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Incentives and Human Resource Management in the Design of Public Sector Reform

Author

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  • Nadeem Ul Haque

    (International Monetary Fund, Colombo, Sri Lanka.)

Abstract

We, in Pakistan, should be very happy that the global development community has finally accepted the centrality of public sector reform (also known as improved governance) in the quest for improved living standards in poor countries. Development economics is a subject that is based on the interpretation and observation of some Western academics and Western donor-based agencies. We should have some sympathy for these leaders of development thought and policy for they have struggled with integrating the prevailing theme (fad) in Western thought and philanthropy with learning about the societies and economies that they were supposed to be prescribing for. Using the principle of “ends justifying the means”, they defend their reliance on the current “fad” as well as on the only clearly visible, organised and powerful actor—the government, no matter how inefficient—they would. The result is that this approach led to a long era of government-led development, which centralised policy- and decision-making, initiated planning, and created a wide range of public-sector institutions. The role of the government was thus extended into areas that were conceptually indefensible. In this manner, the public servant grew into her new much more lustrous and looser robes. A bloated, over-centralised, and a private sector inhibiting government was created to be the observation and implementation outpost of the development word. This was the first step in the transformation of the public sector in the direction of misgovernance.

Suggested Citation

  • Nadeem Ul Haque, 1999. "Incentives and Human Resource Management in the Design of Public Sector Reform," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 38(4), pages 471-488.
  • Handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:38:y:1999:i:4:p:471-488
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    File URL: http://www.pide.org.pk/pdf/PDR/1999/Volume4/471-488.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Andrew Warner, 1995. "Economic Reform and the Process of Global Integration," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 26(1, 25th A), pages 1-118.
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    Cited by:

    1. Muhammad Irfan, 2010. "A Review of the Labour Market Research at PIDE 1957-2009," PIDE Books, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, number 2010:1 edited by Rashid Amjad & Aurangzeb A. Hashmi.

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