The Political Economy of Salary Harmonization Policy and Social Equity among Public Sector Workers in Liberia

This study investigated the political economy of salary harmonization and its impact on social equity in the public sector of Liberia. The study employed a quantitative approach and data analysis was done using SPSS descriptive statistics. With a population of 72,550 active civil servant, a sample size of 296 was derived and was distributed using the simple random sampling technique Findings showed that outcome of the salary harmonization produced undesirable outcomes. The Mean for the five items in the distribution for the first specific objective was 2.004 indicative a negative feedback. This shows that the political motivation for salary harmonization was not to reduce salary inequalities and enhance salary parity as indicated by the government of Liberia. There were six items with the Mean score of 2.041 that gauged the socio-economic impacts of salary harmonization on various categories of public sector workers in Liberia. This showed that the salary harmonization process cannot account for significant positive socio-economic impacts on public sector workers in Liberia. The last specific objective ascertained the implications of salary harmonization for social equity in the public sector. From the six questionnaire items in the distribution, the Mean was 2.02 indicating that salary harmonization process in its entirety cannot account for social equity among public sector workers in Liberia. The study recommended that there is a need for greater transparency, stakeholder engagement, and capacity-building measures to enhance the success and sustainability of future salary harmonization efforts.