Evaluating the Disciplinary System of Public Servants in Egypt: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The development process in Egypt is faltering as a result of corruption and negligence of the public servant in performance. Therefore, the Civil Service Law issued in 2016 focused on increasing the number of penalties and amending disciplinary rules and procedures. Nevertheless, the performance of the public servant is still weak and neglected. There is no doubt that one of the reasons for this is the weak effectiveness of the discipline system. This study aims to identify these reasons and discuss the procedures for disciplining the public Servants in Egypt and comparing them with similar procedures in some Arab countries namely: (State of Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) to identify The similarities and differences between them and a discussion of weaknesses of the disciplinary system in Egypt. The study also aims to identify the factors that help improve the effectiveness of the disciplinary system in reducing undesirable behaviors of employees in government institutions in Egypt The study found that the heads of administrative units and supervisors were not given sufficient powers to impose appropriate penalties for the gravity of the job violations. Also, there is an exaggeration in providing guarantees to the employee to reduce the chances of misusing the disciplinary power of the heads and supervisors in government units, and to provide a degree of independence for the employee and not to be subjected to pressure from supervisors in implementing the laws. The civil service law in Egypt and Saudi Arabia stipulated that the judicial authorities intervene in disciplinary measures against employees, which led to a huge waste of time in investigations and trial proceedings, and neglect of the principle of immediate punishment. All of which helped to weaken the effectiveness of the disciplinary system in Egypt. The study recommended that it is important to amend the disciplinary system in Egypt to limit the interference of judicial bodies. Also, an organizational climate should be provided that generates employee self-desire to avoid negative behavior.