Romanian Exceptionalism 2016 Irina Oana Gheorgh
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Explaining the Persistence of Unprofessional Bureaucracy in a Modernising State: Romanian Exceptionalism A Thesis submitted to The University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the Faculty of Humanities 2016 Irina Oana Gheorghe Alliance Manchester Business School/People, Management and Organisations Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Challenge of Modernising Public Administration in Romania 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………… 9 1.1 The problem with Romanian Public Administration................... 13 1.2 Aims and Objectives.................................................................... 16 1.3 Structure of the Thesis…………………………………………………………… 22 1.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 26 Chapter 2: Public Administration in Romania: The legacy of the Past 2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 28 2.2 Institutional Theories…………………………………………………………..… 29 2.3 International level of analysis for Public Management…………… 39 2.4 European/Regional level of analysis of Public Management…… 48 2.5 Adapting Managerialism to Public Administration………………… 53 2.6 Towards a Framework of Analysis…………………………………………… 59 2.7 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 61 Chapter 3: Research Data and Methodology 3.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 63 3.2 Institutionalism and Method…………………………………………………… 66 3.3 Research Design and Method………………………………………………… 67 3.4 Developing the Research Methods: Elite interviewing…………… 73 3.5 The use of Secondary Data……………………………………………………… 75 3.6 Developing the Interview Questions………………………………………. 77 3.7 Bringing in Other Countries…………………………………………………… 81 3.8 Limitations of the Research…………………………………………………… 84 3.9 Ethical Issues………………………………………………………………………….. 86 1 3.9 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………. 89 Chapter 4: The Administrative Context of Romania 4.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 90 4.2 Communist Rule (1947-1946)……..…………………………………………… 97 4.3 Dictatorship (1965-1989)………………………………………………………. 99 4.4 Revolution and after (1990-1999)…………………………………………. 102 4.5 Preparation for EU Accession (2000-2006)……………………………. 107 4.6 Post EU Accession (2007-2011)……………………………………………… 112 4.7 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………118 4.8 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………120 Chapter 5: European Accession and Romanian public administration: path-breaking change? 5.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………… 123 5.2 Globalization and Public Administration: Application to Romania 125 5.3 Impact on Romania………………………………………………………………… 127 5.4 European Union Influences………………………………………………………132 5.5 A persistently unprofessional bureaucracy……………………………… 135 5.6 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….153 Chapter 6: Case Study – The role of Culture 6.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 156 6.2 Bureaucracy and the Romanian State………………………………………157 6.3 A Clash of Cultures: from Orient to accessing Occident…………. 160 6.4 Culture and Politicianism……………….……………………………………….. 163 2 6.5 Culture and Resistance to Change………..………………………………….171 6.6 Culture in contrast with regulations…………………………………………173 6.7 Path-dependency……………………………………………………………….…… 177 6.8 Dependency through collective resistance to change……………… 183 6.9 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 190 Chapter 7: Case Study part II – The Romanian Exceptionalism? 7.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 191 7.2 Exceptionalism…………………………………………………………………………192 7.3 Regional and Cultural Exceptionalism……………………………………… 194 7.4 Features of Romanian Exceptionalism……………………………………..196 7.5 The Presidential Campaign of 2014: Another case of exceptionalism?...................................................................... 202 7.5 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………… 209 Chapter 8: Conclusions 8.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………. 211 8.2 The research objectives revisited……………………………………………. 211 8.3 Limitations of the Research……………………………………………………..220 8.4 Contributions to Research and Theory……………………………………. 221 8.5 Final Comments……………………………………………………………………….222 Figure 1………………………………………………………………………………………… 93 Figure 2………………………………………………………………………………………. 140 Word count: 68,367 3 4 Appendices Appendix I…………………………………………………………….......................... 238 Appendix II…………………………………………………………………………………….240 Appendix III……………………………………………………………………………………245 Appendix IV……………………………………………………………………………………247 Appendix V…………………………………………………………………………………….249 Appendix VI……………………………………………………………………………………253 5 Abstract There is a tendency in the international literature to generalise about developments and reforms in public administration across groups or types of country, often across those in close geographical proximity. Since the revolutions across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in the late 1980s, this tendency is revealed by various labels: ‘transitory states’, ‘post-communist states’, ‘post-socialist states’, which suggests that they all possess similar characteristics, and thus have similar administrative systems. Furthermore, many of these states are now members of the European Union (EU). However, the CEE countries are on differing reform trajectories; they have not all arrived at the same stage at the same time (some await EU membership; chiefly those in South East Europe). This thesis concentrates on Romania to provide a detailed analysis of its public administration trajectory and contends that is too simplistic to regard Romania as ‘similar’ to its CEE neighbours. Moreover, there is no definitive account of the development of public administration in the country, and this is one contribution that this thesis makes. The thesis engages with institutional theory; both historical and sociological, to provide a framework for analysing the present state of public administration in Romania, characterised as an ‘unprofessional bureaucracy’. The thesis employs the concept of path dependency from the institutionalist framework to explain the lack of change in Romania despite apparently ‘path breaking’ events such as the revolution of 1989 and accession to the EU. The empirical research at the heart of the thesis is based on interviews with members of the bureaucratic and political elites of Romania. The resulting commentary also provides a further important contribution for the thesis as this is the first instance of academic research on public administration in Romania that harnesses such information. By definition, elite interviews are difficult to attain, especially within the political context of Romania. By using institutionalist theory, the thesis clearly explains the current state of public administration in the country, which is far removed from the idealised and internationalised approaches to administrative change typified by reform movements such as New Public Management and Governance. 6 Declaration I, Irina Oana Gheorghe, hereby declare that no portion of the work referred to in the Thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other University or other Institute of learning. 7 Copyright Statement The Author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns certain copyright or related rights in it (the ‘’Copyright’’) and she has given The University of Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright, including for administrative purposes. Copies of this thesis, either in full or extracts and whether in hard or electronic copy, may be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and regulations issued under it or, where appropriate, in accordance with licensing agreements which the University has from time to time. This page must form part of any such copies made. The ownership of certain Copyright, patents, designs, trademarks and other intellectual property (the ‘’Intellectual Property’’) and any other reproductions of copyright works in the thesis, for example graphs and tables (‘’Reproductions’’), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and commercialisation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP Policy (see http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=487), in any relevant Thesis restriction declarations deposited in the University Library, The University Library’s regulations (see http://www.manchester.ac.uk/library/aboutus/regulations) and in The University’s policy on Presentation of the Theses. 8 Acknowledgements I wish to express my gratitude to my Supervisors, Prof. Leo McCann and Mrs. Liz Richardson, for their support and for believing in my research. Also, I wish to thank all the people who have been helping me along this complicated journey, my friends and family, interviewees and colleagues; even to those who didn’t believe in me, as they have motivated me to go on and work harder. I thank my Partner, for enduring the ‘wrath of Khan’ every day for the past years, and my children, although it will take a while until I will be able to explain to them why Mummy didn’t take them to the park every day, like other Mummies. And not least, I wish to thank my Mother, for always being there for me, unconditionally, at all times in the day and night;