Governing Civil Service Pay In China

As agents of the state, civil servants play a central role in public governance and socioeconomic development. In developing countries, an effective civil service pay system may provide strong incentives for better public service and rein in corruption, whereas poor remuneration can fuel corruption and discontent among civil servants.Grappling to develop a well-functioning pay regime has challenged the PRC since its birth. Over the past decade, reforms implemented in the civil service pay system have been closely associated with legitimacy change (from an economy-based approach to welfare-based one), income distribution and central-local relations. However, these reforms have sparked a heated debate over their legitimacy, effectiveness and direction. By examining the complexities of this situation and the tug-of-war over remuneration among different players, this pioneering study deepens our understanding of the internal tensions with which China's reform process is fraught.

A market economy and a more liberal society have brought great challenges to China’s outdated governance structure and personnel management. To improve decision-making in government and reshape the management system in face of a more complex economy, post-Mao authorities have implemented a number of administrative reforms, including civil service reform which emphasized on selecting and promoting public officials based on their capability and work performance. Thousands of positions have been filled since the civil service system was implemented nationwide in 1993. The Chinese civil service reform is of far-reaching significance because it had the potential to be a departure from the established structure of cadre personnel management system developed in the 1950s. However, after several years of policy development, scholars observe that the new reforms have done little to undermine the old cadre system. Is this true? Or does this conclusion over-simplify the complicated implementation of the reforms? This book examines the implementation and performance of the on-going civil service reforms in China. Using the principal-agent framework, the author draw upon key case studies showing how the reforms affect civil servants’ incentives and behavior in the local context and the Chinese leadership’s control over the bureaucracy. China’s reform experience speaks directly to many Asian countries facing urgent need to improve state capacity as the global financial crisis unfolds.

This book examines, in detail, the political context within which the civil service operates, including the role of the central government in Hong Kong SAR civil service policy making, the changing leadership role of Hong Kong's administrative elite, and attempts by the government to boost executive accountability since 2002.

This book examines a significant and hotly debated issue in the governance of China, one closely associated with legitimacy change, income distribution and central local relations.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the organization, problems, issues and prospects of the civil service in Hong Kong. It examines the origin and development of the civil service, efforts to deal with the changes before and after the transition, and the process of managing public services with references to its changing role and responsibilities. The book will be of interest to academics, civil servants, professionals and students, as well as researchers interested in the role of civil servants in changing societies, and can be used for teaching courses on public administration and Asian studies.

This book considers the role that the Hong Kong civil service could and should play in the transitional period leading to the resumption of Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Examining in detail structural issues, the changing role of the civil servant, and the political environment, the contributors argue for a comprehensive program of administrative reform that would maintain civil service credibility, stability and efficiency in an increasingly hostile political climate.

Over the past two decades, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has paradoxically steered the development of a thriving capitalist economy. Unlike many faltering post-socialist states with fragile economies and weakly institutionalised democratic structures, China has witnessed a tide of economic entrepreneurialism that has raised living standards and the country's global economic stature. However, the strains of rapid economic change and the tensions between an increasingly liberalized economy and the partially reformed institutions of an authoritarian polity have become increasingly severe. Crucial to the success of further economic reform and development, good governance is the greatest challenge faced by the CCP. This groundbreaking book explores the key dimensions of governance in China. These include the prospects for political reform as a new generation of leaders comes to power and China enters the World Trade Organization; the processes of building institutions, such as developing a clean, competent, and meritocracy-based civil service, and improving the legislative framework; enhancing regime legitimacy through the sharing of power at lower levels and promoting citizen participation and voice; and finally the prevention and management of social discontent, with particular reference to worker unrest and the Falun Gong. Drawing on original fieldwork, the international group of authors provides a systematic analysis of the political, institutional, and economic causes underlying China's governance problems and considers the prospects for future social and political change.

This book analyzes the Hong Kong government's personnel policies and practices both in the context of changing circumstances and with reference to recent theories of personnel administration. Specific subjects covered include: recruitment and selection, training, performane appraisal, job satisfaction, staff relations, the pay determination process, and the role of public-sector unions.