This document summarizes an upcoming PhD presentation by Lhawang Ugyel on implementing public sector reforms while considering administrative context and culture. The presentation will cover the topic, literature background, Bhutan case study, administrative context/culture analysis, findings, and conclusion. The literature discusses how countries adapted reforms to their needs and traditions. The case study focuses on Bhutan's hybrid system and unique culture. Analysis of Bhutan's administrative tradition and culture is presented using Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Preliminary findings suggest some PCS reforms aligned well with Bhutan's culture while others like the performance system clashed with its administrative focus on rules and inputs.

1. Presenta(on:
Annual
Crawford
PhD
Conference
Lhawang
Ugyel
PhD
Candidate
in
Public
Policy
Supervisors:
Janine
O’
Flynn
Yusaku
Horiuchi
Paul
Atkins

2. Outline
of
Presenta(on
• Presenta(on
Topic
• Literature
Background
• Case
Study
• Administra(ve
Context
and
Culture
• Findings
and
Analysis
• Conclusion
2

3. Presenta(on
Topic
• When
implemen(ng
public
sector
reforms
based
on
best
prac(ces
it
is
important
to
consider:
– The
administra(ve
tradi(on
and
context
within
which
reforms
are
applied
– The
values
and
culture
that
are
associated
with
the
reforms

4. Literature
Background
• Spread
of
public
sector
reforms
– NPM
is
claimed
to
have
spread
with
an
‘energy’
and
‘simultaneity’
never
experienced
before
(Jones
and
KeQl
2004:
463),
and
is
notable
for
its
magnitude,
breadth
and
significance
(Halligan
2001)
• Countries
chose
a
combina(on
of
instruments
during
implementa(on
of
reforms
– Different
needs,
poli(cal
pressures,
historical
tradi(ons
(Aberbach
and
Christensen
2003:
504)
– Differences
in
na(onal
reform
paths
and
reform
paQerns
(Hajnal
2005:
496)
• For
success,
important
to
consider
the
administra(ve
context
and
the
culture
within
which
the
reforms
are
applied
– The
understanding
of
the
na(onal
cultural
variable
is
essen(al
to
get
an
‘understanding
of
the
interplay
between
public
ins(tu(ons
and
the
social
context’
as
na(onal
cultures
influence
the
‘structure’
and
‘performance’
of
public
administra(on
(Andrews,
2008:
171-­‐172)
– It
also
gives
an
understanding
of
why
administra(ve
reforms
vary
in
nature
and
follow
different
paths
(Capano
2003:
782)
4

5. Case
Study:
Why
Bhutan?
• Hybrid
Administra(ve
System
• Unique
Culture
• Rela(vely
under-­‐studied
country
• Posi(on
Classifica(on
System
(PCS):
bundle
of
public
sector
reforms

6. Administra(ve
Context
and
Culture

7. Administra(ve
Tradi(on
and
Context

8. Culture
and
Values
• Values
Survey
Module
developed
by
Geert
Hofstede—5
dimensions
of
culture
• Methodology:
– Bhutan:
271
civil
servants
from
17
agencies
– Australia:
75
public
servants
from
27
agencies
– “Anchored”
against
the
VSM2008
scores
to
get
the
World
Average

10. Findings
and
Analysis

11. Overall
Percep(on
of
the
PCS
• Methodology:
– Quan(ta(ve:
Stra(fied
random
sampling—728
surveys
sent,
271
surveys
received
– Qualita(ve:
21
interviews
• Response
not
random:
– Pseudo
R-­‐Square
0.14
and
the
p-­‐value
of
the
chi-­‐square
<
.001—T-­‐test
of
the
means
large
enough
to
reject
the
null
hypothesis
(p
value
is
<
.001).

12. • Change
in
the
percep(on
towards
the
PCS
over
the
years.
• Also
indica(ve
of
the
poor
transi(on
management
of
such
a
major
reform-­‐ini(a(ve:
– PCS
was
perceived
by
officials
as
being
a
major
reform
situated
‘within
a
larger
social
context’
and
one
that
required
people
to
‘change
their
mindset’
in
a
big
way.
• PCS
has
its
share
of
successes
as
well
as
failures

14. Successes
• Recruitment,
Selec(on
and
Promo(on:
– Fits
with
the
TPA
characteris(cs
of
impar&ality
and
a
bureaucra&c
characteriza&on.
– Average
PDI
scores
for
Bhutan
reflects
the
emphasis
on
manager’s
reliance
on
formal
rules
and
procedures
as
the
guiding
principles.
• Human
Resource
Development
(HRD):
– HRD
comprises
mostly
training
and
development
ac(vi(es
– Approximately
70%
of
the
respondents
agreed
that
the
PCS
provided
opportuni(es
to
upgrade
their
qualifica(ons.

15. Mixed
Results
• Classifica(on
of
Posi(ons
and
Occupa(onal
Groups:
– Successes:
• Matched
the
bureaucra&c
nature
of
the
public
administra(on
system
in
Bhutan
• Also
matched
the
presence
of
a
power
distance
culture
in
the
system
where
work
places
have
taller
organiza(on
pyramids
and
there
is
hierarchy
– Failures:
• Inculca(on
of
professionalism
under
the
NPM
– ‘There
is
a
lot
of
power
and
pomp
associated
with
being
a
secretary
to
the
government
who
enjoys
a
lot
of
authority,
whereas
the
specialists
have
none
of
these
benefits:
thus
people
do
not
opt
to
join
the
specialist
category’.
• Reflec(ve
of
Bhutan’s
low
scores
in
the
LTO
index
and
the
importance
accorded
to
preserving
face
and
fulfilling
social
obliga(ons.

16. Unsuccessful
• Performance
Management
System:
– Clash
with
the
emphasis
of
the
Bhutanese
public
administra(on
system
of
focusing
largely
on
inputs
and
following
standard
opera&on
procedures,
which
are
the
predominant
characteris(cs
of
TPA.
– PMS
was
seen
as
promo&ng
the
values
of
individualism
and
compe&&on,
as
one
interviewee
pointed
out,
‘values
that
most
Bhutanese
are
not
familiar
with’.
– The
unfamiliar
values
of
individualism
made
it
difficult
for
managers
during
evalua(on—cri(cized
by
their
staff
for
not
being
compassionate
enough
(‘compassion
misplaced’).

17. Conclusion
• Findings
conform
to
studies
which
show
that
successful
reforms
are
‘culturally
sensi(ve’
and
that
there
should
be
a
match
between
rules,
iden((es
and
situa(ons
(Theonig
2003:
133).
• Varia(ons
exist
across
administra(ve
systems—
Inherent
differences
in
culture
and
values
require
the
recipient
countries
to
either:
– Accept
or
adapt
the
new
culture
and
values
embedded
with
the
reforms;
or
– To
acknowledge
the
differences
and
change
the
reforms
to
suit
the
local
context.

18. Thank
You!