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Human Resource Management in Public Service
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Human Resource Management in Public Service
Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems

Sixth Edition
  • Evan M. Berman - Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, Fundação Getulio Vargas’s Sao Paulo School of Business Administration, Brazil
  • James S. Bowman - Florida State University, USA
  • Jonathan P. West - University of Miami, USA
  • Montgomery R. Van Wart - California State University, San Bernardino, USA


March 2019 | 584 pages | CQ Press

Recognizing the inherent tensions and contradictions that result from managing people in organizations, Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems offers provocative and thorough coverage of the complex issues of management in the public sector. Continuing the award-winning tradition of previous editions, this Sixth Edition helps students to understand complex managerial puzzles and explores the stages of the employment process, including recruitment, selection, training, legal rights and responsibilities, compensation, and appraisal. Grounded in real public service experiences, the book emphasizes hands-on skill building and problem solving. 

New to the Sixth Edition:

  • Ethics case studies have been added to all the chapters, enabling students to learn about a variety of ethical situations that come up in management.  
  • Updated and consolidated recruiting strategies offer students a window into the most current methods used in the recruitment process and provide insight into the job seeker’s perspective.  
  • New examples from a broad range of local, state, federal, and international settings enable students to apply key concepts to common management issues.
 
Preface
 
Acknowledgements
 
Introduction
Managing People

 
The Paradox Puzzle

 
Pathways Through Paradoxes: Carpe Diem

 
Key Terms

 
References

 
 
Part I. Context and Challenges
 
1. The Public Service Heritage: People, Process, and Purpose
A Day in the Life of Maria Hernandez

 
Some Challenges in Getting and Managing the Right People

 
Some Basic Definitions

 
The Structure and Role of Human Resource Departments

 
Historical and Institutional Context

 
Reforming Government in the Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump Years

 
Human Resource Management Principles

 
Ethics and Moral Management

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
2. Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Laws Governing the Workplace
The Foundations of Employment Law

 
The Employment Relationship

 
Balancing Employer, Employee, and Societal Interests

 
Privacy Issues

 
Pre-employment Investigations: Truth, Personality, Health, Credit, and Criminal Records

 
Discrimination

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
Part II. Processes and Skills: From Start to Finish
 
3. Recruitment: From Passive Posting to Social Media Networking
Factors in Recruitment: Employer and Applicant Perspectives

 
Recruitment Steps

 
Planning and Approval

 
Position Announcements

 
Recruitment Strategies

 
Enhancing Recruitment Prospects: The Seeker’s Perspective

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
4. Selection: From Civil Service Commissions to Decentralized Decision Making
The Bases and Origin of Selection

 
Criteria in Selecting Selection Tests

 
Selection: Four Screening Phases

 
Initial Reviewing and Testing

 
Interviewing and Reference Checks: Narrowing the Pool

 
General Considerations for Those Conducting Interviews

 
Choosing and Negotiation

 
Post-offer and Hiring Issues

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix: The Professional Commitment Statement for Job Seekers

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
5. Position Management: Judicious Plan or Jigsaw Puzzle?
Three Types of Personnel Strategies

 
The Origins of Position Classification and Management

 
Job Design and Job Analysis

 
Job and Position Descriptions

 
From Jobs to Job Systems

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
6. Employee Motivation: Possible, Probable, or Impossible?
Pull, Push, or Drive?

 
Human Resource Management and the Climate for Motivation

 
Tools of Motivation

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
7. Compensation: Vital, Visible, and Vicious
Equity and Expectancy Theory

 
Pay Determination

 
Philosophy

 
The Perennial Pay Debate

 
Labor Market Forces: External Competition

 
Job Content: Internal Consistency

 
Individual Considerations: Fairness and Individual Contributions

 
Implications

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix: Compensation for Graduate Degrees in Public Affairs and Administration

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
8. Employee-Friendly Policies: Fashionable, Flexible, and Fickle
Family/Work Programs

 
Health, Safety, and Wellness Programs

 
Flexible Work Arrangements

 
Traditional Benefits: Not-So-Employee-Friendly Trends

 
Implementation, Assessment, and Evaluation

 
Avoiding and Coping With Hostility at Work

 
Best Places to Work

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix A: Questions for Employees and Employers Regarding Telecommuting Arrangements

 
Appendix B: Some Questions to Answer When Considering Implementation of Employee-Friendly Policies

 
Appendix C: Family-Friendly Policies

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
9. Training and Development: Exploring New Frontiers
General Principles of Learning

 
Training Strategies

 
Organizational Training and Development

 
Strategic T&D Integration

 
Application: Ethics Training

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix: Needs Assessment and Evaluation for Training

 
References

 
 
10. Appraisal: A Process in Search of a Technique
Evolution

 
Appraisal Systems

 
Raters

 
Rating Errors: The Underbelly of Appraisals

 
Improving the Process

 
Disciplinary Systems

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix: Corrective Actions

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
11. Unions and the Government: Protectors, Partners, and Punishers
Background: Context and Evolution of Employee Relations

 
Differing Views of Unions

 
Paradoxes and Contradictions

 
Trends and Variations

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix A: Tips for Managers When Dealing with Unions

 
Appendix B: Tips for Unions When Dealing with Managers

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
12. Collective Bargaining: Structures, Strategies, and Skills
Structure, Representation, and Collective Bargaining

 
Strategies and Skills

 
Bargaining-Related Reforms

 
Hostility Versus Harmony

 
Summary and Conclusion

 
Key Terms

 
Exercises

 
Appendix A: Bargaining Checklist and Observation Sheet

 
Appendix B: Mock Disciplinary Appeal Board Hearing

 
References

 
 
Conclusion: The Future as Opportunity, Not Destiny
New Technologies, Human Competencies, Failures, and Reforms

 
Taking Responsibility for Paradoxes

 
Public Service as a Calling

 
The Years Ahead

 
Envoi: Dream While Awake

 
Exercises

 
Notes

 
References

 
 
Glossary
 
Index
 
About the Authors

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site

Password-protected Instructor Resources include the following:      

  • An author-created Study Questions, contain short answer and essay questions for each chapter. 
  • Editable, chapter-specific Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides offer you complete flexibility in easily creating a multimedia presentation for your course.

“Highly recommended, comprehensive overview of HR, accessible to read and understand for students.”

Philip F. LaPorta
State University of New York

 “It’s a well-organized, thorough text book. I would recommend it for use.”

Karla M. Pope
William Carey University

“[Human Resource Management in Public Service] is an excellent comprehensive choice for graduate students who require a challenging and provocative read.”

John Sample
Florida State University

“I have taught the course for over 30 years and this is the best book on the market today.” 

Peter J. Bergerson
Florida Gulf Coast University

Human Resource Management in Public Service addresses public personnel management issue from a public manager’s perspective, not from a personnel specialist’s perspective.” 

Hugo Asencio
California State University, Dominguez Hills

The best overall intro to HR I can find. It parallels my course perfectly.

Philip LaPorta
Public Administration Dept, Suny College At Brockport
March 17, 2020

Comprehensive exposition and analysis of public sector and non profit organizational human resources issues.

Dr Joseph Adler
Public Administration, Penn State Univ-Harrisburg
July 16, 2019

Evan M. Berman

Evan M. Berman is Professor of Public Management and Director of Internationalization at Victoria University of Wellington, School of Government. Prior, he was the Huey McElveen Distinguished Professor at Louisiana State University. His areas of expertise are human resource management, public performance, local government, and public governance in Asia. He is past Chair of the American Society for Public Administration’s Section of Personnel and Labor Relations. He has over 125 publications and 12 books, including People Skills At Work (CRC Press, 2011), Essential Statistics for Public Managers and Policy Analysts, Third Edition (CQ Press,... More About Author

James Stephen Bowman

James S. Bowman is a professor of public administration at the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University. Noted for this work in ethics and human resource management, Dr. Bowman is author of over 100 journal articles and book chapters, as well as editor of six anthologies. He is co-author of The Professional Edge: Competencies in Public Service (2nd ed., Sharpe, 2010) and Public Service Ethics: Individual and Institutional Responsibilities (CQ Press, 2015). For nearly two decades, he served as editor-in-chief of Public Integrity, a journal owned by the American Society for Public Administration. A past... More About Author

Jonathan P. West

Jonathan P. West is a professor and chair of political science and director of the graduate public administration program at the University of Miami. His research interests include ethics, public administration, and human resource management. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters as well as nine books. He is co-author of Public Service Ethics: Individual and Institutional Perspectives (CQ Press, 2015) American Politics and the Environment (2nd. Ed., SUNY Press, 2015) and The Professional Edge: Competencies in Public Service (2nd ed., Sharpe, 2010.) For nearly two decades he has been managing editor of the  ... More About Author

Montgomery R. Van Wart

Montgomery Van Wart is a professor at California State University San Bernardino and a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong. His publications include nine books and a substantial number of articles in the leading journals in his field. His most recent book is Leadership and Culture: Comparative Models of Top Civil Servant Training, with Hondeghem and Schwella (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015).  His research areas are administrative leadership, human resource management, training and development, administrative values and ethics, organization behavior, and general management. He also serves on numerous editorial boards and as the... More About Author

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ISBN: 9781506382333
$165.00