Career barriers in civil service in Russia

Abstract

Civil servants in Russia face a persisting problem of slow career progression which reduces their motivation. The paper aims to examine how aspirations, satisfaction with rank advancement and professional growth and career mobility affect civil servants’ career path. The methodological framework of the research is Weber’s bureaucratic theory and Evans and Rauch’s concept of predictable career ladders. The research methods include system-based analysis and synthesis, comparing and polling. Experts’ assessments of the role of some career barriers in the system of civil servants motivation are ambiguous. In 2018, we conducted a career obstacles study based on two executive bodies of Sverdlovsk oblast and covering the opinions of 152 respondents. We found that most civil servants gave a pessimistic assessment of their career growth opportunities. At the same time, they were highly satisfied with their career path and sought to maintain the achieved job positions. This indicates that civil servants do not aspire to increase their job ranks, which is a subjective career barrier. The research results also show that career mobility is low and the talent pool, acting as its channel, is ineffective. Poor career mobility hampers career growth and encourages civil servants to rest satisfied with their current positions, who, when reach the career plateau, are motivated by professional development and the strengthening of their current status or quit their jobs.

Keywords

• civil service
• career mobility
• career aspirations
• career satisfaction
• career barriers