The Impact of Differentiation and Differential on Hong Kong's Career Public Service
| DOI | 10.1177/0020852303069002007 |
| Published date | 01 June 2003 |
| Author | Brian Brewer |
| Date | 01 June 2003 |
| Subject Matter | Journal Article |
The impact of differentiation and differential on
Hong Kong’s career public service
Brian Brewer
Abstract
The public administration principles characteristic of many Commonwealth countries
served as the foundations for building the Hong Kong civil service. These have
continued to operate in line with the ‘one country two systems’ concept under which
Hong Kong has been administered, since 1997, as a Special Administrative Region
(SAR) of China. Career employment, hierarchy and public service values combined to
provide an overarching unity to a system that nevertheless has developed considerable
differentiation over time. This article examines the developments that are currently
modifying Hong Kong’s public sector. The discussion draws on documentary sources
and a recently completed qualitative study on the experiences and perspectives of
senior Hong Kong managers working in a dozen government departments and
agencies. The discussion addresses questions about whether greater differentiation
across government departments, in combination with increasing differential within
these organizations, will ultimately bring about the demise of the traditional civil
service system.
Introduction
Differentiation refers to the disaggregation of public organizations. It may in-
volve, for example, the creation of new independent or quasi-independent
agencies, substantial reductions in the civil service establishment or the shifting of
service delivery responsibilities to subsidiary organizations. It is a macro-level
concept. In comparison, differential deals with micro-level changes that impact
directly on civil service structures and management processes. Examples include
contracting out, new recruitment practices and an increased variation in employ-
ment terms and conditions within and across grades in the civil service. Both
differentiation and differential have the potential to change profoundly the tradi-
tional civil service system of government influenced by the Westminster model.
This article examines some of the ways that differentiation and differential
have been changing the nature of Hong Kong’s public sector, particularly since
the advent of concerted public sector reform efforts 15 years ago. Drawing on
Brian Brewer is Associate Professor at the Department of Public and Social Adminis-
tration, City University of Hong Kong, China. The work described in this article was fully
supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region, China (RGC Ref.: CityU 1169/9911). CDU: 35.08(512.317).
International Review of Administrative Sciences [0020–8523(200306)69:2]
Copyright © 2003 IIAS. SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New
Delhi), Vol.69 (2003), 219–233; 033531
02_IRAS69/2 articles 22/5/03 12:00 pm Page 219
To continue reading
Request your trial