DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjss.v18i1.1 GLOBAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES VOL 18, 2019: 1-10 COPYRIGHT© BACHUDO SCIENCE CO. LTD PRINTED IN NIGERIA. ISSN 1596-6216 1 www.globaljournalseries.com ; [email protected] A CRITIQUE OF THE BUREAUCRATIC THEORY: THE NIGERIAN CIVIL SERVICE EXPERIENCE MORGAN, MORGAN OBONG, OKON, EMMANUEL EKPENYONG AND EMU, WINIFRED HARRY (Received 19 November 2018; Revision Accepted 23 January 2019) << ABSTRACT This paper presents a critique of the bureaucratic theory: The Nigerian Civil Service experience. The descriptive research approach was adopted for the study and the questionnaire instrument was used in data collection. Descriptive statistic was used in data analysis while multiple regression analysis was used in the test of hypotheses. It was discovered that hierarchical arrangement of staff significantly influence the Nigerian Civil Service and led to delays in decision making in the civil service. Further findings revealed that management by formal rule does not influences the Nigerian Civil Service. However, too many rules hinders employee’s ability in response to turbulent environment. This situation make workers fixated and the bureaucratic nature of the civil service hardly creates room for change, hence high resistance to change. It was recommended that thorough and coherent reforms which will enshrine adequate institutionalization of Weberian ideal tenets of bureaucracy should be carried out in the civil service and attempt should be made to adopt the flat structure rather than the pinnacle hierarchical arrangement in order to enhance decision making and communication flow in the civil service. KEYWORDS : Bureaucratic Theory; Nigerian Civil Service. INTRODUCTION Bureaucracy is the bedrock of the public sector organizations; however, the bureaucracy of Bureaucracy as a system of governmental institutions has become a burden administration was projected to be the ideal and and has made the civil service inefficient, hence more efficient system of management in both staff performance. The inefficiency of most civil public and private organizations/institutions. As service organizations in Nigeria lead to the an ideal model where emphasis is laid on rules, establishment of Service Compact with all regulation, authority, officialdom and technical Nigerians “SEVICOM” on the 21 st March 2004 qualifications as the criteria for selection into both during the administration of president Olusegun public and private organisations etc, the system Obasanjo in an attempt to reduce the inefficiency was well articulated by a German Sociologist in the civil service and as well enhance Max Webber to enhance efficiency through the performance. application of clearly coin characteristic. Bureaucracy in the Nigerian civil service However, in recent times the inefficiency has endured a considerable measure of witness in most Nigerian ministries, parastatals difficulties because of its various issues. In the and agencies has been attributed to the area of service delivery, numerous nationals bureaucratic bottleneck in the civil service. have lost trust in bureaucratic establishment with Morgan, Morgan Obong , Department of Business Management University of Calabar, Nigeria Okon, Emmanuel Ekpenyong, Department of Business Management University of Calabar, Nigeria Emu, Winifred Harry, Department of Educational Administration and Planning University of Calabar, Nigeria © 2019 Bachudo Science Co. Ltd. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. 2 MORGAN, MORGAN OBONG OKON, EMMANUEL EKPENYONG EMU, WINIFRED HARRY responsibilities of ensuring public services. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM However, Arnold (2014) emphasized that Bureaucracy in Nigeria civil service is absolutely bureaucratic sort of administrative faced with many challenges that hamper its institutions is capable of attaining greater level of effective role in governance and development in proficiency. The imperativeness of democracy the country. Bureaucracy is a form of depends on the ability of state institutions to administration that is based on rules and deliver essential services and to resolves the legitimate utilization of formal authority in problems that confront the society and this thus organisations (Uwah, 2017). However, it is depends to a great extent on sincerity, observably that bureaucracy in the Nigerian Civil competence, and inspiration of experts in the civil Service is challenged by a number of issues such service (Gertrude, 2014). as rigidity of duties, lack of flexibility and creativity Bureaucracy is a rational structure of to respond to the dynamics of modern coordinating human and material resources into a organizations. Also, tribalism, nepotism and complex setting handled by professionals or favoritism in the recruitment and designation of experts (Agboola, 2016). Bureaucratic personnel into sensitive administrative positions. organisations are intended to be orderly, fair and This issues leads to poor policy formulations and very proficient. However, despite the beneficial implementation which give rise to abysmal aspect of bureaucracy in enhancing service delivery, lack of accountability and organizational efficiency, the civil service in corruption in the Nigerian Civil Service. Nigeria has some noteworthy negative reactions. Furthermore, the pinnacle-like structure A lot of red-tapism and paper work most times which interfaces with communication in the civil leads to unpleasant experience and ineffective service and matters requiring urgent operations. Also, since most workers depend to a consideration are most times “swept under the large extent on rules and regulations, their carpet” as a result of the bureaucratic flexibility, creativity and innovations suffers bottlenecks. Observably, this bottlenecks most considerably in public service. Similarly, issues of times hinder the implementation of people rigidities, resistance to change, impersonality of oriented policies and programmes, since this relation and excess aloofness are often polices must pass through the “pinnacle” for noticeable in public service bureaucracy. The approvals. These issues promote impunity, way personnel are appointed into administrative corruption and nepotism in the service. positions is extremely politicized based on Similarly, monitoring and evaluation of favoritism and tribalism. Personnel without performance of personnel in the federal civil adequate knowledge and credentials sometimes service especially the placement of personnel in are designated into sensitive positions and this sensitive administrative position is a big impact negatively on policies formulation and challenge, Most times based on tribal and service delivery in the service. religious sentiment. This action promotes truancy However, this paper bridges the existing and inefficiency in the civil service as most staff literature gap in the study of public service handles their work with levity, resuming late to bureaucracy in Nigeria by presenting a critique of work and leaving before official closing hours. the bureaucratic theory of management from the Also, there are noticeable issues of god-fatherism civil service perspective, using a combination of in contract sharing by dubious personnel’s in the variables such as the effect of hierarchical service who represent the interest of their “god- structure, rigidity of duties, management by fathers” that influence their appointment into such formal rules and their implications on sensitive position. These issues hinder the communication flow, decision making and execution of contracts in the federal civil service. workers initiative in the Nigerian civil service In view of these issues, it becomes timely to organizations. Furthermore, this paper is present a critique of the bureaucratic theory of structured based on the following headings: management with particular reference to the Introduction, objective of the paper, statement of Nigerian Civil service. the problem, literature reviews (under appropriate headings), methodology, data analysis and test OBJECTIVES OF THE PAPER of hypotheses, findings, conclusion, recommendations, and implications of the study. The purpose of this paper is to present a critical A CRITIQUE OF THE BUREAUCRATIC THEORY: THE NIGERIAN CIVIL SERVICE EXPERIENCE 3 analysis of the influence of bureaucracy where accentuation is placed on legitimate (hierarchical arrangement of staff, over rigidity of authority, knowledge and qualification as the duties and management by formal rule) in the basis for selection into public service. However, Nigerian Civil Service. many public organisations such as the civil i. determine the effect of hierarchical service both federal and states as well as other arrangement staff in the Nigeria Civil Service. organisations today have profited from Weber's ii. ascertain the effect of over rigidity of work. Division of work in organisation has been a duties in the Nigeria Civil Service. crucial feature of an organisation structure. iii. examine the impact of management by Dividing labour into clear specialize authority and formal rule in the Nigeria Civil Service. obligations that are legitimized as official obligations helps to increase workers RESEARCH QUESTIONS performance (Danjuma & Philip, 2016). i. To what extent does hierarchical Bureaucracy is necessary in civil service arrangement of staff influence the Nigeria Civil to characterize jobs and obligations. It Service encourages activities by ensuring that workers