IMPACT OF GENDER ON MERITOCRATIZATION: A PANEL DATA STUDY

Abstract

Methods by which recruitment process takes place in any organization has important implications in the efficiency of that organization. Specifically recruitment method in public administration has important implications on the delivery of the public services. Lawmakers maintain certain independence in public job choices in all contemporary bureaucracies, which may lead to frictions in selection if political relations replace human expertise. Recruitment based on merit generates more efficient public officials than other selection methods. Some studies analyze education and skill distribution as the root cause of meritocratization in public administration. Some studies establish a strong link of gender in meritocracy. Literature establishes that female and male enrollment levels have different effects on the merit in practice. This research examines the relationship between gender education and meritocracy in different political regimes. With the help of rich data set covering 106 countries and ranging from time 1820 to 2010 and using multi regression analysis, this research finds and concludes some results: First, overall tertiary enrollment rates are positively linked to merit in practice in democracies whereas negatively linked to meritocracy in autocracies. Second, female and male tertiary enrollment rates promotes meritocracy in democracies as theory proposes that maintaining patronage network and keeping educated class out of administration is costly in such democracies, but contrary to this these enrollment rates negatively impact the meritocratization in autocracies. Third, within male and female tertiary enrollment levels, evidence suggests that female tertiary enrollment has a strong impact on meritocracy as compared to their male counterparts.