Comparing Civil Service Systems

Abstract

In this introductory chapter, we propose a conceptual framework for describing and comparing civil service systems at the operational level. We distinguish four modes of public employment – bureaucratization, professionalization, politicization, and marketization – largely based on different patterns of control over entry and promotion. By utilizing expert-based survey data, we examine how East and Southeast Asian civil service systems perform on these modes of public employment. It is found that Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan develop civil service systems with high levels of bureaucratization and low levels of politicization; Singapore and Hong Kong, civil service systems with high levels of professionalization and marketization; Indonesia and the Philippines, civil service systems with high levels of bureaucratization and moderate levels of politicization; Malaysia and Vietnam, civil service systems with high levels of bureaucratization and politicization; Thailand, a civil service system with high levels of bureaucratization and low levels of politicization.