Doctor Who 2 (6/15/2013)
Good question, Steve. And I've read some of the responses (not all yet), and they're all great. I'd say that I don't believe I've ever worked in a place where they had a meritocracy. I work for a university now, and have been here for many years. Before that I worked in state government. It's been my experience that working in the public sector has nothing, or nearly nothing, to do with merit, except to get you the job in the first place. I've seen too many people just punching the clock, because they're got a couple more years to go before they retire with the civil service pension, and whether they bend over backwards to help anyone else, or merely do the minimum, doesn't make much difference. I think I'd like to work in a place where merit meant more and had more influence. Where I work now, everyone gets the same percentage pay raise (if there is any pay raise), so that tends to foster an attitude of not putting out 110%. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that all people who work in the public sector just do a minimum to get by. I also know of many people, working in the public sector, who really bust their buns to get the job done. They go above and beyond the call of duty. It's just that I think there's more than the average amount of people who don't do more than the minimum amount to get a job done. Merit would be good to see, and may bring about change. However, in this I really feel like an outsider looking in, so I don't know if I'm correct about merit making a change or not.
I can see where that is. In the UK, we have trade unions which have traditionally tried to enforce a "no merit-related pay" policy and although those unions have lost all power and credibility almost everywhere else they are still extremely powerful in connection with working for government (whether national, regional, or local government). In fact it often appears that the trade unions whose members work for government want to enforce a policy that says (a) no matter how badly you do your job no-one can use that against you in any way, (b) everyone must have an inflation plus pay-rise every year, even if they are demonstrably incompetent, and (c) trade union officials must be paid amazingly large salaries and other benefits (far more than any dozen of their members could get). Public sector - merit: these are two things which, according to our trade unions, much never be associated.
edit: it occurs to me that with that avatar you may be a UK-ite yourself, in which case you already know all that I've said here.
Tom