AN IDENTIFICATION OF CIVIL SERVANTS’ NEEDS (CASE STUDY: NORTHWEST DEVELOPMENT REGION, ROMANIA)
Simona Claudia Creţa1
Felicia Cornelia Macarie2
Ioana Alexandra Tuţă3
Abstract
The Public Administration Reform, all over the world, is strongly influenced by factors like globalization,
technological innovation, an efficient human resources’ management, cost – efficiency relation of services,
etc., and the general trend is toward adapting a more and more flexible system of personnel management
(respectively, civil servants), underlining mobility and professionals’ recruiting. With all steps made by
Romania in order to reform public sector, the analyses of the past years brought into light many deficiencies,
among which are, in our opinion, the most important ignoring civil servants, and especially their needs. We
live in a society where the number of those really involved in their activities increase rapidly. The job does
not represent anymore just a source of income, but a way to accomplish dreams – career, social and
professional recognition, and even power. Nowadays, the issue of work satisfaction is an omnipresent one in
Romania. What does the civil servant really want? Increasing pressure for improving management in public
sector comes from citizens and businesses. On the other hand, too much job specialization may lead to an
imminent fragmentation of activities, setting more and more specific goals and objectives and, eventually, to
an incapacity of the public sector to adapt to the continuing economic, social and politic changes (an
incapacity to reform public sector). Due to their importance, civil servants should be well trained, efficient,
accountable, creative, etc. However, in order to increase the attractiveness of public sector, first of all, we
should identify and analyze civil servants’ needs. Finally, it is a win-win situation, and both sides will meet
their interests.
Our research aims to identify civil servants’ needs; we considered such a research necessary, due to the small
number of researches regarding employees’ needs from different sectors, and most of the studies were
focused on employees’ motivation and motivation techniques that should be used by managers. For our study
we used a semi-structured interview based on an interview guide. Along with some general factors that
determine job attitude, we also identified specific needs of civil servants regarding plurality of offices,
improvement and promotion of public institutions’ image and civil servants’ image in the eyes of citizens, the
limitation of political involvement in public sector or the need to operate with a clear, coherent and consistent
legislation. Moreover, important steps were taken in the last decade with respect to civil servants’ career,
recruiting and selection process, transparency, code of conduct, etc. Still, there are some important issues that
were left behind, especially those regarding wage system.
1. Introduction
Public Administration Reform, all over the world, is strongly influenced by factors like globalization,
technological innovation, efficient management of human resources, cost-efficiency relation of the services
provided, etc., and the general trend is toward adapting a more and more flexible system to manage public
sector personnel. In Romania, reform measures should consider first the human resources responsible with
adaptation of internal legislation and decision-making. Still, with all steps made by our country in order to
reform civil service, the analyses of the past years brought into light many deficiencies, especially regarding
civil servants’ needs.
There is a wide range of terms used to define the changes in civil services and civil servants’ management.
Terms like reform, transition, change, adapt, innovation, reorganization, reinventing, etc. are used depending
on the nature and the intensity of public sector changes, and their level. In practice, countries of the world
have initiated some kinds of administrative reform, one way or another:
Assistant, PhD Student, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Lecturer, PhD, “Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3
Master Student,” Babeş-Bolyai” University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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2
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
A change in employment conditions of some civil servants - the new practices are more similar
with those in private sector (payment for performance, more flexibility in promoting, transfer
and short time contracts);
 Financial management reform – managers have more flexibility in order to optimize programs’
results;
 Minimize civil servants’ number for a higher efficiency in public sector’s activities;
 Some attributions of the ministers/departments regarding human resources management reform
were transferred to more or less autonomous organizations;
 Different types of decentralization; or
 Implementing intensive programs of reform – Canada, New Zeeland, Great Britain.
We may start our study regarding civil servants’ needs with the question “What civil servants really want?”
The answer is quite simple at a first look – civil servants, like millions of employees want everything, all they
could have but/and all they couldn’t have. But there is a problem; none employer, public or private
organization can become the fairy that can offer everything to individuals. At the best, they can consider
factors like payment, working conditions, promotion opportunities, etc. in order to reduce the dissatisfaction
of those on the labor market. What about intrinsic motivation?
We live in a society in which the number of those really involved in their work and workplace is visibly
increasing. For a long time now, the job isn’t just a source of income, but a way through which more and
more individuals see their dreams come true – career, personal growth, recognition, power. The problem of
job satisfaction is also ubiquitous in nowadays Romania.
2. Scope of the research
What do civil servants really want?
There’s a lot of pressure from citizens and businesses for the improvement of management in public sector.
On the other hand, an overspecialization may effect an imminent fragmentation of activities, setting
increasingly specialized objectives and goals, which will eventually lead to the incapacity of civil service to
adapt to the constant economic, social and political changes (incapacity to reform public sector).
Given their importance in a country, civil servants must be well trained, efficient, responsible, creative, etc.
But, in order to increase the attractiveness of public sector, an analysis of civil servants’ needs is requested. It
is a win-win situation, with mutual gains.
The present study tries to identify some needs of civil servants. We considered such a step necessary because
of the small number of researches on the employee’s needs in various sectors, and the fact that most studies
are focused on employee motivation and motivation techniques to be used by managers.
3. Theoretical framework regarding employee’s needs
In all organizations, including formal, public organizations, there is a variety of individual behaviors. What
exactly determines this diversity? Why two individuals, working in the same environment, performing the
same activities, comply to the same rules and procedures, function differently, having even different results?
Obviously, there are a lot of possible explanations – the differences are given by individual abilities, different
interests, different goals and objectives, different wishes, needs, etc. Ever since the 19 th century, the concept
of need was meticulously analyzed because of the possible explanations it may offer for the large diversity of
individual’s behavior. The needs determine us to want something specific, either something we lack, or
something we don’t consciously miss. The needs motivate us; an activated need causes a certain inner tension
that determines us to act in a specific manner.
Most psychologists define need (or necessity) as the psychological characteristic that determines an organism
to act in order to realize a goal; it represents the motive of action, which gives sense and direction to behavior.
On the one hand, we can assume that individuals have the same fundamental needs, because they are
objective (Thompson, 1987), universal (Doyal, Gough, 1991) – we can observe a certain unity in the large
diversity of behaviors; on the other hand, individuals’ needs may vary intra- and intercultural because of the
large variety of individuals and their perceptions – namely the relative character of needs (Allardt, 1973,
Goodin, 1990). Because of the different approaches regarding needs (and the multitude of individuals’
potential needs), researchers do not concord about an exact definition of needs, about needs’ hierarchy
(priorities of needs) (Maslow, 1943 Alderfer, 1972), about needs’ character, or criteria to identify needs
(Ryan, 1995). What do needs mean - lack, desire, or motive? Do they refer to assimilated individual
differences (learned from early childhood and varying from culture to culture) or are they universal, inherent
to human nature?
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Needs theories may support motivational theories, and determination of a set of individual needs.
Motivational theories based on needs (e.g. content theories) start by defining human needs as states of
necessity manifested through the occurrence of tension and a state of unbalance which require an action in
order to reestablish balance. For this, a goal that will satisfy the need has to be identified, and a behavior that
will lead to the achieving of that goal has to be selected. Human behavior is, therefore, motivated by
unsatisfied needs.
Motivation is a very important aspect in human resources management, and an important element for civil
service reform measures. Special literature points out four elements that contribute to achieve an adequate
motivation: job stability, especially in countries with a career system; social prestige conferred by a civil
service, or the feeling of affiliation to a group with a certain social status (affiliation to the corps of civil
servants). Moreover, there are potential motivations, the possibility to influence political decisions, to realize
certain objectives, and the feeling that through their work, civil servants contribute to the well-being of the
community or the individuals, etc. However, the most important are material motivations (payment, benefits,
and other forms of material rewards), along with job stability, mentioned above.
We centered our study on Herzberg’s dual factor theory (Herzberg, 1959, 1993). He sustains that individuals
have basic needs – hygiene needs – that lead to dissatisfaction when not meet them. Also, in case we meet
these needs, we will not be satisfied but we will have an optimum level of functioning (maintenance needs).
Along with these basic needs, Herzberg distinguishes motivator needs (satisfiers) that lead to satisfaction.
According to his theory, individuals have two types of needs – animal need to avoid harm and human need of
personal growth (physiological needs – hygiene factors, external, and motivator needs – motivator factors,
internal). Motivator factors, internal, refer to achievement, recognition, promotion, etc. while hygiene factors,
external, refers to work conditions, supervision, status, etc. (see Diagram 1).
Diagram 1
Hygiene factors
Dissatisfiers
Motivator factors
Satisfiers
Achievement
Recognition
Work itself
Responsibility
Advancement
Personal growth
Company policy and administration
Supervision
Relationship with supervisor
Work condition
Salary
Relationship with peers
Personal life
Relationship with subordinates
Status
Security
Herzberg considers that hygiene needs should be met in order to assure optimum working conditions.
Moreover, it seems that is no situation of no-dissatisfaction because there will be always reasons of
dissatisfaction among individuals. The two types of needs are not opposite, they are separate, distinct
(Diagram 2). If you are satisfied though satisfiers you will not have implicitly met hygiene needs.
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Diagram 2
Opposites
Satisfaction
Dissatisfaction
No Satisfaction
No Dissatisfaction
4. Methodology
For our study we used semi-structured interview, setting only the main themes for discussions (in our case,
motivation and civil servants’ needs). For our research, interviewing civil servants at their work place was
beneficial in order to limit non-answers. The instrument is flexible, increasing the possibility to gather
complex, profound data from a small number of respondents. There have been applied 24 individual, semistructured interviews in urban and rural areas (in decentralized and deconcentrated institutions and City
Halls). The subjects have ages between 22 and 54, average age is 37.3), and seniority between one month and
35 years. Our interview guide contains seven items which aimed to identify initial motivation of our subjects
when choosing their present job, and their needs conform to Herzberg’s dual factor theory. Most of our
respondents are women (18) and execution civil servants (19). Generally, civil servants were co-operating,
and there was only one non-answer (from an office manager).
5. Findings
Our interviews have as a starting point the initial motivation of the civil servants; we wanted to find out what
exactly determined our subjects to choose public sector, their jobs (so blamed by ones and desired by others).
The subjects were asked to tell why they did choose their actual job and what factors influenced them. The
answers were grouped as following, in the order of their frequencies:
 Opportunity – opportunity to work (anywhere), opportunity to work in public sector (9);
 Formal education – competence (5);
 Work itself (4) – work with people, exciting and complex tasks;
 Stability (3);
 Organizational dynamics (3);
 Social position (2);
 Career (1);
 Wish to help others (community);
 Family values.
Civil servants employment is influenced by labor market (offer-demands balance), the rules of the
employment system, and human resources management (job description, recruiting, selection, job evaluation,
career management). In Romania, the offer is quite big, due to deficiencies in private sector (a lack of
stability, comparable salaries) – the candidates are motivated mostly by stability (60%), prestige, social status
(19%), and promoting opportunities (19%)4.
Each employee is motivated one way or another. Each of us choose an activity area or organization where
he/she may satisfy his/her needs. Clark and Wilson (1961) grouped the incentives that may be used to
motivate employees in four main categories – tangible incentives (financial), solidarity, status and potential
incentives. Status refers to the prestige provided by a public sector job, the feeling of affiliation to a group
with an important position in society (civil servants corps), and potential motivation refers to opportunity to
influence decision-making process, to achieve objectives, and the belief that their work contribute to
community and individuals welfare. The most important incentives are financial incentives (salary, and
4
Public Office Barometer in Romania, Public Policy Institute, Bucharest, 2004
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financial benefits) along with job stability – not mentioned but extremely important in those countries that
present a career system.
Unfortunately, the initial motivation of the civil servants is not enough. Many times, Romanian human
resources management proved to be inconsistent, institutions’ managers weren’t sensible to employees needs,
no matter their type – communication, interpersonal relationships, recognition, responsibility, etc. Ignoring
civil servants’ needs may lead to dissatisfaction, to a limitation of their involvement in organizational
activities, and to a low performance. If we really want to reform public administration, the human resource
and services, and we want a client-oriented approach, along with citizens’ needs and organizational needs, we
should remember employees’ needs, whose attitude and behavior regarding tasks is essential in achieving
organizational goals.
The following questions respected Herzberg’s formula, and attempt to classify hygienic and motivator factors
(Diagram 3).
Diagram 3
Motivator factors
Hygiene factors
Achievement
Appraisal/Recognition
Work itself
Salary
Supervision
Relationships (especially informal) with
colleagues
Participative management
Supervision
Relationships with clients
Legislation
Responsibility
Relationships with other institutions in
the area
Work volume
None of our subjects refers to promotion as motivator factor, even if their seniority in present job varies
between one month and twenty five years. If the Law 188/1999 regarding civil servants was not quite explicit
in relation with civil servants’ promotion (the regulations aimed advancement based on seniority and annual
evaluations), in 2003 it was made a clear distinction between “automat” advancement on pay scales and
promotion (appointment in a new superior position) through competition, exams organized by NACS
(National Agency of Civil Servants) for leading positions, with the exception of office manager and
department manager positions and by the public authorities and bodies of the central and local public
administration, for executive public positions, office manager and department manager, as well as for
specific positions left vacant, with prior approval from the National Agency of Civil Servants. There is still a
possibility that the contests to be organized in a manner that favor some candidates.
Contrary to Herzberg theory, we find that salary, supervision, relationships with peers and participative
management – all external factors – represent satisfiers for our subjects (motivator factors). Among hygiene
factors, only responsibility is contrary to dual theory. Romanian civil servants’ retribution is based on basic
salary and other supplements and benefits5. As we see below, average earning in PA and Defense are higher
than national average earnings (higher than in education, for example) not because of the basic salary but of
the other benefits.
5
Law no. 188 from 08/12/1999 Regarding the Statute of Civil Servants, Republished in the Official Monitor,
Part I no. 365 from 29/05/2007
Art. 31. - (1) For the activity they perform, the civil servants have the right to a retribution comprised of: basic
salary; increment for experience in work; job supplement; supplement corresponding to the retribution level.
(2) The civil servants beneficiate of premiums and of other salary rights, within the limits of the law.
Art. 33. - (2) In case of hours worked from order of the manager of the public authority or body over the
regular working hours or in legal holidays either in days declared as non-working, the execution civil servants
are entitled to recovery or to an increased payment with increment of 100% of the basic salary. The number of
hours paid with 100% increment shall not exceed 360 per year.
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Diagram 4
Average earning in February 2009
3500
3000
2500
Ron
National level
2000
Public administration and
defense
1500
1000
500
0
Gross average earnings
Net average earnings
Source: National Institute of Statistics (www.insse.ro).
Positive and negative job attitude of our subject are shown below (Table 1).
Table 1
Factors
Factors
Positive attitude
Negative attitude
Interpersonal relationships (with co-workers and Salary differences (equity)
clients)
Lack of benefits
Team work
Work itself
Potential motivation
Responsibility (job description - lack of
responsibilities)
Supervision
Supervision
Work itself
Organizing
Salary
Work environment, work conditions
Work conditions
Corruption
Responsibility
Institution image – civil servants image
Appraisal/Recognition
Political involvement, spoil system
Plurality of offices
Ambiguous legislation
Difficult communication with central administration
Stress
There were identified, along with general needs of the employees, some specific needs of the civil servants
like the need for plurality of office, need to reduce political implication in internal management, a strict
delimitation of spoil system (and a need of merit system in local administration, promotion and recruitment
based on competence and expertise) a need to improve institutions’ and civil servants’ image in the eye of
citizens, a need for good communication with decision-makers and clear, simple legislation. There are
problems regarding working conditions – inappropriate buildings, a lack of technology, software, etc.
As regarding the plurality of offices, article 44, section 1 of the Law regarding civil servants6 stipulates that
civil servants shall not held positions in private organizations or other positions, except a position in
education system.
6 Art. 44. - (1) The civil servants are forbidden to hold management positions in the management structures or
bodies, elected or nominated, of political parties, defined according to their statute, of organizations with the
same juridical regime as the political parties or of foundations or associations operating within political
parties. Law no. 188 from 08/12/1999 Regarding the Statute of Civil Servants, Republished in the Official
Monitor, Part I no. 365 from 29/05/2007
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Regarding the image of civil servants and public institutions, IRSOP made in October 20057 a survey which
showed that the general level of dissatisfaction of the citizens regarding civil services is quite low (between
20% and 47%, depending on institutions, more exactly the main domain in which institutions functions).
Citizens are more dissatisfied by work environment in public institutions and by civil servants’ lack of
efficiency. Even if civil servants are considered competent (49%), they are seen as lazy and inefficient; even
if civil servants are considered to know the law (52%), they do not respect it; even if they are quite endearing,
they are not really preoccupied by citizens’ problems.
Our subjects were asked to enumerate a few changes they would make with respect to their jobs. The aim of
the question is to identify the reasons of actual dissatisfaction of the civil servants. What would they change if
they could?
 Responsibility;
 Promotion system;
 Motivation system;
 Relationships with other institutions and mass-media;
 Protection;
 Stress reduction;
 Supervision – more personal autonomy and delegation;
 Work conditions;
 Promoting a good image of institutions and civil servants in society;
 Training;
 Work itself – simplification of administrative processes, minimizing work volume (recruiting
more civil servants)
 Job description;
 Political involvement in institution management, merit system and no spoil system;
 Legislation – simple and clear.
We may make a comparison with the measures with positive effect on civil servants performance at national
level. Public Policy Institute8 realized a survey in which civil servants were asked to identify three positive
factors that will improve performance:
Diagram 5
Higher salaries
Training programs
1%
6% 1%
12%
Promotion based on personal merit
15%
High quality equipment
17%
87%
More recruitments
Use of hardware and software in
more departments
Reduce political involvement in
internal management
More local autonomy
21%
36%
Corruption reduction
51%
39%
Changes in management
Others
We may see that the factors identified by our subjects are similar with those identified at the national level.
The only possible distinction rests in the need of higher salaries (at national level), a need that was not
mentioned by our subjects. On the other hand, we may presume that the motivation system identified by our
respondents includes also financial motivations (and salary).
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8
IRSOP, Citizens Perception of the Public Office, 2004
Public Office Barometer in Romania, Public Policy Institute, Bucharest, 2004
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6. Conclusion
Based on our research, we identified general factors that determine job attitude, and motivator and hygiene
needs of civil servants – achievement, appraisal/recognition, work itself, salary, supervision, relationships,
responsibility – and some specific needs of civil servants regarding plurality of offices, improving and
promoting the image of public institutions and civil servants, reducing corruption and political interference in
internal management, and a need to operate with a clear, coherent and consistent legislation.
Contrary to Herzberg theory, we find that salary, supervision, relationships with peers and participative
management – all external factors – represent satisfiers for our subjects (motivator factors). Among hygiene
factors, only responsibility is contrary to dual theory.
7. References:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Alderfer, Clayton P. 1972. Existence, Relatedness, and Growth; Human Needs in Organizational
Settings, New York: Free Press
Allardt, Erik. 1973. About Dimensions of Welfare. University of Helsinki: Research Group for
Comparative Sociology. (Research Reports No. 1)
Bekke, Hans, James L. Perry, and Theo A. J. Toonen. 1996. Civil Service Systems in Comparative
Perspective, Indiana University Press
Clark, P.B. and J. Q. Wilson. 1961. Incentive System: A Theory of Organization. Administrative
Science Quarterly. 6: 129- 166.
Doyal, Len and Ian Gough. 1991. A Theory of Human Need. Macmillan.
Goodin, Robert E. 1990. Stabilizing Expectations: The Role of Earnings-Related Benefits in Social
Welfare Policy. Ethics. Vol. 100. 3: 530-553
Herzberg, Frederick. 1959. The Motivation to Work. New York: John Wiley and Sons
Herzberg, Frederick, Bernard Mauser, and Barbara Bloch Snyderman. 1993. The Motivation to
Work. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers
Maslow, A., H. 1943. A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review 50(4):370-96.
Ryan, R. M. 1995. Psychological Needs and the Facilitation of Integrative Processes. Journal of
Personality. 63: 397-427.
Thomson, Garrett. 1987. Needs. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul
*** IRSOP, Citizens Perception of the Public Office, 2004
*** Law no. 188 from 08/12/1999 Regarding the Statute of Civil Servants, Republished in the
Official Monitor, Part I no. 365, 29/05/2007
*** Public Office Barometer in Romania, Public Policy Institute, Bucharest, 2004 (www.ipp.ro)
*** www.insse.ro
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