Challenges of Bureaucracy in Nigeria’s Civil Services
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The objectives of the study are;
- To determine the effect of hierarchical arrangement staff in the Nigeria Civil Service.
- To ascertain the effect of over rigidity of duties in the Nigeria Civil Service.
- To examine the impact of management by formal rule in the Nigeria Civil Service.
- To ascertain the challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
CONCEPT OF BUREAUCRACY
Observing organizations and being concern about its efficiency. The German sociologist Max Weber (1864‐1920) developed an ideal model of bureaucratic theory of management as part of the total social theory which stressed on stringently defined hierarchy governed by rules and clearly delineated lines of authority (Inyang, 2004). He viewed a perfect organisation to be highly bureaucratized whose exercises and purposes are reasonably thought out and divisions of work unequivocally stated. Max Weber’s theory of bureaucracy can be viewed as a way of accomplishing organisational effectiveness and proficiency in service delivery through effective leadership, order, division of work and specialization, chain of command, useful specificity, standards, directions and procedures (Alornyeku, 2011). As indicated by Danjuma and Kamaruddin (2014) bureaucracy as a system of administration aims at enhancing efficiency in both public and private organizations based on clearly laid down rules, regulations and the legitimate use of formal authority. It is system where accentuation is placed on legitimate authority, knowledge and qualification as the basis for selection into public service. However, many public organisations such as the civil service both federal and states as well as other organisations today have profited from Weber’s work. Division of work in organisation has been a crucial feature of an organisation structure. Dividing labour into clear specialize authority and obligations that are legitimized as official obligations helps to increase workers performance (Danjuma & Philip, 2016). Bureaucracy is necessary in civil service to characterize jobs and obligations. It encourages activities by ensuring that workers obligation is characterized clearly. Bureaucrat who are properly trained champions bureaucratic systems, and recruitment are based strictly on merit and qualifications, all of which affects the well functioning of activities within an organisation. However, the civil service bureaucracy with its attendant corruption and ethnicity has truncate this principle in most ministries, agencies and parastatals and lead to a situation where the wrong personnel are recruited based on favoritism to fill vacant position leading to poor performance (Kamaruddin, 2014). The achievement of government relies to large extent on how public service bureaucracy functions. A productive and unbiased public bureaucracy is a basis for a sound democratic framework which is critical to efficient public bureaucracy (Mouzelis, 2015). Civil service bureaucracy has a critical part to play in the administration of the state, as it is endowed with public property. The important role of civil service in any country cannot be overemphasized, however, it is observed that a number of governmental laudable policies that would have contributed to the development of the country have been hampered by ineffective implementation of such policies.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought Challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information Challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services. 200 staffs of state secretariat, Uyo were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain Challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing challenges of the Challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services
Summary
This study was on Challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services. Four objectives were raised which included:To determine the effect of hierarchical arrangement staff in the Nigeria Civil Service, to ascertain the effect of over rigidity of duties in the Nigeria Civil Service, to examine the impact of management by formal rule in the Nigeria Civil Service and to ascertain the challenges of bureaucracy in Nigeria civil services. In line with these objectives, two research hypotheses were formulated and two null hypotheses were posited. The total population for the study is 200 selected staffs of secretariat, Uyo. The researcher used questionnaires as the instrument for the data collection. Descriptive Survey research design was adopted for this study. A total of 133 respondents made directors, secretaries, administrative staffs and junior staff were used for the study. The data collected were presented in tables and analyzed using simple percentages and frequencies
Conclusion
It can be concluded that bureaucracy as a system of administration aim at enhancing efficiency in organizations based on clearly laid down rules, regulations and the legitimate use of formal authority. However adherence to basic bureaucratic tenets such as formal structure and administration by rules, merit based recruitment on skills and qualifications and hierarchy of authority could lead to improved efficiency. Therefore, public service bureaucracy in Nigeria should pay attention to the basic tenets of bureaucracy in order to enhance service delivery while eradicating negative bureaucratic tendency and allows for workers flexibility in the ever increasing dynamic work environment for improved service delivery in the Nigerian public service.
Recommendation
The following recommendations were made:
- The civil service in Nigeria should make effort at adopting the flat structure rather than the pinnacle-like hierarchical arrangement, in order to enhance decision making and communication flow in the system. Also, well articulated reforms which will enshrine proper institutionalization of Weberian ideal tenets of bureaucracy should be carried out as well as proper implementation of the SEVICOM objectives in ministries, parastatals and agencies in order to enhance efficiency of the civil service.
- Recruitment into public service should be based on merit as well as qualification while eradicating favoritism, ethnicity and religious sentiments in public service recruitment to improve the quality of workers recruited into the service and efficiency of public service.
- Though regulations are essential to guide the activities of staff in the civil service, there is no organisation that could made rules for all employees activities, as such rules should be flexible in the public service and allows for workers initiative in response to changes in the environment. Also, government should provide incentives for bureaucrats who adheres to ideal bureaucratic tenets in the civil service
References
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- Alornyeku L., 2011. Rethinking public services in Nigeria. Ibadan: Carligate Publishing Company Limited.
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- Charles H., 2011. The effect of bureaucracy on the performance of Jordanian Multinational Corporations. Jordanian Journal of Business, 34(6), 102-119.
- Danjuma, B., and Philip A., 2016. Bureaucracy and development in Nigeria: Issues and perspectives. Journal of Developing Country Studies, 1(2), 1-11.
- Danjuma, H. and Kamaruddin O., 2014. The implications of effective application of bureaucracy in public organisations in Nigeria. Journal of Developing Country Studies, 3 (2), 32-41.