career development in the bureaucracy of jordan by mahmoud salman al-faleh a thesis submitted

374 Pages·2008·18.31 MB·English

CAREER DEVELOPMENT
IN THE
BUREAUCRACY OF JORDAN
BY
MAHMOUD SALMAN AL-FALEH
A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW
September, 1983
11
DEDICATED
TO
MY FATHER AND MOTHER
iii
DECLARATION
THIS THESIS HAS BEEN COMPOSED ENTIRELY BY MYSELF
MAHMOUD SALMAN AL-FALEH
SEPTEMBER, 1983
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
"And certainly there were many others
-From whom I had assimilated a word, a
glance, but of whom as individual beings
I remember nothing".
Marcel Proust, 'Time Regained'.
I must thank Professor David Weir and Mr. Robert Mair,
both of whom were my supervisors. I am indebted to them -For
their unfailing assistance, advice and encouragement, without
which it would have been impossible to undertake this thesis
successfully.
I wish to thank Mrs. Mary Latham for her help with the
design of the questionnaire and the computer analysis of the
responses. I am also grateful to interviewees and to the
respondents who completed the questionnaire during the field
work survey. My thanks also go to Mrs. Pauline Donnelly for
her diligent typing.
V
CONTENTS
Page

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Nature of the Study I

1.2 Scope and Method of the Study 8
CHAPTER II: ENVIRONMENT 14
2.1 Geographical - Historical Features 14
2.2 Demographic Characteristics 17
2.3 Economic Context 23
2,4 Social Structure 26
2.5 Political System 29
2.6 Impact of Cultural Factors 34

CHAPTER III: ORGANISATION AND DEVELOPMENT 50

3.1 Development of the Civil Service Structure 51

3.2 Growth, Size and Distribution 55

3.3 Position Classification 63

CHAPTER IV: CHARACTERISTICS OF MANPOWER 83

4.1 Career Patterns 83

4.2 Work Patterns 99

CHAPTER V: RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION 113

5.1 Recruitment Policy 114

5.2 Principles of Recruitment 118

5.3 Selection Methods 122

5.4 Size of Recruitment 128

5.5 Size of Wastage 135

5.6 Attitudes to Attraction and Turnover 141

CHAPTER VI: FINANCIAL REWARD SYSTEM 1 59

6.1 Salary Structure 159

6.2 Principles of Pay 169

6.3 Features of Pay Structure 185

6.4 Allowances 186

6.5 Retirement Benefits 1 94

6.6 Features of Retirement Benefits 196

CHAPTER VII: PROMOTION AND ADVANCEMENT 207

7.1 Promotion Policy 208

7.2 Principles of Promotion 213

7.3 Images of Promotional Principles Among Respondents 217
7.4 How to Advance in the Bureaucracy: Views of

Respondents 224

7.5 Promotion Opportunities 228

7.6 Reporting System 234

CHAPTER VIII: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 248

8.1 Need for Training 248

8.2 Objectives of Training 251

8.3 Training Policy 255

8.4 Attitudes Towards Training 288

CHAPTER IX: CONCLUSION 301

APPENDICES: 319

BIBLIOGRAPHY: 336
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LIST OF TABLES, CHARTS, GRAPHS AND APPENDICES
PagB
Table 2.1 Population of Jordan 18
Table 2.2 Population Growth Rate of Geographical Area 18
Table 2.3 Age Distribution of Jordanians (East Bank), 1961. 20
Table 2.4 Population and Labour Force of Jordan, 1975. 21
Table 2.5 Population by Gbvernorate and Urban/Rural Area,1979. 22
Table 2.6 Estimated Budgetary Expenditure , 1982. 25
Table 2.7 School Enrolment by Sex and Level of Education,1976. 35
Table 2.8 Comparative Statistics of Population, Students.
Teachers and Schools. 37
Table 2.9 Comparative Statistics of Students, Teachers, and
Schools by Level of Education. 38
Table 2.10 Students Population by Level of Education, 1980/81. 39
Table 2.11 Illiteracy Ratios Among Population by Sex, 1979
and 1981. 39
Table 2.12 Graduates by Academic qualification and Sex, 1980/81 39
Table 3.1 Labour Force and Employment by Economic Sector on
the East Bank, 1982. 56
Table 3.2 Growth of the Civil Service on the East Bank. 56
Table 3.3 Growth of the Civil Service by Categories of
Employees, 1970-1982. 58
Table 3.4 Size of Government Departments, 1982. 59
Table 3.5 Distribution o-F Employees by Function, 1932. SI
Table 3.6 Distribution of Employees by Categories, 1982. 67
Table 3.7 Distribution of Classified Officials by Grade,1982. 68
Table 3.8 Distribution a-F Unclassified Officials by Salary,
1982. 69
Table 3.9 Distribution o-F Contractual Officials by Salary,
1 982. 70
Table 3.10 Comparative Payment of Classes and Grades, 1982. 73
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Page
Table 4.1 Age of the Respondents. 84
Table 4.2 Level of Education of the Officials. 86
Table 4.3 Field of Study of the Officials. 88
Table 4.4 Distribution of Ages at Service Entrance. 89
Table 4.5 Distribution of Number of Years' Seniority of
the Officials. 91
Table 4.6 Seniority elated to Levels of Management in
Selected Departments. 91
Table 4.7 Number o-F Years of Non-Government Experience. 93
Table 4.8 The Longest Non-Government Employment. 94
Table 4.9 Relationship Between Experience Outside and
Inside the Service. 95
Table 4.10 Number of Government Departments in which Officials
had Worked during their Career Service. 96
Table 4.11 Years Worked in the Current Department. 98
Table 4.12 Duties of the Respondents' Jobs. 100
Table 4.13 Generalists and Specialists in the Hierarchy. 101
Table 4.14 Frequency c-F Contact with other Government
Departments. 103
Table 4.15 Frequency of Managerial Inter-Departmental contact. 103
Table 4.16 Number o-F Government Departments with which Officials
Deal. 104
Table 4.17 Amount of Time the Respondents Spend Dealing with
the Public. '105
Table 4.18 Frequency of the Respondents' Contact with Ministers. 107
Table 4.19 Policy Role of Public Servants. 109

Chart 5.1 Entry by Level of 1Jualification 115
Chart 5.2 Number of Applicants and Appointments for Classified
Posts, and Appointments for Departmental Posts over

Time, 1978-1981. 129
Chart 5.3 Newly Appointed Classified and Unclassified

Personnel by Level of Education, 1981. 131
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Page
Graph 5.4 Newly Appointed Classified Personnel by Grade
and Time, 1979-1981. 132
Chart 5.5 Proportion of Applicants from Different Educational
Levels for Classified Posts, 1978-1981. 133
Graph 5.5 Wastage of Personnel over Time, 1970-1981. 137
Chart 5.7 Recruitment and Wastage Over Time. 1979-1981. 138
Table 5.8 Reasons for Joining Government Service. 142
Table 5.9 Wisdom of Entry Decision of the Respondents. 144
Table 5.10 Preference Among Alternative Occupations. 146
Table 5.11 Reasons for Leaving Government Service. 152
Table 5.1 Schedule of Categories, Grades and Basic Monthly
Salaries (3.0.), 1982. 161
Table 5.2 Cost of Living Index for 1975-1980. 173
Chart 5.3 Organisational Structure of the Treasury. 177
Table 6.4 Average monthly salaries (3.0.) in the Public Sector
and Comparable Occupation in the Private Sector,1950. ISO
Table 5.5 Number of Persons Economically Dependent upon the
Respondents. 191
Chart 6.5 Government Expenditure (million J.D.) on Employees'
Salaries, Allowances and Retirement Benefits, 19751981. 201
Table 7.1 Ranking of Perceived and Preferred Promotional Criteria. 218
Table 7.2 How to Advance and Succeed in the Bureaucracy. 225
Graph 7.3 Total Promotion of Classified Officials Over Time,
1970-1981. 230
Graph 7.4 Promotions of Classified Officials by Grade, 1979-
1981. 232
Table 7.5 Assessment Rates for Employees from Ten Departments. 235
Table 7.6 Respondents Views on Showing the Assessment Report. 236
Table 7.7 The Value of the Reporting System: Respondents
Attitudes. 238
Table 7.8 Does the Reporting System Indicate Competence,
Training Needs and Suitability for Promotion. 239
Table 7.9 Does the Reporting System Create Motivation in the
Service? 240
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Page
Chart 8.1 Purpose of Undertaking Training at Individual
Level. 252
Table 8.2 Example of Training Through Departmental Institutes. 262
Table 8.3 Respondents Evaluation of Departmental Training
Courses. 263
Table 8.4 Example of Central Training. 268
Table 8.5 Training Programmes of the Institute of Public
Administration by Number of Participants and Level
of Management, 1971-1980. 279
Table 8.8 Example of Vocational Training Abroad. 286
Chart 8.7 Number of Participants in Vocational Training Abroad. 287
Appendix I Assessment Report Form for Classified Grades Used
by the Government Service of Jordan. 320
Appendix 2 uestionnaire. 323
x
SUMMARY
The purpose of this thesis was to examine the existing theories
and practices of career development in Middle Eastern bureaucracies,
with special reference to Jordan. No comprehensive study exists
against which to measure the progress that has been made in this
respect and there are no 'norms' existing in Jordan with regard to
organisational behaviour in the government service. Therefore, the
survey has been concerned with description and analysis of what
exists at present.
The administrative system has been analysed by management level,
type of personnel, function of government and by types of organisational
activity. Research findings were based primarily upon a questionnaire
and supported by interviews and documentation. The results of the
analysis are presented in chapters which reflect understood and accepted
categories of organisational analysis. These include recruitment;
-Financial rewards; promotion and advancement; training and development.
They also include organisation and development of the Service; character-
istics of manpower within the Service; and 'environmental' factors
(geographical, historical, political, social, economic, demographic and
educational influences) within which the system operates.
From the findings it has been possible to draw conclusions about the
main features of the administrative structure o-F the Service in Jordan. The
outcome of the survey gives a comprehensive picture which demonstrates
the strengths and weaknesses of existing arrangements and how they
compare with the government services o-F other states. Suggestions are
made for ways of improving career development in the bureaucracy of
Jordan to take account of changing needs and circumstances.