Concept of Merit Principle in Management

Merit principle refers to the act of hiring, promoting, retaining, or firing employees based on their abilities, performance, and capabilities. Most governmental and non-governmental organisations adhere to the merit principle in their employment-related decisions to ensure that they do not exhibit any form of discrimination. According to this principle, an individual’s competence and ability are the main determinants.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Concept of Merit Principle in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Depending on the type of work, merit is determined by the level of education, experience, knowledge, and skills of an applicant. The merit ideology has been the main tool used by human resource personnel in the public sector to ensure the public enjoys excellent services from a workforce that is disciplined and neutral. The merit principle operates under the structures of merit syst em. In a merit system, the personnel management designs procedures and processes that make sure that the selection, retention, and promotion of in-service employees are based on merit and fitness. This is done to promote and improve the efficiency and economy of the workforce for the public good. In addition, an organisation needs to be served by not only productive, but also honest employees. The merit system is a form of equality law that prohibits any form of favouritism and political influence. Furthermore, the rewarding and retention should be on the individual ability without regard to sex, race, age, race, colour, religion, or nationality. The operation of merit system In any organisation, recruitment should be done openly to achieve a workforce that incorporates all segments of the society in a manner that is fair, transparent, and credible. This is an assurance that all receive equal opportunity. The personnel management needs to ensure that the privacy and constitutional r ights of the employees and applicants are not violated. The selection of workers for the advancement of their skills and knowledge should be determined solely by their relative abilities not by their affiliations. This not only encourages teamwork, but also acts as a motivational strategy. The merit system recognises the provision of an equal pay for substantial pieces of work of equal value. However, this should be in line with the efficiency and effectiveness of each particular employee. The merit system principles require that the workforce is consistently monitored and other programmes improved so that their performances meet the required standards and plans.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Organisations that are adhered to the merit principle are continually assessed and improved. Therefore, the workforce should be utilised efficiently and effectively to enhance th e growth and success of an organisation. Human resource development is key to organisational development. Effective provision of education and training to workers enhances individual performance. Also, it has the spillover effects to the organisational performance. Under the merit system, provision of education/training is a critical aspect of ensuring business success. To enhance public service delivery, employees need various training experiences especially when the techniques of work have been enhanced to meet the prevailing conditions. One core value of a merit system is fairness. This implies that there should be better reward and recognition. The merit system requires that performance should be the benchmark of recognition rather than other non-merit issues. In addition, the fact that a merit system safeguards the opportunity does not imply that the accountability is compromised. Employees are made to understand what is expected of them, and then given the opportunity to perfo rm. Thereafter, there are periodic appraisals evaluating their performances. The merit system has several contexts in which it applies. Some of them are in formulation of official bilingual policies, employment equity, and in the practices of new public administration. Official bilingualism This refers to the adoption of two languages as official ones to be used in all formal addresses and dealings in a state. For example, Canada has adopted both English and French as official languages to be used in all official undertakings. In most federal institutions, it is usually a requirement that they comply with the official languages act which stipulates that every institution should create an enabling environment for work to allow bilingualism to thrive. Thus, the organisations need to provide the freedom to use either of the languages in observance of public interest.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Concept of Merit Principle in Management specifically for yo u for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The merit system principles emphasise this fact by stating that all employees and applicants need to be treated equally in all aspects of personnel administration with proper disregard to non-merit factors such as language. Therefore, the merit system is an important method of ensuring the employees and applicants involved in the bilingual work environments are hired, appraised, and promoted on their abilities rather than language and in an open manner. Employment equity Employment equity refers to a set of activities or a programme that an organisation designs to ensure it exhibits equality in all the aspects of human resource management such as recruitment, pay, hiring, selection, promotion, training, and retention. An employment equity programme seeks to obtain a workforce that not only reflects all segments of the society, but also ensures that the employment systems provide a fair and equitable opportunity to develo p their potentials, realize their expectations and make maximum contributions to their respective workplaces. There has been a misconception that employment equity is a direct contradiction of the merit principle. However, this is not always the case. The employment equity normally attempts to observe that every applicant’s qualifications are recognised, and that non-merit factors such as race, religion, or gender are not. Thus, the fact is that employment equity does support and enforce the merit principle. Therefore, it should be recognised by all employers in public and private institutions. New public administration The concept of new public administration emphasises the fact that the administration should be responsive enough to the needs of the society and confine itself to the problems that afflict the society. New public administration advocates for the elimination of the defects in public personnel practices such as the inadequate emphasis to merit in promotion, lack of contractual employment, and the absence of incentives to boost productivity. Thus, it supports the principles of the merit system.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, using the merit system in the new public administration has raised many controversies as various critics argue that the newest of the new public administration only works for a limited period of time. When time elapses, it no longer remains new. This implies that the merit system has to change with time. From the foregoing discussion, it can be deduced that merit principle is an efficient and effective tool for ensuring that there is no discrimination in workplaces as far as hiring and promotion opportunities are concerned. Therefore, the authorities should ensure that all services in the public and private sectors adhere to the set merit system principles to enable the prevalence equality and equity. This case study on Concept of Merit Principle in Management was written and submitted by user Hayley T. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.