Transcript Ilia State University  The Project Team  The main aim of the research  The research hypothesis  Sociological Research Methodology  The Analysis of the Results   The main problems.

Ilia State University

The Project Team
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The main aim of the research

The research hypothesis
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Sociological Research Methodology
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The Analysis of the Results
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The main problems and difficulties
encountered in the process of research
Expected Results
Main Staff
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Charkviani Tamar
The Project leader
PhD candidate

Chelidze Ana
Senior researcher
PhD candidate

Jgerenaia Emzar
Senior researcher
Full Professor
Students
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Kitoshvili Ana
BA student
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Khinikadze Salome
BA student

Margvelashvili Sopho
BA student

Tabagari Nino
BA
The main aim of the research:
The study of strategies for public service management
and analyses of factors assisting/hindering the
formation of the new type of management –
meritocracy.
The aims and objectives of our research relate to:

Patterns/practices of transformation of management strategies and the
adaptation of civil servants in public services;

The role of informal relationships in institutionalisation of meritocratic
principles in the public service management system;
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Factors determining success in public services (social origin, level of
education, loyalty to the ruling party, contribution to the Rose
Revolution, etc.)
What the formal norms are for selecting personnel and promotion in
public services and how much they coincide with common practice there.
The informal relationships prevail over
meritocratic principles in the system of
public service management, which
hinders the process of institutionalisation
of meritocracy
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Analysis of theories
related to our subject such as
theories of bureaucracy,
transformation, informal
relationships etc.
Analysis of documents
administrative documents,
documents connected with the
job market, CVs, HR
department materials, etc.
The necessary material has
already been identified.

In-depth interviews

Narrative interviews
The interviews were conducted
in different public institutions:
ministries and the parliament
of Georgia. The selection of
public servants included public
servants of different ranks.
52 from planed 55 interviews
have been conducted.
The documentation sources and interview transcripts
will be processed using the computer program ‘QDA
Miner’ - both approaches will be used:

Qualitative
Discourse
analysis

Quantitative
Traditional content
analysis
The analysis will be based mainly on a descriptive procedure,
methods such as interpretation, conceptualisation, grouping of
data, typology, correlation analysis, etc. as well as SWOT
analysis will also be used.

The decision to participate in the interviews is taken with caution.
In one case we had to compromise and have a ‘rehearsal’ interview with an
official, as this was their condition for allowing us to conduct and record the
interview the second time round.
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The provision of consent to give interviews and the selection of
respondents is carried out under the supervision of high rank
officials, and the process takes a long time.
Heads of ministries prefer to designate higher rank officials as
respondents.
In one case we had to conduct an interview with a deputy minister, despite the
fact that political public servants are not included in our target group; the
ministry had insisted on this.
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In some ministries it has been impossible to contact respondents
using official contact mechanisms, so we had to use personal
contacts to get in touch with them.
4 ministries have refused to participate in the research.
The reason for the refusal in one case was lack of time, in another our letter
was refused immediately, and in two other cases it has been impossible to
establish any contact.
The problem has been overcome by replacing the ministries with other public
institutions.

Interviewers encountered problems with making audio recordings
of the interviews in the ministries.
The problem has been overcome by numerous telephone requests made by the
leader of the project.
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The empirical sociological research will fill in the gaps in scientific
knowledge about the functioning of public services in postSoviet Georgia.
The results will be valuable for the state, as they will make information –
relevant and topical for the process of reformation of public services –
available for practical reflection;
The results will help social researchers and political actors to refine and
implement strategy for public services.
The project intends to give practical assistance to Georgian public
servants in identifying the problems connected with their work
relationships.
The data acquired as a result of the research and its analysis will help the
leadership of public institutions to expose and analyse the problems
existing in the management of public institutions, in order to take
practical steps in solving them later.
The results and findings of the
sociological research will be reflected in
the analytical article and monograph
These will be circulated within the
public services and among persons
interested in the subject
ASCN Annual Conference
24-25 June 2011