THE ROLE OF SENIORITY AND MERIT AS DETERMINANTS OF EMPLOYEE PROMOTION IN THE CIVIL SERVICE: A CASE STUDY OF THE FEDERAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
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THE ROLE OF SENIORITY AND MERIT AS DETERMINANTS OF
EMPLOYEE PROMOTION IN THE CIVIL SERVICE: A CASE STUDY OF THE FEDERAL CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 background
to study 1
1.2 statement
of problem 5
1.3 purpose
of study 7
1.4 research
questions 8
1.5 research
hypothesis 9
1.6 significance
of the study 10
1.7 scope
of the study 11
1.8 limitation
of the study 12
1.9 definition
of terms 14
1.10 organization
of the study 15
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 concept of employee promotion 19
2.3 basis
of promotion 20
2.4 benefits
of promotion 25
2.5 principles
of good promotion policy 26
2.6 the
Nigerian civil service 28
2.7 historical
development of the civil service 32
2.8 factors
that contribute to the growth and contraction
of the federal civil
service 38
2.9 the
federal civil service commission powers, objectives 40
2.10 appointments,
promotion and discipline in Nigeria
federal civil service 44
2.11 background to the current civil service
reforms 51
2.12 problems of the federal civil service 54
2.13 measures
taken by the government to restore the
dignity of the civil
service 57
2.14 federal
civil service commission innovation on promotion 63
References 66
CHAPTER
THREE; RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction 69
3.2 research
design 69
3.3 sampling
procedure 70
3.4 data collection
method 72
3.5 questionnaire
design 74
3.6 data
analysis techniques 77
Reference
Questionnaire
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The
important of examining the role of seniority and merit as determinants of
employee promotion in the civil service cannot be overemphasized. Promotion has
to do with the movement of staff to jobs where they can exercise great or
different responsibilities (Amah and Weje, 2005). Promotions are advancements
into positions with greater challenges, more responsibility and more authority
usually with pay increases. For ambitious employees, promotion is seriously
desired.
The
traditional belief that promotions are based on performance also makes
employees crave for them, at least to show that they are performing. However,
this is not always the case as some people are promoted just to “kick them
upstairs” because of the friction they are causing and their inefficiency.
Promotion is however seen as a great incentive for workers to deliver top
performance.
In
the civil service particularly in the Federal civil services, management must
decide on what basis to promote their employees because the way this decisions are
made will go a long way in motivating employees, making them to be more
committed and render top performance. The most popular basis for promotion are
(a) seniority and (b) merit. Other decisions management must make include the
nature of the promotion whether it will be formal or informal and vertical,
horizontal or otherwise.
Torrington
and Hall (1998) stated that seniority is the oldest basis for distinguishing
among employees who should be promoted. The standard on which this is
calculated is time. However, there are many technical aspects to the definition
of seniority. For example, Cole (2000) noted that seniority refers to the
chronological age, length of service in the organization, length of service in
a particular plant or job, or the length of time a worker has been a member of
the union. However, seniority ratings are easily measured and preferred by
labour unions and many employees as a basis for promotion.
Seniority
is best considered when senior employee also has the other entire factor being
considered for the promotion. Amah and Weje (2005) stated that promotion on the
basis of seniority has the following advantage:
Ø It
provides for easy and objective measurement
Ø It
rewards long service
Ø The
senior man is supposed to be well qualified if selection, training and
development have been done properly by management.
Merit
on the other hand, is viewed ideologically based on individual’s ability and
competence (Babura, 2003). For motivational purposes, promotion based on merit
is the best. The use of merit as a basis for promotion depends on several
things e.g. unions and civil service requirements. The union prefers the use of
seniority and the civil service regulations also emphasized seniority rather
than merit as the basis for promotion. However, it is sometimes difficult to
measure ability or to distinguish between two people in this respect. Promotion
requires both past performance and prediction for future performance. According
to Amah and Weje (2004), most organization use prior performance based on the
point rating system as a guide to extrapolate future performance.
The
point rating system evaluation considers features such as quantity of
performance, cooperativeness, initiative, attitudes, dependability and other
characteristics as essential and adequate for employee appraisal for promotion.
Some organizations also use tests (examination/interview) to evaluate
promotable employees and to identify these employees with executive potential.
Others use assessment centre to assess management potential. Merit as a basis
for promotion has the following advantage.
1. It has potential for motivating employees
2. It does not make room for mediocre
The
decision as to whether the promotion process will be formal or informal also
has to be taken, especially when the promotion is based on merit. In the
informal organization, the availability and requirements of open positions are
kept secret by managers. They just pick people they want who may have impressed
them. In the formal organization, promotion policies and procedure are
published. Open positions and their requirements are made public to employees.
Employee
promotion based on seniority and merit tends to be fair in a social system like
the civil service. The use of seniority and merit will not only ensure sound
and fair promotion policies and procedure but will also motivate employees
towards adequate committed and better performance. It is against this
background that this study seeks to examine the role of seniority and merit as
determinants of employee promotion in the civil service.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Seniority
and merit are crucial factors which every organization must consider while
determining how to promote employees. The use of seniority as a basis of
promotion tends to reduce favouroitism or dispute and every employee will know
his place in the promotion list. Seniority indicates experience. A senior
employee is believed to have achieved a reasonable degree of perfection in his
job. When promotion is based on seniority, employees stick to the organization
to accord seniority. Seniority as a basis of promotion brings about high
employee commitment to the organization.
Employee
morale is likely to be high and labour turnover will be reduced.
However,
promotion based on merit motivates the employee to improve their performance.
The young and ambitious employees have incentives to improve their skills and
efficiency. Merit based promotion brings about job satisfaction and motivation
of employees.
Seniority
and merit as determinants of promotion should be highly recognized in all types
of organizations. Organizations in the public sector need to attach more
importance to seniority and merit in their promotion policy and procedures. The
use of seniority and merit as determinants of promotion enhance effective
promotion policy. The questions which this study now seeks to address are, does
the Federal Civil Service Commission consider seniority and merit as
determinants of employee promotion? To what extent does the Federal Civil
Service Commission consider seniority and merit as determinants of promotion?
What percentages are attached to seniority and merit as determinants of
promotion in the Federal Civil Service? What effect do seniority and merit as
determinants of promotion have on employee commitment, motivation, job
satisfaction and turnover rate of employees in the Federal Civil Service? The
answers to these questions become the problem which this study is set to
investigate.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of this study is to examine seniority and merit as determinants of
employee promotion in the civil service using the Federal Civil Service as a
case study. The specific objectives of this study include.
1. To
find out whether the Federal Civil Service commission consider seniority and
merit as indispensable criteria’s for employee promotion.
2. To
know the percentages that is accorded to seniority and merit as determinants of
employee promotion by the Federal Civil Service Commission.
3. To
determine the extent to which promotion based on seniority enhance employee job
satisfaction in the Federal Civil Service.
4. To
find out whether promotion based on seniority reduce employee turnover rate in
the Federal Civil Service.
5. To
ascertain the extent to which promotion based on merit enhance employee job
commitment in the Federal Civil Service.
6. To
determine the relationship between promotions based on merit and employee
motivation in the Federal Civil Service.
7. To
determine the extent to which promotion based on merit motivate employee in the
Federal Civil Service to increase their job performance.
8. To
find out whether adequate consideration to seniority and merit as determinants
for promotion ensure fair and effective promotion policy and procedure in the
Federal Civil Service.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following questions are raised to address
the problem and objectives of this study:
1. Does
the Federal Civil Service Commission consider seniority and merit as
indispensable criterias for employee promotion?
2. What
percentages are accorded to seniority and merit as determinants of employee
promotion by the Federal Civil Service Commission?
3. To
what extent does promotion based on seniority enhance employee job satisfaction
in the Federal Civil Service?
4. Does
promotion based on seniority reduce employee turnover rate in the Federal Civil
Service?
5. To
what extent does promotion based on merit enhance employee job commitment in
the Federal Civil Service?
6. Does
promotion based on merit enhance employee motivation in the Federal Civil
Service?
7. To
what extent does promotion based on merit motivate employee in the Federal
Civil Service to increase their job performance.
8. Does
adequate consideration to seniority and merit as determinants for promotion
ensure fair and effective promotion policy and procedure in the Federal Civil
Service?
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The
following hypotheses are putward as a guide to this study:
H01:
There is no positive and significant relationship between promotion based on
seniority and employee job satisfaction in the Federal Civil Service.
H02:
There is no significant relationship between promotion based on seniority and
reduction in employee turnover rate in the Federal Civil Service.
H03:
There is no positive and significant relationship between promotion based on
merit and employee job commitment in the Federal Civil Service.
H04:
There is no significant relationship between promotion based on merit and
employee motivation in the Federal Civil Service.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This
study will be of great benefits to organizations in the public sector
particularly the Federal Service Commission as it would expose to them the
importance of adequate consideration to seniority and merit as determinants for
employee promotion in the service (organization). This study will also be
useful to the other parastatals/organizations in the public sector such as the
states civil service, the local government service and several federal and
state agencies etc, as it would enable them see reasons why they should attach
adequate percentage to seniority and merit in their promotion policy.
The
findings of this study will equally be relevant to management in the civil
service especially those in the Federal Civil Service, as it would enable
install an effective promotion policy and procedure that will take adequate
cognizance of seniority and merit as determinants for promotion.
Finally,
the findings of this study will useful to researchers, scholars, writers and
students in tertiary institution especially those who may wish to embark on
further research on this topic, as it will serve as a data bank for their
literature review.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The
scope of this study has been limited to the Federal Civil Service Commission.
This was however due to time constraint and financial inadequacy to go around
all the government parastatals, ministries and corporations. The sample to this
study constituted senior staff and junior staff of the Federal Civil Service.
It is believed that the findings from the Federal Civil service will be used
for generalization to all the government parastatals/ministries that make up
the Nigerian civil service.
1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
Several
factors posed impediments to this study. The major factors, which posed limitations
to this study, include:
1. Inadequate Fund: The present economic
condition and the rapid rate of inflation experienced in Nigeria today has gave
rise to high cost of carrying out researches. The researcher was highly
constrained by inadequate finance to fund the huge expenses associated with
this study. This took various forms such as the high cost of searching for
secondary materials like textbooks, journals, government bulletins, periodical
reports, etc, the huge cost of transportation, cost of frequent visitations to
the respondents, cost of printing numerous questionnaire etc.
2. Inadequate Time: Research of this
nature would do doubt require adequate time for an extensive research work.
Apparently, the time allocation to the researcher to carry out this study was
grossly insufficient to thoroughly and extensively carry out this study; this
was due to the fact that the time has to be apportioned to meet other academic
activities at school as well as personal engagements. It was mainly due to time
and financial inadequacy that made the researcher to restrict the study to the
Federal Civil Service Commission only instead of other the parastatals, and
ministries that make up the Nigerian Civil Service.
3. Inadequate Secondary Materials: The
researcher was highly constrained by lack of adequate secondary data like
textbooks, journals, magazines, and newspaper and government bulletins. Most of
the libraries visited by the researcher which are close to her, were not
adequately equipped as information related to this subject matter are lacking.
This made the researcher to travel far in search for these materials, which
consequently constitute a problem of cost and time factors.
4. Poor Attitude of Respondents: majority
of the respondents to this study were reluctant in completing the administered
questionnaires thinking that the information might be used to detriment of
their organization. The researcher having taken cognizance of this, decided to
pay repeated visitation to the respondents, as the Federal Civil Service
Commission, in order to convince them that this study is purely for academic
purpose. After much persuasion, some of the respondent decided to cooperate.
1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS
For
the purpose of clarification, the following terms are defined:
Employee Promotion
This
refers to the upward movement of staff to job where they can exercise great
responsibilities. It involves advancement into higher position with increased
responsibility, authority and pay.
Determinants of Promotion
This
simply refers to those factors or criterias used by an organization in its
promotion process, procedure and policy. They include the use of test,
examination, interview, seniority, merit, etc.
Seniority
This
entails the chronological age, length of service in the organization, length of
service in a particular plant, or job, or the length of time a worker has
served in an organization.
Merit
This
is viewed ideological based on individual’s ability and competence. It is
individual performance indicator for promotion.
Civil Service
The
civil service consist of the Federal civil service, the state civil services,
the unified local government service, and several federal and state government
agencies, including parastatals, and corporations.
Federal Civil Service Commission
The
Federal civil service commission is a constitutional body established under
section 151 (1) d of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
to appoint persons to offices in the Federal Civil service to promote and to
dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over persons holding such offices.
1.10 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This
research report is presented into five (5) chapters. Chapter one is the
introduction which consists of the background of the study, statement for the
problem, purpose of the study, research questions, research hypotheses,
significance of the study, scope of the study, limitation of the study,
definition of terms and organization of the study.
Chapter
two is tagged literature review. In this chapter, articles, journals,
government bulletins, seminar papers, magazines, newspapers, etc containing the
works and opinions of previous researchers, authors, writers, etc were
extensively reviewed to provide a foundation for the study.
Chapter
three is the research methodology and it was discussed under the research
design, sampling procedure, data collection method, and questionnaire design
and data analysis techniques.
Chapter
four is concerned with the presentation and analysis of data. Here the data
collected in the questionnaire were organized and presented in tables and the
four (4) stated hypotheses were also tested in this chapter.
Chapter
five is the last chapter and it dealt with the summary conclusion and
recommendations.
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