Abstract:

As one of the important techniques of modern human resources management, the determination of standard positions has recently been on the agenda in Turkey as well and it has been started to use in the public sector. If the Turkish literature on the determination of standard positions is examined, it can be generally seen that the technical aspects of process of determining standard positions are treated and/or positive law and practices related to the determination of standard positions are evaluated. As far as it is searched, neither theoretically nor empirically the role of public servants and public service unions in the process of determining standard positions and their attitudes toward the work of determining standard positions have been examined in the Turkish literature. In this paper, the attitudes (thoughts, opinions, expectations, worries, etc.) of public servants in different status and the public service unions toward the technique of determining standard positions have been treated. In the light of observations made in the course of the interviews done with public servants in different status during works of determining standard positions in two different kind public organisations, the official publications of prominent confederations of labour and public service unions, and interviews made with the official administrators of such unions, the attitudes of public servants and their unions toward the work of determining standard positions in the public sector have been evaluated. As a result of this evaluation, it can be concluded that it is more beneficial to initiate an integrative reorganisation effort based on the consensus of related parties instead of regarding such managerial techniques as a magic stick. Therefore, it should be adopted an approach in the Turkish public administration taking the negative opinions and true worries of public servants, not disregarding difficulties emerged during the recent works of determining standard positions in various public organisations, and considering the arguments of public service unions. The works of determining standard positions with such an approach is going to be a significant tool for preventing unnecessary position and personnel accumulation in certain areas of public administration, reinforcing necessary areas with positions and personnel, preventing appointment based on nepotism, cronyism and political considerations, and thus, for putting merit principle into practice.

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