Acknowledgements -- List of abbreviations -- Introduction -- Structure, culture, and management: the status quo ante -- The European Commission and the process of enlargement -- The Kinnock reforms : preparing for enlargement, changing culture? -- The outsiders come in : self-selection, selection, and socialization of entry-level staff -- Fitting in or standing out? : the arrival of managers from the new member states -- Nationality : why it matters less than expected -- Gender : why it matters more than expected -- Language, culture, and management : the impact of enlargement on language use in the commission -- Conclusions -- Bibliography
In response to the 1999 crisis caused by the mass resignation of the European Commission, the Commission introduced a series of administrative reforms based in large part on New Public Management models. A centerpiece of those reforms was a new staff appraisal process linking numeric ratings with promotions, which was designed explicitly to change the management culture of the Commission. Of all parts of the reform, this was by far the most controversial. This paper traces the long arc of reform, as the original reform was replaced with a second version that was even more rigid and complex, leading to a third reform, in 2012, which returned the Commission in large part to the status quo ante, abandoning numeric ratings and the formal link to promotions. I analyze the reasons for the reforms and the problems and unintended consequences of each. In conclusion, I link this saga of repeated reforms to the broader literature on the effectiveness of attempts to change organizational culture through formal structural reforms.
In response to the 1999 crisis caused by the mass resignation of the European Commission, the Commission introduced a series of administrative reforms based in large part on New Public Management models. A centerpiece of those reforms was a new staff appraisal process linking numeric ratings with promotions, which was designed explicitly to change the management culture of the Commission. Of all parts of the reform, this was by far the most controversial. This paper traces the long arc of reform, as the original reform was replaced with a second version that was even more rigid and complex, leading to a third reform, in 2012, which returned the Commission in large part to the status quo ante, abandoning numeric ratings and the formal link to promotions. I analyze the reasons for the reforms and the problems and unintended consequences of each. In conclusion, I link this saga of repeated reforms to the broader literature on the effectiveness of attempts to change organizational culture through formal structural reforms.
L'élargissement de l'Union européenne en 2004 et 2007 fut de loin le plus considérable de son histoire. Il représenta un défi important pour la Commission : engager et intégrer des milliers de collaborateurs, originaires des nouveaux États membres, à tous les niveaux de l'institution. Cet article analyse le processus de recrutement des nouveaux directeurs (notamment le rôle qu'y jouent les gouvernement nationaux), les profils de ces nouveaux directeurs, ainsi que les défis qu'ils ont à relever à leur entrée dans la Commission, en particulier leur adaptation à la culture de cette institution. Cette intégration a été plus difficile pour un directeur expérimenté que pour un jeune débutant.
Résumé Depuis les années 1960, les institutions de l'UE s'en remettent à une procédure de concours pour recruter leur personnel, un système qui n'avait que peu évolué jusqu'à aujourd'hui. Ce système connaît à présent une réforme de grande envergure, qui en est actuellement à sa phase de mise en œuvre. Une approche fondée sur une analyse stratégique permet de comprendre comment la direction de l'Office européen de sélection du personnel (EPSO) est parvenue à venir à bout de la résistance au changement. Une analyse d'un point de vue de la gestion publique et de la sociologie politique donne des informations sur les défis auxquels EPSO fait face dans la mise en œuvre et l'évaluation de la réforme. Remarques à l'intention des praticiens L'un des atouts du modèle de dotation de l'UE concerne le rôle actif joué par les membres du personnel dans la sélection de leurs collègues via le recours à des jurys de concours. Le nouveau système maintient cette participation du personnel, tout en professionnalisant lesdits jurys. La réforme répond aux plaintes émises par les cadres et les responsables des institutions de l'UE au sujet de la lenteur, de la complexité et de la vétusté du système et ce sont eux, en tant que clients, qui évalueront au final l'efficacité de la réforme, en déterminant si elle leur permet d'engager du personnel de première qualité plus rapidement.
Since the 1960s, the EU institutions have relied on a system of open competitions (or concours ) for hiring staff, with only incremental changes. That system is now undergoing a major reform that is currently in the implementation phase. A policy analysis approach explains how the leadership of the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) overcame resistance to change. Analysis from a public management and political sociology perspective sheds light on the challenges EPSO faces in the implementation and evaluation of the reform.Points for practitionersOne strength of the EU staffing model is the active role of EU staff in selecting their peers through the use of Selection Boards. The new system maintains staff involvement while professionalizing the Selection Boards. The reform was responsive to complaints by managers and heads of EU institutions with a slow, complex, and antiquated system, and it is they, as key clients, who will ultimately evaluate the effectiveness of the reform in enabling them to hire top-quality staff more quickly.
