Public Sector Innovation for Sustainable Development and Citizen-centric Gove...OECD Governance
Presentation by Edwin Lau at the EROPA Conference, Seoul, South Korea on 12 September 2017. This presentation was made at the launch of the OECD report "Skills for a High Performing Civil Service". For more information see: oe.cd/HRM-Skills
Public Sector Innovation for Sustainable Development and Citizen-centric Gove...OECD Governance
Presentation by Edwin Lau at the EROPA Conference, Seoul, South Korea on 12 September 2017. This presentation was made at the launch of the OECD report "Skills for a High Performing Civil Service". For more information see: oe.cd/HRM-Skills
1. Education and Attrition from Public
Service: An analysis of the factors that
influence higher education, and
occupational mobility among pubic
sector workers in Jamaica.
Richard Myers
March 8, 2007
Workforce Education & Development
2. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 2
Introduction & Background
• Public Sector Reform
• Whitehall-Westminster Model
• Jamaican Legislation
• Executive Agencies and Regional
Authorities
• Autonomy – with governmental control
via guidelines and policies
• Migration of Jamaican teachers and
nurses
• Mobility of public sector workers with
higher education
3. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 3
Problem Statement
What relationship exists between
education and occupational mobility
among central government workers,
and to what extent is the decision to
quit related to advanced academic
qualifications?
• Independent Variable – level of
education
• Dependent Variable – occupational
mobility
4. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 4
Research Questions
1. What motivates Public Sector workers to
pursue higher education?
2. What are the areas of educational
specialization and to what level are they
pursued?
3. What is the impact of advanced
academic qualification on occupational
mobility within central government?
4. How does higher education influence
occupational mobility out of the public
sector?
5. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 5
Purpose of the Study
• Examine the levels and types of mobility
in the Jamaican public sector
• Identify the factors that motivate public
sector workers to obtain advanced
academic qualifications
• Describe the relationships that exist
between mobility and attrition and the
level and type of education in the
Jamaican public sector.
6. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 6
Significance of the Study
• Policy-makers may benefit when
formulating human resource development
strategies and retention strategies
• Public sector managers could use the
information on factors that influence their
staff’s decision to switch industries, and
whether or not there is a relationship
between higher education and
occupational mobility within the public
sector. This will further help them to make
projections of future workforce trends and
needs.
7. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 7
Review of Related Literature
• Mobility - Job related factors/non-job related – (de
Luis Carnicer, et al. 2004)
• Job satisfaction / expectation theory – (Metle,
2002)
• Job matching theory / industry diversity– Greve
(1994)
• Brain drain – (Virtue, 2001; Francis, 2006; IMF; CUT)
• Inter-sectoral mobility / responsiveness to job-loss
risk – (Magnani, 2001)
• Knowledge Revolution/Information Society/High-
Tech Revolution – Grubb and Lazerson (2005)
8. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 8
Methodology
• Research Design
- Quantitative - Non-experimental
- Descriptive design
- Limitations (statistical analyses: e.g. correlation,
inferential statistics)
• Population and Sample
- Sample frame (2,990 listed in central database)
- Purposive sampling (3 of 30 Departments of
Govt.) N= 127
- Response rate: 27%
- Limitations (generalized only to members of the
public sector employed in central government
departments)
9. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 9
Methodology (contd.)
• Data Collection
- Self-administered questionnaire (five sections)
- 36 closed items including 4 & 5 -point Likert scales
- Anonymity and confidentiality
- Drop-off box
• Validity and Reliability
- Construct and content validity (pilot group)
- Face validity (Fair Trading Commission & Statistician
-UTech)
- Item reliability -Cronbach’s Alpha = 0.673 (a reliability
coefficient of .70 or higher is considered "acceptable" in most
Social Science research situations -
http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/spss/faq/alpha.html)
• Data Analysis
- SPSS 12.0 for Windows
- Microsoft XL
11. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 11
Results (contd.)
• Results by Research Questions (RQ)
[ RQ 1: What motivates PS worker to pursue higher…]
Figure 3 Significant results of RQ 1
[
71 69
44
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentages
better chance of em
ployment in o...
higher salaries/remuneration
dissatisfaction with current salaries
Motivation to Pursue Higher
Education
12. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 12
Results by RQ (contd.)
[ RQ 2: Areas of Educational Specialization and to what…]
Table 1 Educational background and levels of academic qualification
Educational
background
Level of academic qualifications (No. & Percentage)
MBA/M.Sc. B.Sc/Undegrad Diploma Assoc. degree
Business
Administration
5
14.7%
5
14.7%
1
2.9%
1
2.9%
Mgmt Studies 1
2.9%
4
11.7%
5
14.7%
0
0%
Accounting 1
2.9%
1
2.9%
1
2.9%
1
2.9%
Economics 1
2.9%
1
2.9%
0
0%
0
0%
Information
Technology
1
2.9%
0
0%
2
5.8%
0
0%
Education 1
2.9%
0
0%
1
2.9%
0
0%
Secretarial Admin. 0
0%
0
0%
3
8.8%
2
5.8%
13. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 13
Results by RQ (contd.)
[ RQ 3: Impact of Advanced Education on Internal Mobility…]
73 78
63
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percentages
recently promoted
adequately compensated
satisfied with career advancement
Impact on Internal Mobility
Figure 4 Significant results of RQ 3
14. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 14
Results by RQ (contd.)
94
48
80 81
0
20
40
60
80
100
resigned/left other employment
actively seeking employment
HE
does not increase chances
HE
does not enhance professinal status
Impact on External Mobility
Figure 5 Significant findings on RQ 4
[RQ 4: Influence of Higher Education on External Mobility]
15. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 15
Conclusions
Restricted access to personal data, and a small sample size
created nuances to the study in the following areas:
• Undetermined actual attrition rate
• Factual data on transfers within and between
Ministries
• Factors that caused public sector workers to quit
• Factors that motivated higher learning among those
who have left
16. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 16
Conclusions (contd.)
• Examine the levels and types of mobility in the
Jamaican public sector:
Workers are being promoted within their organizations
Not able to work in various departments or areas within
respective Ministries
• Identify the factors that motivate public sector workers
to obtain advanced academic qualifications
Opportunities for employment in an occupation of their
choice; to a lesser extent by salaries and benefits
Perception that advanced qualifications will not equip
public sector workers with skills to improve performance
Satisfied with salaries and have no immediate intention to
upgrade qualifications as result of low pay
Perception of no distinct benefits in the public service from
obtaining advanced education
17. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 17
Conclusions (contd.)
• Describe the relationships that exist between mobility
and attrition and the level and type of education in the
Jamaican public sector
Despite academic qualification, less than 50%
thought they could easily obtain employment in
other Govt. departments
Workers not convinced that higher education
provides better employment stability in private sector
Perception that advance qualifications does not
enhance workers’ professional status to external
organizations
Higher education does not necessarily influence
occupational mobility out of the public sector
18. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 18
Recommendations
• More emphasis on increasing the relevance of training
and education programmes to current job tasks, and
demonstrating a direct link between these programmes
and performance targets and standards
• Determine areas within central government with a need
for higher education using departmental and individual
needs analyses and skill-gap analyses of public sector
workers
• Maintain and enhance the positive impression that there
are opportunities for career advancement in central
government
• Benefits and non-monetary advantages of advanced
qualifications in the public sector should be enhanced
and communicated to all levels of government workers
19. Richard
Myers:
Attrition
and
Mobility
in Public
Sector 19
Recommendations (contd.)
• Further Research
Studies about the reasons why ex-government
workers resigned from public service in order to
ascertain factors leading to attrition
Further studies be conducted in all ministries and
departments of government including executive
agencies and statutory bodies
Determine needs and wants of government workers –
social and economic, working conditions, work-life
balance, etc. – in order to decrease attrition.
Ministry Paper No. 56: Public Sector Modernization – Vision and Strategy 2002-2012. presents the various objectives and the targets that will signal the achievement of those objectives over the next five to six years.
2001 Conference in Ottawa Canada - Changing Governance and Public Sector Reform in the Americas,, Dr. Carlton E. Davis, Cabinet Secretary, Former PM Patterson – legislation and modernization of the PS
With all the reforms scheduled to be undertaken within the public sector until 2012, outlined in Ministry paper No. 56: Public Sector Modernization; one may inquire about the movement of personnel in an out of public service
Insert a picture illustrating a season in your country.
Original intentions of the study were to:
Insert a picture illustrating a custom or tradition here.
De Luis Carnicer - job related factors – such as compensation, pay and social benefits, the type of contract (permanent or temporary), job category or job tenure; and NON-JOB RELATED factors – such as employee perception, job satisfaction, work-family conflict, demographic and personal characteristics – gender, age, or family situation.
Metle (2002) stated that differences in job satisfaction associated with education could be attributed to differences in expectations. employees perceive and evaluate their situation, in part, by virtue of comparisons with others of comparable status, and they are likely to make judgements of comparability using an attribute such as education. Metle declared that several studies report a negative relationship between education and satisfaction
Magnani (2001) showed that education’s most visible impact on labour mobility is through its influence on the worker’s responsiveness to job loss risk…. Concluded that education markedly increases the responsiveness of mobility decisions to the risk of displacement. Workers in the highest education category displayed the strongest propensity to change jobs in response to the risk of job loss
Knowledge Revolution to highlight the changed nature of work, shifting away from occupations rooted in industrial production to occupations associated with knowledge and information. Obtaining these skills normally requires formal schooling and training past the high school level, so that some college education will be necessary for the jobs of the future
Original intention was to poll all members listed in the central database
Small sample size and no. of responses : making it difficult to perform various statistical analyses.
However, the design was sound, instruments valid and reliable and so I proceeded with faith as I thought the study was worthwhile pursuing.
Low response rate:
-Wiersma and Jurs (2005) stated generally, when surveying a professional population, 70 percent is considered minimum. When survey the general public more non-response can be tolerated because of apathy and lack of interest
Respondents were apprehensive and reluctant, especially since they knew I was a member of the Public serive, and our culture is one in which persons are very guarding of their ambitions and intentions – especially in relation to anything to do with Government. Nevertheless the research was a good base-line study, providing a solid framework for further research given a longer time in which to complete. And resources to obtain higher responses – visiting locations island wide, follow-up surveys/visits during staff meetings etc.
Generalize only to these three departments. These are reflective of the general PS.
UCLA Academic Technology Services
53% female; in the 30-44 age range
44% Managers or Directors; employed for 3-5 years
-Better Chance for Employment in Occupation of Interest (71%)
-Higher Salaries/Remuneration (69%)
-Dissatisfaction with Current Salaries (44%)
-Recently promoted as a result of academic qualifications (73%)
-Adequately compensated based on level of education (78%)
-Satisfied with career advancement opportunities (63%)
-94% resigned/left other employment within the last year due to academic qualifications
-48% actively seeking employment elsewhere
-80% disagreed that advanced qualifications increased changes for employment outside of the PS
-81% do not believe higher education enhances professional status to external organizations
Database incomplete- Info. Svcs Mgr. @ Office of the Svcs Commission. Database does not contain the most current info as staff are still entering-data.
No access to those listed in the database as Separated
Workers are being promoted within their organizations
However, they also thought that they were not able to work in various departments or areas within respective Ministries
::
Primarily motivated to obtain advanced qualifications because of opportunities for employment in an occupation of their choice; to a lesser extent by salaries and benefits
The majority disagreed that advanced qualifications will equip them with skills to improve performance of current job
Based on their level of education, workers are satisfied with salaries and have no immediate intention to upgrade qualifications as result of low pay
Respondents did not perceive distinct benefits in the public service from obtaining advanced education
mobility between government agencies should be an advantage or benefit of working in public service – in spite of secondment policy
Determine the needs and wants of government workers – social and economic factors, working conditions, work-life balance, and so forth – in order to decrease attrition.
