Three dimensions for analyzing public sector pay administration are used to examine central government pay administration in Sweden and the United States of America. On the first dimension, market posture, both countries are found to fall short of their espoused policy, comparability. Greater consistency is found on the second dimension, social orientation, where both countries have pursued the goal of social equality. The equilization of salary levels across society is far greater in Sweden in keeping with the socialist objectives of wage solidarity. The third dimension, reward structure, shows the greatest distance between the two countries with the struggle to implement performance-contingent pay underway in the U.S. while Swedes continue to rely on longevity for pay increases.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Advisory Committee on Federal Pay (1979–1986). Annual Report of the Advisory Committee on Federal PayWashington, D.C.: Advisory Committee on Federal Pay.
2.
AndersonD. (1987). Vad Saeger Marknaden on Solidarisk Loenepolitik?Stockholm: Tryckeri AB Smaaland.
3.
BjoeklundA. (1987). “Assessing the Decline of Wage Dispersion in Sweden” pp. 101–112 in EliassonG. (ed.) IUI Yearbook 1986–1987. Stockholm: Industrial Institute for Economic and Social Research (IUI).
4.
CalmforsL. (1987). “Comments” pp. 174–181 in BosworthB. P.RivlinA. M. (eds.) The Swedish Economy. Washington, D.C.: Brookings.
5.
CayerN. J. (1986). Public Administration in the United States. Second Edition. New York: St. Martin's Press.
6.
DaleyD. (1987). “Merit Pay Enters with a Whimper: The Initial Federal Civil Service Reform Experience”Review of Public Personnel Administration7 (Spring): 72–79.
7.
DeiacoE. (1987). “Why is Government Spending Outgrowing GDP?” pp. 85–94 in EliassonG. (ed.) IUI Yearbook 1986–1987. Stockholm: Industrial Institute for Economic and Social Research (IUI).
8.
DometriusN. C.SigelmanL. (1984). “Assessing Progress Toward Affirmative Action Goals in State and Local Government: A New Benchmark”Public Administration Review44 (May/June): 241–246.
9.
EdgrenG.FaxenK.OdhnerC. (1973). Wage Formation and the Economy. London: Ruskin House.
10.
ErixonL.FraserN. (1984). “Traenger den Offentliga Sektorn undan den Privat?”Saertrycksserie, Nr. 128. Stockholm: Institutet foer Social Forskning.
FlanaganR. (1987). “Efficiency and Equality in Swedish Labor Markets” pp. 125–184 in BosworthB. P.RivlinA. M. (eds.) The Swedish Economy. Washington, D.C.: Brookings.
13.
GustafssonS. (1976). Loenebildning och Loenestruktur inom den statliga sektorn. Uppsala: IUI/Almqvist och Wiksell.
14.
HanssonI.JonungL.MyhrmanJ.SoederstroemH. T. (1985). Sweden—the Road to Stability. Stockholm: SNS. Hay/Huggins Company and Hay Management Consultants (1984). “Study of Total Compensation in the Federal, State and Private Sectors” Submitted to the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service of the House of Representatives, 98th Congress, second session, December 4. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
15.
HecksherG. (1984). The Welfare State and Beyond. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
16.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) (1983). “Government Employment and Pay: Some International Comparisons” Occasional Paper, no. 24. Washington, D.C. (October).
17.
JakobssonU. (1984). “A Note on Incomes Policy from a Swedish Perspective” SAF Doc no 1410 (June). Stockholm: Swedish Employers' Confederation.
18.
JonssonL.SivenC. (1986). Why Wage Differentials?Stockholm: Swedish Employers' Confederation.
19.
KesslerS. (1983). “Comparability” in RobinsonD.MayhewK. (eds.) Pay Policies for the Future. New York: Oxford University Press.
20.
KlevmarkenN. A. (1983). Loenebildning och Loenestruktur: En Jaemforelse mellan Sverige och USA. Stockholm: Atmqvist och Wiksell.
21.
Kommunaltjaenstemannakartellen (KTK) (1986). KTK i siffror 1985: Loene och medlemsstatistik sammanstaelld i juni 1986. Stockholm: KTK.
KruseA. (ed.) (1984). Den Offentliga Sektorns effekter paa sysselsaettningen. NU 1984, 3. NP: Nordiska ministerraadet, NAUT-sysselsaettningsutskottet.
25.
LashS. (1985). “The End of Neo-corporatism?” The Breakdown of Centralized Bargaining in Sweden”British Journal of Industrial Relations23 (July): 215–239.
26.
LewisG. B. (1987). “Changing Patterns of Sexual Discrimination in Federal Employment”Review of Public Personnel Administration7 (Spring): 1–13.
27.
LundbergE. (1985). “The Rise and Fall of the Swedish Model”Journal of Economic Literature23 (March): 1–36.
28.
MeidnerR. (1974). Coordination and Solidarity: An Approach to Wages Policy. Stockholm: Landsorganisationen.
29.
NeptuneP. (1987). “Statstjaenstemannen kraever kompensatoin for loeneglidning”TCO Tidningen, 28 August.
30.
OestmanL. (1987). Loenepolitik. Stockholm: SAF.
31.
OlssonL. (1987). “Vaelj Raett Loenesystem”Affaerer och Foeretag6 (juni): 67–68.
32.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1982). Employment in the Public Sector. Paris: OECD.
33.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1985). Employment Outlook. Paris: OECD.
34.
PearceJ.PerryJ. L. (1983). “Federal Merit Pay: A Longitudinal Analysis”Public Administration Review43 (July/August): 315–325.
35.
PerryJ. L. (1986). “Merit Pay in the Public Sector: The Case for a Failure of Theory”Review of Public Personnel Administration7 (Fall): 57–69.
36.
PetersG. B. (1985). “Sweden: The Explosion of Public Employment” in RoseR. (ed.) Public Employment in Western Nations. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
37.
RehnG. (1953). “The Problem of Stability: An Analysis and Some Policy Proposals” pp. 30–54 in TurveyR. (ed.) Wages under Full Employment. London: Wm. Hodge and Co.
38.
RobinsonD.MayhewK. (eds.) (1983). Pay Policies for the Future. New York: Oxford University Press.
39.
RoseR. (ed.) (1985). Public Employment in Western Nations. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
40.
Saerskild Arbetsgrupp foer SAV, SF, TCO-S och SACO/SR-S (1987). “Loenesystem, loenestatistik m m inom den statliga sektorn, Ettap 1” Stockholm, (maj).
SmithS. (1979). “Compensating Wage Differentials and Public Policy: A Review”Industrial and Labor Relations Review32: 339–352.
43.
SohlmanA. (1984). “Loenebildningen i den Offentliga Sektorn i Sverige” pp. 109–151 in KruseA. (ed.) Offentlig Sektor och sysselsaettning. NAUT 1984: 6, NP: Nordiska arbetsmarknadsutskottet.
44.
Svenska Statens Arbetsgivaverket (SAV) (1970–1987). Informerar. Stockholm: SAV.
45.
Svenska Statens Arbetsgivaverket (SAV) (1986). Avtal. Stockholm: SAV.
46.
Svenska Statistiska Centralbyraan (SCB) (1987A). Loener och Sysselsaettning Inom Of/entlig Sektorn, 1986: Del 1 Statsanstaellda. Stockholm: Stastiska Centralbyraan.
Svenska Statistiska Centralbyraan (SCB) (1985). Offentliga Sektorn140. Stockholm: Statistiska Centralbyraan.
49.
Svenska Statistiska Centralbyraan (SCB) (1986A) Wages and Salaries of Women and Men. Stockholm: Statistics Sweden.
50.
Svenska Statistiska Centralbyraan (SCB) (SCB) (1986B). Women and Men on the Labour Market. Stockholm: Statistics Sweden.
51.
Swedish Engineering Employers' Association (VF) (ND). “VF's Pay Policy” Stockholm: VF.
52.
Swedish Ministry of Finance (1987A). The Swedish Budget 1987/88. Stockholm: Norstedts Tryckeri.
53.
Swedish Ministry of Finance (1987B). Press Release 28 April. Stockholm.
54.
Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) (1983). Wage Policy for the Eighties. Stockholm: Swedish Trade Union Confederation.
55.
Swedish Trade Union Confederation (LO) (1987). LO News (June) No. 2. Stockholm: Landsorganisationen i Sverige.
56.
TCO-S, (1986). Lag och Avtal for den Statliga Sektorn. Stockholm: TCO-S.
57.
TCO-S, (1986). Statsjaenstemannens Loene och Anstaellnings Vilkor 1986. Stockholm: TCO-S.
58.
TCO-S, (ND). Unpublished memorandum.
59.
U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO 1984). An Assessment of SES Performance Appraisal. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, (May 16).
60.
U.S. General Accounting Office (1987A). Federal Pay: Changes to the Methods for Comparing Federal and Private Sector Salaries. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, (May).
61.
U.S. General Accounting Office (1987B). Pay for Performance. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, (January).
62.
U.S. General Accounting Office (1980). Problems in Developing and Implementing a Total Compensation Plan for Federal Employees. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, (December 5).
63.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) (1979–1985). Federal Civilian Work Force Statistics: Pay Structure of the Federal Civil Service. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
64.
U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) (1986). Productivity Gainsharing in the Public Sector. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government: Printing Office.
65.
Veckans Affaerer (1986). “Svenska chefer loeneproletariat” April 4: 75–77.
66.
VentiS. F. (1987). “Wages in the Federal and Private Sectors” pp. 147–182 in WiseD. A. (ed.) Public Sector Payrolls. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
