Developing Commitment Towards Change in Bureaucracies the Case
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University of Stirling Developing Commitment towards Change in Bureaucracies The Case Study of the Egyptian Civil Service Sector A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Stirling Management School Division of Management By Nada Ahmed Abdel-Basset October 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In order to make this thesis possible, there are a lot of people who helped me and have been always there for me that I hope I don’t forget anyone. The first person is my soulemate, bestfriend, and husband who has always been so supportive when I was still doing my Masters degree, and has been going on ever since to help me and empower me throughout my PhD. No matter how I write, words can still not describe how giving, understanding and kind my beloved husband has always been helping me during my times of desperation, and keeping me well during my hard months of pregnancy when I was actually in the final writing-up stage of my thesis. The fact of having such a pleasant and warm-hearted husband really had a miraculous effect on my progress. Finally, I would like to thank my first baby –whom I have not met yet- for bearing to be squeezed inside my tummy for 15 hours per day while I was sitting on my desk chair working and working, and for having exposed him (or her I don’t know yet) to the computer/laptop radiation during my nine months of pregnancy. ii ABSTRACT This thesis examines the management of change in bureaucracies, with a study focus on the Egyptian civil service sector. The main research aims are to identify what are the main problems of the Egyptian civil service sector, identify the main barriers against the current change programmes undertaken by the Government of Egypt (GOE) and suggest ways to develop civil servants’ commitment towards those changes. Interview data was triangulated with archival documents and non-participant observation and were drawn from a sample of 33 civil servants working in the Egyptian Ministry of State for Administrative Development (MSAD) which is the civil service entity acting as the change agent responsible for managing the government administrative reforms plan in the civil service sector. All study participants were actually working in one of the change projects/programmes and had a minimum of 12 months of service in the civil service. Interviews were digitally-recorded and transcribed in the form of MS-Word documents, and data transcripts were analysed manually using MS-Excel worksheets and main research themes were developed and statistics drawn using those Excel worksheets. iii The main research findings suggested that the main problems of the Egyptian civil service sector are (1) the absence of a Reward and Punishment system, (2) the absence of a firm system of governance and control and (3) the current negative civil service culture. The research findings suggested that developing civil servants’ commitment towards change may be achieved by employee involvement and participation in the change process and the careful selection of inspirational change agents. The findings also suggested that change agents play an important role in inspiring civil servants to support change and that middle management is another crucial factor in the change move as it should act as liaison between change agents and employees. iv LIST OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………... ii Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………… iv List of Contents ……………………………………………………………………... vi List of Tables ………………………………………………………………………... xix List of Figures ………………………………………………………………………. xx List of Appendices …………………………………………………………………. xxii Chapter 1 Introduction to Thesis 1.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………………….......... 1 1.2 Aims of the Thesis ……………………………………………………………… 2 1.2.1 Primary Research Aims ……………………………………………… 2 1.2.2 Steps in Meeting Research Aims ……………………………………. 2 1.3 Operational Framework ……………………………………………………….. 3 1.3.1 Key Research Questions ……………………………………………... 4 1.4 Thesis Structure ………………………………………………………………… 5 Chapter 2 Egyptian Bureaucracy 2.1 Introduction ………………………….…………………………………………. 8 2.2 Weber’s Original Model of Bureaucracy .……………..……………………... 9 v 2.2.1 Rational, Ideal-Type Bureaucracy …………………………………... 9 2.2.2 Advantages of Bureaucracy …………………………………………. 10 2.2.3 Criticism of the Weberian Bureaucratic Theory …...……………… 13 2.2.4 Attacking and Defending Bureaucracy .............................................. 16 2.3 Reinventing Bureaucracy ………………………...……………………………. 19 2.4 Understanding Bureaucratic Hybridization ……………......……………….. 22 2.5 Origins of Egyptian Bureaucracy …………………………………................... 23 2.5.1 The French Invasion (1798 – 1801) ………………………………….. 24 2.5.2 Muhammad Ali (1805 – 1848) ……………………………………….. 25 2.5.3 Social Changes – Nineteenth Century ……………………………… 26 2.5.4 The French – British Bureaucratic Heritage ……………………….. 28 2.5.5 Nasser Socialism Era (1952 – 1970) …………………………………. 31 2.6 Characteristics of Egyptian Bureaucracy …………………………………… 32 2.7 The Exclusivity of the Egyptian Bureaucracy .................................................. 35 2.8 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………... 36 Chapter Three The Egyptian Civil Service Structure and Management 3.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 38 3.2 Egyptian Civil Service …………………………………………………………. 38 3.2.1 Infitah (open door policy) …………………………………………… 41 3.3 Egyptian Civil Service Structure ……………………………………………… 42 3.3.1 Political Structure …………………………………………………….. 42 vi 3.3.2 The Legislative Authority …………………………………………… 43 3.3.3 The Executive Authority …………………………………………….. 46 3.3.4 Social Setting ………………………………………………………….. 47 3.4 Egyptian Civil Service Administrative Structure …………………………… 49 3.4.1 Characteristics of the Egyptian Civil Service Sector ……………… 50 3.5 Egyptian Civil Service Human Resources Structure ……………………….. 51 3.5.1 Internal Labour Market ……………………………………………… 51 3.5.2 The Staffing Process ………………………………………………….. 54 3.5.3 Staff Evaluation Process ……………………………………………... 55 3.5.4 Promotion System ……………………………………………………. 55 3.5.5 Job Security …………………………………………………………… 57 3.5.6 Women in the Egyptian Civil Service ……………………………… 59 3.6 Egyptian Civil Service Financial Structure …………………………………... 60 3.7 Past Reform Initiatives ………………………………..……………………….. 61 3.7.1 Civil Service Reform Initiatives ……………………………………... 62 3.8 Early Research Work ........................................................................................... 65 3.8.1 Al-Ahram Study Project, 1983 ............................................................. 66 3.8.2 Al-Ahram Project Findings ................................................................ 68 3.8.3 Al-Ahram Project Conclusions ............................................................ 73 3.8.4 Al-Ahram Project Recommendations ................................................. 75 vii 3.9 Later Research Work …….................................................................................... 75 3.9.1 Goal Displacement ................................................................................ 76 3.9.2 Work Alienation .................................................................................... 76 3.9.3 Increased Power of Civil Servants ...................................................... 77 3.9.4 Unresponsiveness to Public Needs .................................................. 77 3.9.5 Losing Faith in Bureaucracy ................................................................ 78 3.9.6 Reduced Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction .......... 78 3.9.7 Lack of Feedback and Control ............................................................. 79 3.10 The Ministry of State for Administrative Development Survey, 2006 ...... 80 3.11 Attitudes toward the Egyptian Bureaucracy ................................................. 82 3.12 Obstacles to Administrative Development in the Egyptian Civil Service 83 3.13 The Egyptian Civil Service Today: One Bureaucracy – Two Generations 85 3.14 Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 86 Chapter 4 Managing Change in the Egyptian Civil Service 4.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 88 4.2 Organizational Change Defined ……………………………………………… 89 4.3 Types of Change ………………………………………………………………... 89 4.4 Implementing Change …………………………………………………………. 91 4.4.1 Participative versus Unilateral Implementation …………………... 92 4.4.2 Making the Right Decision: Unilateral or Participative ………….. 93 viii 4.4.3 Change Implementation Techniques ………………………………. 95 4.5 Resistance to Change …………………………………………………………... 99 4.5.1 Managing Resistance to Change ……………………………………. 101 4.6 Change in the Egyptian Civil Service ………………………………………… 102 4.7 Resistance to Change in the Egyptian Civil Service ………………………… 103 4.8 Overcoming Obstacles to Change: A Theoretical Model …………………... 104 4.8.1 Analyzing Civil Servants’ Attitudes ………………………………... 104 4.8.2 Identifying Sources of Resistance …………………………………... 105 4.8.3 Invite to Change or Dictate to Change ……………………………... 108 4.8.4 Coercion/Enforcement in the Egyptian Bureaucracy ……………. 109 4.9 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………... 110 Chapter 5 Developing Commitment to Change 5.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………….. 112 5.2 Organizational Commitment Defined ……………………………………….. 113 5.3 Types of Organizational Commitment ………………………………………. 114 5.4 Factors affecting Organizational Commitment ……………………………... 115 5.4.1 Individual/Organizational Values …………………………………. 116 5.4.2 Religious Work Ethics ……………………………………………….. 116 5.5 Lack of Commitment in the Egyptian Civil