E

Module 6 Lecture

Human Resource Management in Public Administration

  • Overview of HR Management in Public Administration

    • Focuses on basic ideas related to HR management in the public sector

    • Addresses various issues in government employment and managing public employees

  • Components of Organizations

    • Essential components include:

    • People

    • Rules, regulations, and policies

    • Management and leadership dynamics

    • Organizational goals and targets

    • Means to achieve objectives

  • Functions of HR Management

    • Broadly includes processes and policies related to:

    • Prospective employees

    • Current employees

    • Retired employees

    • Dismissed employees

    • Management functions encompass:

    • Recruiting processes

    • Training and evaluations

    • Compensation

    • Discipline

    • Termination

  • Terminology

    • Human resource management is also known as:

    • Personnel administration

    • Personnel management

  • History of the Spoils System

    • Introduced by President Andrew Jackson:

    • Public officials hired based on political affiliations/dealings

    • Jackson's belief: government work could be managed by anyone regardless of specific skills

    • Resulted in high turnover rates in office, argued as a method to democratize government

    • Issues arising from the spoils system led to significant problems in the public sector.

  • Civil Service Reforms

    • James Garfield’s Assassination (1881)

    • Assassination by Guiteau raised awareness of spoils system issues

    • Sparked interest in civil service reforms

    • Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act (1883)

    • Aimed to end spoils system

    • Introduction of merit-based recruitment for public officials

    • Initially impacted a small percentage (10%) of federal employees, gradually increased to 90% over time

  • Merit System vs. Spoils System

    • Merit System:

    • Formal qualifications set for hiring

    • Recruitment and promotion based on merit, not political affiliation

    • Ensures a fair competition process

    • Components of the merit system:

    • Non-discriminatory recruitment and promotions

    • Fair treatment and equal pay

    • High work conduct standards

    • Efficient workforce use and employee training

    • Protection against arbitrary actions

    • Whistleblower protections

    • Prohibited Practices

    • Discrimination in employment

    • Obstruction of competition rights

    • Influencing authority based on political connections

    • Unauthorized preferential treatment

  • Historical Reforms (1960s-70s)

    • Addressed anti-discrimination across various dimensions:

    • Race

    • Gender

    • Ethnicity

    • Disability status

    • Efforts began with federal government agencies and expanded to state and private sectors.

  • Understanding Human Resource Management

    • Focus on managing human resources throughout their careers:

    • Hiring

    • Compensation

    • Employee benefits

    • Discipline and compliance with behaviors

    • Work records management

    • Employee development and training opportunities

    • Main HR functions:

    • Recruiting: Making job openings known publicly

    • Selection process: Evaluating candidates based on qualifications

      • Evaluations can include testing, interviews, reference checks, and job offers based on qualifications

  • Job Relatedness in Selection Process

    • Ensure no discriminatory acts:

    • Civil Rights Act and Equal Employment Opportunity Act should guide hiring practices

    • Job Relatedness:

      • Qualifications for positions should directly relate to job performance

      • Example of discriminatory practices related to education and IQ tests examined.

  • Compensation Structure

    • General Schedule (GS) classification for public employees:

    • Established in 1949 and revised under Civil Service Reform Act

    • Reward system based mainly on longevity instead of performance

    • Pay grades range from levels 1 to 15, with higher levels for more senior roles

    • Compensation challenges include:

      • Competitive salary issues

      • Motivation issues for performance

    • Pay for Performance

    • Introduced as a method of incentivizing performance:

      • Monetary rewards for high performance

      • Challenges in defining performance measurement and maintaining objectivity

  • Employee Training and Development

    • Goals include:

    • Both skill development for current roles and career advancement

    • Types of training: skills training, job rotations, mentoring, and conferences

  • Employee Motivation

    • Two types of motivation explored:

    • Intrinsic: Internal drivers such as personal values

    • Extrinsic: External rewards like pay

    • Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs applied to motivation in the workplace

    • Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory:

    • Satisfiers (content factors) that motivate employees include achievements and growth

    • Dissatisfiers (hygiene factors) relate to policies and working conditions that can demotivate

  • Public Service Motivation Theory

    • Developed by Perry, focusing on individual's motivations to work in the public sector

    • Dimensions include:

    • Attraction to policymaking

    • Commitment to public interest

    • Compassion and self-sacrifice

  • Collective Bargaining in Public Sector

    • Negotiation between management and employee representatives about:

    • Pay

    • Working conditions

    • Benefits

    • Differences between public and private sector bargaining:

    • Public sector affected more significantly by strikes due to the nature of services provided

  • Current HR Crisis in Governments

    • Identified factors contributing to the crisis:

    • Increased competition for competent employees

    • New technology impacts workforce and service delivery

    • Aging workforce approaching retirement

    • Negative perceptions of public sector employment leading to decreased interest

    • Suggestions for reform:

    • Increased focus on performance

    • Treat employees as assets not costs

    • Creating career development opportunities

  • Conclusion

    • Key focus areas for public HR management and the need for reform to attract talent in modern public administration.