Government and Policy-Making Reform in China: The Implications of Governing Capacity by Bill K. P. Chou

Author:Bill K. P. Chou [Chou, Bill K. P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnic Studies, Social Science, Political Science, American Government, Regional Studies, General
ISBN: 9781134075423
Google: lYd9AgAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 17476607
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2009-05-07T00:00:00+00:00

Reform of staff development

Performance appraisal and training are two major staff-development activities. A good performance appraisal can provide employees with regular feedback on their work and give them opportunities to correct their weaknesses. The feedback and opportunities are essential for raising employees’ productivity and channelling their abilities and efforts to fit organisational expectations. Training is necessary to improve employees’ work-related attitude, skills and knowledge. Good training programmes help employees to correct their weaknesses (Pynes 1997: 122; Dresang 1999: 181; Klingner and Nalbandian 1998: 275).

The performance-appraisal exercises in the past failed to give employees regular feedback on their performance. In 1989, the CCP decreed an annual mandatory appraisal, but the regular annual appraisal was an exception, not a rule. Only leading officials had to undergo performance appraisal; appraisals of non-leading officials were uncommon (Contemporary China Editorial Committee 1994: 369; China Personnel Yearbook Editorial Board 1991: 98). The laxity in performance-appraisal exercises was due to the exercises’ potential to damage personal relationships (guanxi). Under the Chinese administrative hierarchy, the reporting line was vertical, and horizontal coordination among the different functional bureaucracies was insufficient. Information and directives across departments had to be conveyed through informal channels buttressed by personal relationships. Personal relationships could only be cultivated in a harmonious work environment in which people avoided the type of conflict that would potentially arise when discussing their colleagues’ weaknesses. Hence many local leaders were reluctant to do performance-appraisal exercises (Fewsmith 1996; Takahara 1992: 88).

Another weakness of the past performance-appraisal system was that it prioritised political integrity rather than merits. The major purpose of the past performance-appraisal exercise was to spot ‘corrupt cadres’, not to improve cadres’ performance. A cadre’s political stance was the main determinant of his or her rise or fall. In addition, the past performance-appraisal system could neither differentiate between cadres of different performance levels, nor link the performance levels with rewards and disciplinary actions. Accordingly, appraisal activities could not effectively motivate cadres to work towards organisational missions (Harding 1981: 85–6; Lee 1991: 389; Contemporary China Editorial Committee 1994: 372–4).

The promulgation of the Provisional Regulations of State Civil Servant Appraisal in 1994 kicked off the performance-appraisal reform. Department directors were required to appraise all their department members at the end or beginning of every year. At the beginning of the appraisal exercises, departments had to set up appraisal commissions composed of representatives from management, labour side and personnel offices to oversee appraisal exercises. Department members were required to write personal reports of their work performance. Based on these personal reports and their own assessments, department directors rated civil servants according to a four-grade classification: excellent, satisfactory, basically satisfactory and unsatisfactory. In comparison to the three-grade classification adopted in 1993, the four-grade classification was believed to be better able to provide an accurate record of civil servants’ performance levels and give them feedback. Appraisal grades are assigned on the basis of five performance areas: political credentials (de); ability (neng); diligence (qin); achievement (ji); and integrity (lian). The Law of Civil Servants did not clearly specify the performance areas.

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