Meritocracy vs cadre deployment in the global South: an integrative review

Anos Chitamba and Strinivasan Soondrasan Pillay
Additional contact information
Anos Chitamba: Durban University of Technology
Strinivasan Soondrasan Pillay: Durban University of Technology

International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293), 2025, vol. 7, issue 3, 387-393

Abstract: This integrative review examines the persistent governance challenge between meritocracy and cadre deployment within public administration in the Global South. Meritocracy focuses on the selection and advancement of individuals based on their qualifications, skills, and performance, while cadre deployment pertains to politically motivated appointments within the civil service, often rationalized in post-liberation or dominant-party environments. The review integrates empirical research, policy analyses, and comparative case studies to evaluate the effects of these competing approaches on state capacity, public service delivery, institutional integrity, and governance outcomes. The findings suggest that meritocratic systems, as demonstrated by countries such as Botswana and Rwanda, are positively correlated with administrative efficiency, professional ethics, and developmental progress. Conversely, cadre deployment, prevalent in contexts like South Africa and Zimbabwe, is typically associated with diminished institutional autonomy, corruption, and state capture. Grounded in the Developmental State Theory, this review highlights the significance of capable, independent, and professional bureaucracies for sustainable development. The study concludes that incorporating meritocratic principles into governance frameworks is vital for fostering long-term institutional resilience and public trust in the Global South. Key Words:Meritocracy, Cadre deployment, Governance, Public administration, Global South, Institutional development, Developmental state, State capacity

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.bussecon.com/ojs/index.php/ijbes/article/view/886/500 (application/pdf)
https://doi.org/10.36096/ijbes.v7i3.886 (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:adi:ijbess:v:7:y:2025:i:3:p:387-393

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293) is currently edited by Umit Hacioglu

More articles in International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy (2687-2293) from Bussecon International Academy Bussecon International Academy, School of Business, IHU, Ordu cad. F-05 Blok No 3, 34480 Basaksehir, Istanbul, Turkey. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Umit Hacioglu ().