforce availability for the first time. Significant progress toward greater representativeness in the other target groups has also been made but ongoing vigilance is required.Research limitations/implicationsThe study only determines the passive representation of women in the Public Service of Canada and is not able to comment on the extent to which women are substantively represented in federal policy outcomes.Originality/valueThe paper traces the Canadian federal government's progress toward achieving gender representation over time, while commenting on the extent to which the public service reflects broader diversity. In doing so, it explicitly links representation to leadership, which the existing literature fails to do, by arguing that effective administrative leadership is contingent upon having a diverse public service. Moreover, it highlights the importance of gender for public sector leadership, which hitherto has been neglected.


2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (575) ◽  
pp. 860-891
Author(s):  
Ian Cawood

Abstract While the problem of political corruption in mid-nineteenth century Britain has been much studied, the experience of corrupt behaviour in public bodies, both new and long established, is comparatively neglected. This article takes the example of one of the first inspectorates set up after the Great Reform Act, the Factory Office, to examine the extent of corrupt practices in the British civic state and the means whereby it was addressed. It examines the changing processes of appointment, discipline and promotion, the issues of remuneration and venality, and the relationships between inspectors, workers, factory owners, the government and the wider civil service, and the press and public opinion. The article argues that the changing attitudes of the inspectors, especially those of Leonard Horner, were indicative of a developing ‘public service ethos’ in both bureaucratic and cultural settings and that the work of such unsung administrators was one of the agencies through which corrupt behaviour in the civic structures of Victorian Britain was, with public support, challenged. The article concludes that the endogenous reform of bureaucratic practice achieved by the factory inspectorate may even be of equal significance as that which resulted from the celebrated Northcote–Trevelyan Report of 1854.


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