The Principle of Equal

Opportunity in Kosovo’s
Employment System: A Survey
of Citizens’ Perceptions

 What you know vs. who you know

 Discrimination in public & private sector
 Chances on advancement in society
1
 The Principle of Equal
Opportunity in Kosovo’s
Employment System: A Survey
of Citizens’ Perceptions

What you know vs. who you know

Discrimination in public & private sector

Chances on advancement in society

Authors:
Leonard Ibrahimi, MA
Faton Pacolli, MA candidate

November 2008
3
 About kimp
The Kosovar Institute for Media and Policy (kimp) is a recently established think
tank institute that conducts researches and analyses which are organized around
more than 12 programs grouped under two themes.

POLICY RESEARCH

With programs based on scientific criteria, kimp possesses enormous potential to

broaden public policy debates and to encourage more intelligent and democratic
policy formation. Research based on both a) quality – conducting research
by using the best practices in the field and their availability for open scientific
discussion and, b) independence – carrying out research without external
interference, represents a fundamental value of kimp. In other words, the institute
attempts to play a crucial role in relation to the three basic stages of policy
processes, particularly, in
agenda setting–broadening the variety of options considered by policymakers,
and deepening the knowledge base with which they are evaluated, and at the
implementation stage–serving as both supervisor that monitors whether declared
and legislated policies are actually translated into reality, and independent body
that assesses the benefits and costs of these policies.

MEDIA STUDIES

Design & Layout:
trembelat
© 2oo8 by the Kosovar
Institute for Media and Policy.
All rights reserved.
Tel: o38 739 692
Fax: o38 739 692
Web: www.kimp-ks.org
kimp is the only institution of its kind with resident experts conducting researches
in the area of media & communication. Therefore, conducting analyses of the
content of mass media and reporting the findings of the analyses (i.e., analyzing
media texts to show evidence of problematic representations of the ‘Other’;
analyzing content of media messages with regard to their reflection of reality
and consistency with democratic practices; and, analyzing how media messages
influence individual behavior and discourse concerning different social issues) is an
exclusivity of the kimp.

4
Contents
Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................6
Acronyms ....................................................................................................................7
Executive Summary ....................................................................................................8
Introduction..............................................................................................................10
Kosovo Employment System: what you know vs. who you know .............................15
Perceptions on Discrimination in Employment and its Consequences ....................18
Perceptions regarding the chances on Advancement in Society ..............................23
Conclusions and Recommendations.........................................................................25
Appendix: Research Methodology ............................................................................28
Bibliography .............................................................................................................30

5
 Acknowledgements
Several individuals were included in conducting this research; we thank all of them.
In particular, we would like to thank Ms. Arta Demaj, Ms. Valbona Prekorogja, and
Mr. Fatmir Ramaj for their very useful help and suggestions during the course of
this project.

6
Acronyms
AA Affirmative Action

EOP Equal Opportunity Policy

EU European Union

KIMP Kosovar Institute for Media and Policy

NEOC National Equal Opportunity Commission

SIGMA Support for Improvement in Governance and Management

SRSG Special Representative of the Secretary General

UNDP United Nations Development Program

UNMIK United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo

US United States

WB World Bank

7
 Executive summary
The greatest challenge facing Kosovo in the coming years relates to the principle of
equality; labor market discrimination is so pervasive and dynamic in Kosovo society
that simply there is no time to wait – urgent preventive measures are compulsory.
Although there was no political will to tackle this problem, Kosovo government
should acknowledge the importance of equality (fairness for all) as the basis for
social justice and wealth economy, and accordingly, design and implement legal
framework for the adoption of measures combating discrimination in employment
on ground of political affiliation or conviction, gender, ethnicity, age and disability.

This project presents an assessment of citizens’ perceptions regarding the

principle of equal opportunity – whether equality is respected in areas of
employment such as recruitment, training and promotion. The results of the
research should be considered carefully by political authorities given that, the
sample was representative, well chosen and included 1180 respondents of
voting age – 60 percent rural vs. 40 percent urban; moreover, the narratives of
participants’ experiences indicate that the situation regarding the equality in
access to employment is far from wished. Hence, they represent citizens’ point
of view regarding a very important issue that affects their lives and needs urgent
treatment.

The report revealed that Kosovo employment system is based purely on

preferential way of recruitment, and furthermore, citizens were confident that
political authorities are to be blamed for this. In other words, findings suggest that
the labor market discrimination in Kosovo is certainty, and there is a systemic
discrimination against certain groups of people in public and private sector.

The discrimination is made on basis of political affiliation or conviction; moreover,

research participants were clearly confident that finding a job in Kosovo depends
on political connections rather than on qualifications. The other group of people,
discriminated by Kosovo employment practices and procedures, are persons with
disability, where disability is perceived as a personal tragedy, and not as a societal
problem. The analysis revealed that ethnic minorities are also treated less fairly;
in addition, there is evidence to suggest that, being a woman and from an ethnic
minority is doubly disadvantageous. And, last but certainly not least, research

8
findings suggest that discrimination on the ground of age or ageism is pervasive
and very dynamic in Kosovo; moreover, it occurs at many points in the employment
areas, although mostly on the interview stage.

The study also established two worrying findings; first, inequality in access to
employment pushes members of “targeted groups” to leave the country. And
second, the top worrying finding of this research – the dominant perception in
Kosovo is that it’s almost impossible to move up in Kosovo society through hard
work and education. The qualitative analysis about these findings highlights the
citizens’ concerns and disappointments and accordingly perceived consequences for
Kosovo society.

To end with, the report emphasizes some very disturbing results that Kosovo
society faces with; however, they constitute an important foundation for tackling
of inequality in access to employment. Thus, the final section presents some
recommendations for the government and other political actors on how to deal
with this problem, such as a) the prompt passage of the essential legislation
aiming establishing a legal labor infrastructure in Kosovo, in accordance with
EU legislation, which excludes all kinds of discrimination b) designing and
implementation of Equal Opportunity Policy (EOPs), aiming to encourage
change and move towards the genuine provision of fairness; c) designing and
implementation of Affirmative Actions Programs (AA), attempting to act positively
and affirmatively in removing the barriers that prevent “targeted groups” from
having equal access to employment; d) establishing the National Equal Opportunity
Commission (NEOC), a coherent body that aims to fulfill the constitutional promise
of equality in all its dimensions; and, e) Designing and launching of different
campaigns aiming to increase the public awareness of equality and diversity, their
societal and economic benefits.

Therefore, the Kosovo citizens have spoken and they have spoken very clearly –
labor market discrimination is certainty; whole categories of people are being
excluded from the world of work, and accordingly they are being excluded from
the opportunity of living with dignity. Now it’s time for the political authorities
to reflect on the inequality in employment and its consequences and to put
the fairness in employment, at the center of all public – policy making and
implementation.

9
 Introduction
The principle of equality is not just a fundamental right and a very important
cornerstone of a democratic society but also incredibly challenging issue that
needs careful treatment and nurturing. Therefore, the struggle for the promotion
of this principle has been one of the defining features of American life for decades;
“it was at the heart of civil rights movement” (Burstein 1994, p. ix). On the other
hand, EU has continuously acknowledged the importance of equal opportunity
– this principle has been considered as a key means to social inclusion.1 Very
often this concept has been replaced with the notion of management of diversity
although, according to Noon & Ogbonna (2001, p. 1), “in both theory and practice it
offers a new challenge to both conceptualizing and tackling the issues of equality,
discrimination and injustice in employment”.

However, in new established democracies, such as Kosovo, the principle of equal

opportunity can be assumed to be even more essential – rather than anything
else, new democracies need social cohesiveness and better relationships between
different sections of society. Thus, the widespread confidence that the labor
market operates fairly, with recruitment and promotion based on merit would lead
to what sociologists call identification with system; and of course, perceptions of
discrimination and unfairness would lead to alienation from the system.2 If this is so,
then the crucial issue is that the principle of equal opportunity is perceived by the
government as a part of all public – policy making and implementation and not
just as an ordinary concern that can wait to be solved.

1 Equality of opportunity is also protected by the European Community Law; moreover, it’s considered as
a fundamental human right that would also accelerate economic growth by maximizing human potential. For
more information see: European Union 2006, ‘Consolidated Versions on EU and of the Treaty Establishing The
Community’, Official Journal of the European Union, C 321, pp. 109 – 111 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/
LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:321E:0001:0331:EN:pdf, (pdf document, accessed October 21, 2008).
2 The identification with system occurs when citizens have confidence on leadership – because the system
functions fairly and without discrimination. The opposite, alienation from the system is reflected through great
mistrust on political leadership; the consequences are voter apathy, decline in political party affiliation etc.
For more information see: Mayer et al. 200o, Comparative Politics: Nations and Theories in a Changing World,
Prentice Hall, New Jersey

10

1 Equality of opportu-
nity is essential to
the pursuit of long – term
prosperity. Institutions that
implement policies of equal
opportunity where all mem-
bers of society have similar
chances to become socially
active, politically influential,
and economically productive
– contribute to sustainable
growth and development.
Greater equity in employ-
ment is thus doubly good for
poverty reduction: through
potential beneficial effects on
aggregate long – run develop-
ment and through greater op-
portunities for poorer groups
within any society.
(Source: World Develop-
ment Report 2006, pp. 1 – 3)
In this context, Kosovo faces an essential problem; the principle of equal
opportunity remains a dimension that needs an immediate treatment. Since
the end of the 1999 war, the political leadership, in general, has encouraged the
employment on basis of political affiliation, or even more, everything was taken
into consideration except the possession of meritorious characteristics.
The recent UNDP Early Warning Report suggests that, “education and vocational
training are less important than giving bribes and having important friends as far
as gaining employment in the public sector is concerned”.3
The politicization of recruitment appears to be rising, particularly, in public
administration. According to SIGMA,4 recruitment procedures are not being
followed and the civil service is being increasingly politicized. This means that civil
service is being used to employ political activist belonging to the political party in
power. And, as a result, SIGMA argues that in most municipalities, the civil service
shows a general lack of professionalism in implementing transparent, non –
politicized, ethnically and gender balanced procedures in employment areas such
as recruitment and promotion.
Therefore, the “hidden” labor market discrimination is so pervasive in Kosovo
society that simply there is no time to wait – immediate action is required. Which
course Kosovo will go depends on the decisions of its political leadership; however,
the role of the other actors, such as active citizenry, international community and
civil society is essential to make the right choices.
Kosovo would benefit by respecting the principle of equal opportunity in many
aspects. As a post – communist country, Kosovo needs economic development
in order to fight poverty. And, according to World Bank,5 economic development
3 UNDP Early Warning Report, among others suggest that the factors that help the employability of an
individual, ranked based on the relevance, as far as employment in public sector is concerned are: 1) bribes, 2)
having important friends, 3) professional experience, 4) education, and 5) vocational training. For more information
see: UNDP Kosovo 2008, ‘Early Warning Report Kosovo’, Report #19, http://www.kosovo.undp.org/repository/docs/
EWR_19_Eng_.pdf, (pdf document, accessed October 17, 2008).
4 SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management) has conducted Public Administration
Reform Assessment in Kosovo. The report has identified a lot of flaws in Kosovo’s Public Administration. For more
information see: SIGMA 2004, ‘Balkans Public Administration Reform Assessment – Kosovo’, http://www.oecd.org/
dataoecd/60/16/36501718.pdf, (pdf document, accessed October 20, 2008).
5 On September 2005, World Bank published the report that, among others, analyzes the equity (equality of op-
portunity), its advantages to economic development. For more information see: World Bank 2005, World Develop-
ment Report 2006: Equity and Development, Oxford University Press, New York.
11

2 Ultimately, fairness is
a crucial element in
any social compact; inclusion
is a spirit of equality. Social
inclusion is determined by the
equality of opportunities; it is
achieved through removal of
obstacles that exclude people
from equal access to employ-
ment. Societies in which
perceived fairness is neglected
ultimately can reach tipping
points at which massive
social unrest occurs. And thus,
increasing repression becomes
necessary to sustain the exist-
ing social order. Clearly, neither
social unrest nor repression is
desirable. In other words, pro-
moting fairness is a strategy to
avoid the depressing conse-
quences of social exclusion for
social cohesion.
(Source: Jain, H. C. et al.
2003, pp. ix – 13)
12
and labor discrimination exclude each other; what is more, World Bank suggests
that a focus on equal opportunity should be a central concern in the design
and implementation of policy for development and growth – none of today’s
prosperous societies developed by excluding its members from economic and
political opportunities (2005, pp. 36 – 43). In addition, Jain et al. (2003, pp. xi – 1),
argue that fairness in employment setting is compatible with the goals of efficiency,
economic growth and prosperity. Therefore, the struggle against labor market
discrimination is essential to economic and political prosperity and it continues for
a long time, in a variety of areas.
On the other hand, in the course of their analysis of the labor market
discrimination Oswick & Rosenthal (2001, pp. 156 – 161), suggest that “a common
feature of the labor discrimination theories is the heavy reliance upon the ‘own
group/different group’ perspective”, and Kosovo as a post – conflict society is weak
to differentiation – it has more than it needs. Therefore, building a labor force that
is representative of the pool of potential applicants with appropriate qualifications,
including people who think differently, ethnic minorities, women and persons with
disabilities, should be considered by political leadership as the only way of building
a cohesive and healthy society. Furthermore, only then political establishment
might demand loyalty from all its members.6
And last but certainly not least, the concept of equal opportunities rests also on a
moral objective, which is social justice (Kaler 2001, p. 51); offering people the chance to
compete on an equal basis is the only way of maximizing their human potential, which
on the other hand, represents realization of the social justice. In other words, there
are reasons of both economic efficiency and societal justice, for Kosovo government
to focus on employment system, combat discrimination on the labor market and
prevent the exclusion of people from the world of work. What is more, this is essential
to creating a political environment in which state institutions will be respected and
defended with commitment by all members of Kosovo society.
6 The British examples view a cohesive society as a society with the diversity of backgrounds of its members be-
ing positively valued and the provision of equal opportunity for all in society. Moreover, providing equal opportunity
to its members and valuing their diversity is necessary and sufficient condition of building a cohesive and healthy
society. For more information see: Markus, A. & Kirpitchenko, L. 2007, ‘Conceptualizing Social cohesion’, in Social
Cohesion in Australia, eds. Jupp, J. et al. Cambridge University Press, New York.

3 In the United States,
the dominant percep-
tion is that every one can
move up in society through
hard work and education.
In view of that, equal op-
portunity for all members
of the society regardless of
their race, religion or sex is
an important or absolutely
essential American value.
Therefore, a specific view of
this reality dominates the U.S.
culture; it is communicated
both explicitly and implicitly
through media messages,
public speeches, schools, and
other social institutions – it
is a constitutive component
of American Dream.
(Source: Alberts et al.
2006, pp. 250 – 255)
Despite social and economic benefits to Kosovo society, there was no political
will, at least till now, to tackle this problem. Kosovo political authorities ignored
the issue of fairness in employment by offering a deregulated environment of
employment, although experiences of democratic societies,7 suggest that some
form of legislation is crucial to provide a suitable environment for organizations
(employers – public and private) to enact policies that encourage equality of
opportunities. Therefore, up till now there is no law on labor promulgated by
Kosovo Parliament; employment relationships are governed by UNMIK Regulation
no. 2001/27 on Essential Labor Law in Kosovo.8 The section 2 (two) of this
regulation consists of 6 (six) paragraphs and prohibits all kinds of discrimination.
Of course this is insufficient; even advanced democracies such as US and EU,
where discrimination on the labor market belongs to the past, still commit a huge
importance to the equality in employment and accordingly, they constantly design
and implement not just Equal Opportunity Policies (EOPs) but also evaluating
programs for these policies.
Thus, the research analyzes the results of a survey on citizens’ perceptions
concerning the value of the equal opportunity in areas of recruitment and
promotion where potential or actual employees are in competition with each
other for different positions. The research methodology which formed the basis
of this study is described in detail in Appendix. In brief, the research strategy
involved three elements: a) review of relevant literature and reports that highlight
the meaning of equal opportunity and its importance to society; b) questionnaire
survey; and, c) focus groups discussions.
A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and data collection
techniques were used to obtain a comprehensive view of whether the principle
of equal opportunity is being respected in areas of recruitment and promotion
both in public and private sector. The idea was that through triangulation – the
strategy of making studies more reliable, to overcome the weaknesses or biases
7 Democratic societies such as United States of America, European Union, Australia, Canada and others have a
huge amount of legislation that regulates the employment area; moreover, these societies have designed and imple-
mented Equal Opportunity Policies and Affirmative Actions Programs based on that legislation to tackle the issue of
labor market discrimination. For more information see: Jain, H. C. et al. 2003, Employment Equity and Affirmative
Action: An International Comparison, M.E. Sharpe, New York.
8 On October 2001, the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) promulgated the Regulation on
Essential Labor Law in Kosovo. The Regulation governs the employment relationships concerning employment con-
tracts and collective arrangements; among others it protects employees’ rights and prohibits gender discrimination.
Additionally, the regulation provides for annual leaves, minimum wage, overtime pay, maternity leaves and sick leaves.
13
 that come from the use of just one method; according to Jick (1979, pp. 602 –
611), “triangulation is not only examining the same phenomenon from multiple
perspectives but also increasing understanding when new or deeper insight
emerges”.

The report examines the research’s results from different viewpoints, that is,
a description of results of a survey based on questionnaire combined with
presentation of the qualitative data. The first section provides detailed information
of what is more valid, what you know or who you know, in order to find a job in
Kosovo. The second section focuses on a) representation of citizens’ perceptions
about discrimination in employment in public & private sector on the one hand
and the consequences of this phenomenon to Kosovo society on the other, and
b) representation of citizens’ perceptions and a detailed analysis of qualitative
data concerning the chances on advancement in Kosovo society. And finally, the
third section provides some conclusions and then recommendations to successful
implementation of the fairness in employment system; and in view of that,
combating the discrimination on the labor market, and thus building a just and a
healthy society.

14
Kosovo employment system:
what you know vs. who you know
The principle of equal opportunity suggests that all current and prospective
employees receive fair treatment in hiring, training, and promotion. Quite the
opposite, the research revealed that a large percentage of respondents (80.5
percent) believed that certain groups of people are treated preferentially in areas of
employment such as recruitment, training and promotion (Figure 1). Education was
related to this attitude; eighty seven percent of those who have superior education
believed that there is no fair treatment in recruitment and promotion practices.
Also, gender was very closely attached to this issue, 84.7 percent of female think
that some groups of people are favorably treated in employment and promotion.

Participants of the focus groups discussions described the ways in which they
thought certain groups of people are being treated preferentially. For example one
said:

I work in a public sector and I have the highest educational

qualification in the team of seven members; however, last
year when the post of the leader was vacant the municipal
authorities named for the head of team a man without
superior education – he was political activist of political
party in power.

02 04 06 08 0 100

15
 Another research participant pointed out that even when female candidates are
hired to work in a certain job they are still not given a fair chance for promotion:

A friend of mine was recruited to work in a private company.

In Kosovo it’s not
important what you She had superior education and now, more than five years of
know in order to find a experience; however, she never had a chance for promotion.
job, it’s who you know; Instead of her, a male without working experience was
therefore, the preferen- promoted… When my friend complained to her boss she was
tial style of recruitment
based on aphorism:
told that the first thing she had to do was gaining the boss’s
it’s not what you know, trust.
it’s who you know – is
more than reality. The survey also established that 91.4 percent of all respondents believed that in
Albanian male,
MA student of law order to find job in Kosovo it’s better to have political connections; only 8.6 percent
of respondents thought that being qualified is more important to find a job (Figure
2). There was no worth mentioning distinction among respondents’ categories
regarding this attitude. On the whole, different categories of respondents, such as:
employed and unemployed; juniors and seniors; Albanians, Serbians and Bosniacs;
male and female agreed that being qualified is not satisfactorily enough to find a
job in Kosovo; rather than qualification are needed political connections.

Qualitative analysis elucidates the more critical viewpoint of research participants

regarding their information about the underestimation of the qualifications to
employability; moreover, some research participants stated that the qualification is
the last thing some employers, private and public, take into consideration. As one
research participant commented:

02 04 06 08 0 100

16

Central and local au-
thorities have social,
political and further-
more, moral obligation
to develop the concept
of diversity, by recruit-
ing female employees,
and accordingly en-
couraging the active
participation of female
in cultural and political
developments.
Albanian female,
student of political science
I have superior education, BA in law and I have applied for
certain positions in different companies, including the public
ones. Simply, there was no job for me; the reason was I didn’t
belong to any of political parties, particularly to those in
power. And, believe it or not I have started my carrier, and I
still work as electro – worker.
Some research participants drew attention to as they said “a very shaming way of
dealing with potential employees”. According to them some civil employers even
play with dignity of those who apply for certain positions. As one of them MA
student of law said:
Two years ago I have applied for a job in Ministry of Internal
Affairs. A lot of documents were required; within two weeks
I managed to complete them. When I went to submit the
documents I saw a friend of mine who was working in one
of the departments of this ministry; and, he told me that
the supposed vacant post in fact was not vacant – a male
was working there for more than three months; and, he was
political militant of the political party to whom belonged
the Ministry of Internal Affairs… To conclude, in Kosovo it’s
not important what you know in order to find a job, it’s who
you know; therefore, the preferential style of recruitment
based on aphorism: it’s not what you know, it’s who you
know – is more than reality.
17
 Perceptions on discrimination in
employment and its consequences
For us, above 40 Very concerning results were obtained from respondents when they were asked to
years old, and rate the discrimination in employment in public sector. An impressive majority of
without supe- them rated it as “very high”, 83.3 percent; whilst just 1.6 percent of them rated it as
rior education “low” (Figure 3). The gender and nationality were very closely related to this belief;
that don’t have therefore, the only two significant distinctions noted among different respondents’
friends in key po- categories was that eighty – eight percent of Serbs and 87.8 percent of female rated
sitions, or political the discrimination in public sector as “very high”.
connections it’s
almost impos- In addition, more than on anything else, research participants in focus groups
discussions were unanimous regarding the labor market discrimination in public
sible to find a job.
sector. All of them, without any exception, agreed that public sector, in particular,
Bosniac male, age 43
the public administration has became an employer of political activists and of those
who have political connections. As one research participant commented, “The
public administration serves as an employer of political militants; it’s filled with
unprofessional employees; and, accordingly remains one of the most corrupted and
unreformed sectors in the country”.

02 04 06 08 0 100

18
 Some research participants were very concerned in relation to as they said, “the fact
that women in public administration are disproportionately represented”. An Albanian
female, student of Political Science said:

For us that don’t have

political connections or Women are underrepresented everywhere, particularly, in
money to bribe some- local institutions… Inequalities between the sexes might
one, simply there is no have significantly adverse effects on welfare… Central and
job. Last time when I local authorities have social, political and furthermore, moral
applied for a job in the
National and Univer-
obligation to develop the concept of diversity, by recruiting
sity Library of Kosovo, female employees, and accordingly encouraging the active
most of the candidates participation of female in cultural and political developments;
had superior educa- and, this might be done if there is a movement from viewing
tion; paradoxically, the
diversity as separate and disadvantage to a context in which
person who won the
job had just secondary diversity is valued and institutionalized.
school.
Albanian female, age 33 A remark to which an ethnic minority woman added, “The officials of the public
administration in my municipality that is Dragash (Gora) are continuously preserving
differences between ethnicities and genders; and as a result they discourage
multicultural expression. I hope they will stop doing this; it’s the only reasonable
decision because, ethnic minority women, for now, are disadvantaged by gender as well
as ethnicity”.

The survey asked participants how they would rate the discrimination in employment
in private sector. A clear majority of respondents (55.2 percent) rated it as “very high”,
whilst 4.2 percent rated it as “low” (Figure 4). The results show that sex and age were
strongly attached to this attitude; hence, 67.5 percent of female and 76.8 percent of
respondents who belong to the age group (41 - ), rated the discrimination in private
sector as “very high”.

On the other hand, qualitative data give more detailed view of aforementioned
figures. Debate within focus groups highlighted some participants’ experiences in
relation to employment areas such as recruitment, training and promotion in private
organizations. One Albanian woman said that she was more than confident that
concerning the training there is discrimination in private sector; in fact she was a
victim of such discrimination:

19
 02 04 06 08 0 100

People need to believe

that labor market oper-
ates fairly. This raises
citizens’ confidence
in their political lead-
ers and accordingly in
political system; oth-
erwise, the crisis of
confidence will spread
out and of course, those
who do not have politi-
cal connections, that is,
most of us, have no
other choice except to
leave the country.
Bosniac male, age 47

I work together with 12 workers in a private organization. One

day a foreign organization came and told us that they were
ready to train one of us. Then eight of the workers applied
for training courses – seven female and one male. Our boss
selected the male to attend the training.

Many research participants expressed their concerns in relation to labor market

discrimination, particularly in area of hiring, towards the people older than 45 years.
One participant commented that it’s very difficult for this category of people to find a
job: “most of the times when I have applied for a job, bosses say to me that I am too old
for that job”. A remark to which an ethnic minority man added: “For us, above 40 years
old, and without superior education that don’t have friends in key positions, or political
connections it’s almost impossible to find a job”.

When asked whether the discrimination in employment pushes people not to see any
future perspectives for them here in Kosovo, an impressive majority of respondents (85
percent) strongly agreed whilst just 1.2 percent of them strongly disagreed (Figure 5). In
general, this opinion was shared, more or less, proportionally among various categories
of respondents: Albanians, Serbians, and Bosniacs; educated and uneducated; employed
and unemployed; juniors and seniors; male and female, agreed that the discrimination in
employment pushes people not to see any future perspectives for them here in Kosovo.

20
 02 04 06 08 0 100

Some professors of
Prishtine University
are exercising several
duties – lecturing at
public and at several
private universities;
in addition, they are
political advisers of
some ministers. At the
same time there are
a lot of young people
that have gained MA
or even PhD degrees at
famous international
universities, and they
never get a chance to
find job. These acts, on
the other hand, exclude Focus groups discussions clarified this strong relationship between discrimination
those precious people in employment and lose of hope in having a promising future for the people here in
from public life and ac- Kosovo; moreover, some participants said that discrimination in employment should be
cordingly they are being considered as the main factor that incites people to leave the country. As one Albanian
pushed to leave Kosovo
woman commented:
when they are needed
the most.
Albanian female, age 31 I have gained a diploma in Faculty of Philology at Prishtina
University eight years ago, and yet I have no job. Until now
I have applied for a job more than 40 times… For us that
don’t have political connections or money to bribe someone,
simply there is no job… Last time when I applied for a job in
the National and University Library of Kosovo, most of the
candidates had superior education; paradoxically, the person
who won the job had just secondary school… A friend of
mine who knew this girl told me that she had some political
connections that nobody can reject… As a result, in recent
times I am thinking to leave the country, because I can’t see
any future perspectives for me and my son here in Kosovo.

For others, including minority participants, labor market discrimination is one of

the biggest problems they are facing with; and of course, according to them the

21
 discrimination in employment pushes people to believe that there is no promising
future for them in Kosovo.

Political leadership has to tackle the discrimination in

Necessary and suf-
ficient condition for employment and this should be done immediately. The rate of
building a healthy and unemployment is too high, the least we need is discrimination
inclusive society is for in labor market… People need to believe that labor market
its members to believe operates fairly. This raises citizens’ confidence in their political
that the only way to
succeed in their society
leaders and accordingly in political system; otherwise, the crisis
is hard work and educa- of confidence will spread out and of course, those who do not
tion. It is then and only have political connections, that is, most of us, have no other
then that we can expect choice except to leave the country. (Bosniac minority man)
from our citizens to live
honestly.
Albanian male,
Other participants felt that there was a lack of will of political leadership to include the
MA student of history principle of equal opportunity in their public – policy making and implementation.
With this, research participants agreed, actual political leadership tends to control
professional advancement of people – promoting of those who are obedient to them,
those who follow the orders and don’t ask questions, and ignoring the others, their
challengers. Furthermore, according to these participants, political forces are protecting
their narrow interests, which on the other hand, will be damaging to society – if things
go on like this, Kosovo society will remain without its most valuable citizens. As one
participant said:

Some people who have political connections are working in

several jobs whilst the others who don’t have these connections
are not working at all. So, the discrimination in labor market
increases the rate of unemployment. For example, some
professors of Prishtine University are exercising several duties
– lecturing at public and at several private universities; in
addition, they are political advisers of some ministers. At the
same time there are a lot of young people that have gained
MA or even PhD degrees at famous international universities,
and they never get a chance to find job. These acts, on the
other hand, exclude those precious people from public life and
accordingly they are being pushed to leave Kosovo when they
are needed the most.

22
 Perceptions regarding
the chances on
I thank God that Albert
Einstein was not born
advancement in society
in Kosovo; otherwise,
he would have re- And finally, the respondents were asked whether they thought that everyone could
mained a wasted talent move up in Kosovo society through hard work and education. The statistics were
– he never wouldn’t
have had the opportu-
extremely shocking; 92.6 percent or 1093 of respondents out of 1180 total, strongly
nity to make any of his disagreed (Figure 6). In general, there was no worth mentioning distinction among
scientific invention. respondents’ categories regarding this attitude: different groups of respondents,
Albanian male, such as: juniors and seniors; employed and unemployed; Albanians, Serbians,
MA student of linguistics
and Bosniacs; male and female disagreed that everyone could move up in Kosovo
society through hard work and education.

Concerns about impossibility of everyone to move up in Kosovo society through

hard work and education were widespread among the focus groups participants.
The mantra of all discussions was that preferential hiring is killing the spirit of
competitiveness in Kosovo society, and this is the worst thing that might happen to
a society. As one participant, MA student of history said, “Necessary and sufficient
condition for building a healthy and inclusive society is for its members to believe

02 04 06 08 0 100

23
 that the only way to succeed in their society is hard work and education. It is then
and only then that we can expect from our citizens to live honestly; and, of course
to build a system of values which will be defended and promoted with commitment
by all of us”.

Debate within focus groups highlighted participants’ concerns that the preferential
recruitment causes the losing of talented people which is very risky. As one
participant said:

We as a society can’t afford to lose any of talents we have.

And as far as I know, nothing has been done, at least till
now, to keep and nurture the talents of these people;
therefore, we as a society aren’t doing anything to help
people be the best they can be… I thank God that Albert
Einstein was not born in Kosovo; otherwise, he would have
remained a wasted talent – he never wouldn’t have had the
opportunity to make any of his scientific inventions… This
society is so poor and yet we tolerate the wasting of our
talents – this is unbelievable.

Thus, research participants expressed worrying in relation to dominant perception

that there is no way to move up in Kosovo society through hard work and
education. Moreover, they were both angry and disappointed with employment
practices and procedures, which according to them, are based purely on preferential
way of recruitment, whilst skills and qualifications are barely ever taken into
consideration.

24
Conclusions and recommendations
The research sought to examine whether the principle of equal opportunity is being
respected in areas of employment such as recruitment, training and promotion; therefore,
the study, through qualitative and quantitative methods, aimed at illuminating citizens’
perceptions regarding a) what is more valid: merit or different connections to find a job
in Kosovo, b) whether there is discrimination in employment in public and private sector
and consequences of this discrimination; and, c) the significance of education and hard
work for advancement in Kosovo society.

What emerges from this study is a picture of problems Kosovo’s employment system
faces with. Although there was a broad consensus regarding the labor market
discrimination, the perceptions of respondents vary to some degree; those affected by
discriminatory practices are more likely to be aware of the existence of such practices
and this plays a crucial role in shaping their perceptions of inequalities of opportunity
in access to employment. Overall, the findings of the research suggest that Kosovo
employment pattern is based purely on preferential style of hiring. And furthermore,
citizens were confident that the negligence of political authorities has determined this
situation; in other words, political commitments about building a society where diversity
will be respected and nurtured were just formal – reality is that, to political authorities,
diversity is just a meaningless word.

Therefore, the survey results revealed that the labor market discrimination in Kosovo is
certainty; there is a systemic discrimination against certain groups of people in public and
private sector. The discrimination is made on basis of political ground; people that are
not engaged politically have fewer chances to find a job in Kosovo. What is more, research
participants were clearly certain that finding a job in Kosovo is determined from having
political connections rather than having qualifications.

The other group of people, discriminated by Kosovo practices and procedures of

employment, are persons with disabilities; disability, most of the times, is perceived
as a personal tragedy, and not as a societal problem. Disabled persons in focus group
discussions described many narratives about interview experiences, indicating a situation
in which ignorant attitudes, prejudices and stereotyping (i.e., persons with disabilities
have lower productivity, etc), and discrimination were predominant.

Ethnic minorities are also treated less fairly; both men and women receive poorer
treatment. This finding suggests that, women from minorities are disadvantaged by

25
 gender and ethnicity; therefore, being a woman and from an ethnic minority is doubly
disadvantageous. And, last but certainly not least, research findings suggest that in
Kosovo’s employment system occurs discrimination on the ground of age or ageism.9 This
kind of discrimination is pervasive and very dynamic in Kosovo; moreover, it happens at
many points in the employment areas, although mostly on the interview stage.

The research also revealed two very worrying findings; the labor market discrimination
pushes citizens to leave the country. Are worthy to be noted the concerns of participants
regarding the intentional exclusion of valuable people by political leadership – those
precious people who criticize the politicians for their actions. And second, the top
worrying finding of this research, suggests that a large percentage of research participants
(92.6 percent), strongly disagreed that, everyone could move up in Kosovo society through
hard work and education; in view of that, this dominant perception, the focus groups
participants agreed, has a lot of adverse political consequences such as, perpetuating of
inequalities, weak institutions, death of new ideas and increase of apathy.

Confronting the challenge of equal opportunity, and consequently building a fair and
inclusive society, is a continuing responsibility for all political actors, including civil society
and active citizenry. As a result, the following recommendations should be taken into
consideration:

 The prompt passage of the Law on Labor – aiming establishing a legal labor
infrastructure in Kosovo, in accordance with EU legislation, which excludes all kinds
of discrimination.

 The prompt passage of the Law on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment

of Persons with Disabilities – aiming both integration in everyday life and
advancement of socio – material position of persons with disabilities.

 Designing the legal and regulative framework for Equal Opportunity Policy
(EOP) – aiming to combat discrimination on ground of political affiliation or
conviction, gender, age, ethnicity and disability (this research suggests that these
“target groups” are affected by discrimination in employment). Moreover, due to
its multi – ethnicity and other specifics, in Kosovo should be implemented EOP’s

9 According to Whitehouse (in Oswick & Rosenthal, 2001, pp. 156 – 161), “ageism is discrimination against
people on the basis of chronological age”. For more information see: Oswick, C. & Rosenthal, P. 2001, ‘Towards a
Relevant Theory of Age Discrimination in Employment’, in Equality, Diversity and Disadvantage in Employment,
eds. M. Noon & E. Ogbonna, Palgrave, London.

26

4 Affirmative action (AA)
can be defined as at-
tempt to make progress toward
substantive, rather than merely
formal, equality of opportunity
for designated groups, which
are currently underrepresented
in significant positions in
society, by explicitly taking into
account the defining charac-
teristics, which have been the
basis for discrimination.
Affirmative action (AA) mea-
sures include:
a) measures to identify and
eliminate employment barriers
affecting designated groups; b)
measures designed to further
diversity in the workplace based
on equal dignity of all people,
and c) making reasonable
accommodation for people
from designated groups to
ensure equal opportunities
at workplaces for those from
designated groups.
(Source: Mullen in
Crosby 1994, pp. 13 – 41)
based on both a) the “liberal” approach of equality of opportunity, that relies on fair
procedures, and on the principle of recognizing individual merit, and b) the “radical”
approach, that emphasizes the fair and equal distribution of rewards, and of course,
positive discrimination.10
 Design and implement fair and effective Affirmative Actions Programs (AA),11 –
attempting to create a society in which individuals or groups are not stigmatized
or excluded from opportunities on the ground of political affiliation or conviction,
ethnicity, age, disability and gender. The core idea is that organizations, under supe-
rvision of governmental mechanisms, should act in accordance with AA programs;
accordingly, they must act positively and affirmatively to remove all barriers that
prevent “targeted groups” from having equal access to employment. Moreover,
organizations (employers) might be held legally liable for cases of discrimination on
ground of political affiliation or conviction, gender, age, ethnicity, and disability.
 Establishing the National Equal Opportunity Commission (NEOC) – aiming to
fulfill the Constitutional promise of equality in all its dimensions. The NEOC
should focus on advisory, advocacy and auditing functions; in addition, it will be
responsible for handling complaints about discrimination of “targeted groups”
under the future anti – discrimination legislation (including existing Anti –
Discrimination Law). Therefore, the mandate of NEOC will be to work towards
creating a public environment where problems relating to inequality of opportunity
will receive careful consideration; and, the scope should include public and private
organizations.

 Designing and launching of campaigns – aiming to increase the public awareness

of equal opportunity and diversity, their societal and economic benefits; therefore,
promoting fairness for all as the basis for social just and economic wealth, should be
the focus of these campaigns.

10 Probably the most influential intervention in the area of evaluating Equal Opportunities Policies (EOPs)
was the contribution of Jewson and Mason (1986). These authors pointed out that there are two approaches
of equal opportunity – the “liberal” and the “radical” approach. In addition, ‘target groups’ are those groups of
people affected by discrimination in employment. For more information see: Richards, W. 2001, ‘Evaluating
Equal Opportunities Initiatives: The Case for a ‘Transformative’ Agenda’, in Equality, Diversity and Disadvantage in
Employment, eds. M. Noon & E. Ogbonna, Palgrave, London.
11 According to Soni (1999, pp. 577 – 589), Affirmative Action, is one of the “most significant public policies
of the 20th century, and can be seen as an attempt to establish a more ‘inclusive moral convention’, which
aims at achieving fairness and equality for all members of society”. Affirmative Action goes beyond Equality
of Opportunity; moreover, “Affirmative Action (AA) is as much a moral issue as it is an anti – discriminatory
measure”. For more information see: Soni, V. 1999, ‘Morality vs. Mandate: Affirmative Action in Employment’,
Public Personnel Management, Vol. 28, pp. 577 – 589.

27
 Appendix
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Methodologically, this research was based on a combination of quantitative and

qualitative approaches; different data collection techniques were used to gain a
complete view of whether the principle of equality is being respected in areas of
recruitment and promotion. Therefore, the research was based on two methods,
that is, questionnaire and focus groups. On the other hand, the obtained data were
presented statistically (with the use of percentages) and quotations which provided
an overall perception and detailed analysis of the problem under examination.

QUESTIONNAIRE

Initially the survey with questionnaire was conducted. According to Birmingham &
Wilkinson (2003, p. 7) the questionnaires represent an effective way of collecting data
in a structured and manageable form. They are an economical (quick and easy) way to
gather data from a potentially large number of respondents; moreover, questionnaires
allow triangulation, since they are very useful with other methods. Very often they
are the only possible way to reach a number of respondents, large enough, to allow
statistically analysis of the results, which on the other hand is another advantage of
questionnaires – the use of numbers allows greater precision in reporting results.

Therefore, from 15 to 26 September 2008, KIMP (Kosovar Institute for Media and Policy)
conducted a survey of public perceptions on how kosovars view the employment
practices and procedures in their country; more accurately, is the principle of equal
opportunity taken into consideration or the Kosovo employment policy is based entirely
on preferential way of recruitment. A sampling design consisted of a multi stages random
selection method. Hence, the sample was representative, well chosen and included 1180
respondents of voting age – 60 percent rural vs. 40 percent urban; accordingly, at the 95
percent confidence level, this sample has a margin of error of 2.85 percentage points.12

12 The margin of error in a sample is a measurement of how accurately the results of the poll reflect the ‘true’
sentiment of the whole population. If people are selected randomly and some basic statistical assumptions are
made, the mathematical formula for the margin of error is:
Margin of error (95%) = 1.96 x 0.5(1 – 0.5); for more information see: Austin, W. E. & Pinkleton,
√ n
E. B. 2006, Strategic Public Relations Management: Planning and Managing Effective Communication Programs,
Routledge, London.

28
FOCUS GROUPS

Finally, in order to obtain detailed information about the problem under

investigation, 7 focus groups discussions with 35 participants were conducted.
Of course, the sample size of focus groups methods are too small and the
results can’t be generalized; however, focus groups are widely respected for
bringing out information that might be missed by a statistical study, and
accordingly they offer a deeper understanding of the phenomenon under
examination (Lydecker in Quible 1998, pp. 28 – 33).

Quota sampling design was used to ensure inclusion of adequate number

of woman and non – Serbian minorities; and, the field work was conducted
from 6 to 11 October 2008. The groups were selected to cover also a range
of demographics such as age and class within Albanian ethnicity and non –
Serbian minorities. The core idea is that people were selected for study on
the grounds that they were available, convenient to access and prepared to
participate.

TRIANGULATION

The research was based on two methods, a) questionnaire – results were

presented in form of numbers and statistics, attempting an explanation of
the problem under observation, and b) focus groups – results were presented
in form of quotations, trying to give a complete detailed description of the
phenomenon under investigation. The combination of quantitative and
qualitative methods has been used, since according to Yauch & Steudel (2003,
pp. 465 – 481), “triangulation produces more robust results than could be
accomplished using a single approach”.

29
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30
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