Public Administration during the Girmit Time Period: A Study of the Fiji Islands

Naidu, Suwastika and Chand, Anand and Lako, Jone and Dayal, Maureen and Pandaram, Atishwar (2017) Public Administration during the Girmit Time Period: A Study of the Fiji Islands. UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

The traditional path of Fiji’s public administration was permanently modified when the first Indian labourers were brought to Fiji in the year 1879. The public administration system during the colonial times was based on some of major philosophies of scientific management. The main aim of this paper is to examine the public administration system during the Girmit time period in the Fiji Islands. This study found that Taylor’s principles of achieving maximum productivity from workers while ignoring the workers personal welfare and interests dominated the British rule during the Girmit time period. The Girmitiya’s were propelled to work on harsh working conditions with lack of incentives to improve their performance. The public administration system during the Girmit times viewed workers as commodities that will help the British rule to achieve their macroeconomic goal of establishing revenue generating activities around Fiji. The contracts made during the Girmit time period were not purely enforceable and changed where needed to suit the interest of the British rule. Economic policies made during the Girmit time period lacked collaboration and consultation and was made entirely to serve the interests of the British rule.

Item Type:	Other
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D880 Developing Countries D History General and Old World > DU Oceania (South Seas) H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Divisions:	Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Management and Public Administration
Depositing User:	Suwastika Naidu
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2017 22:27
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2017 22:27
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/9700

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