Beyond Civil Service

The Politics of the Emergent Paradigms

By: Baton, L.
 Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to present a HISTORICAL

PERSPECTIVE on traditional public HR functions,
processes, systems, & values;

• examine the values & strategies of the emergent antigovernment

paradigm;
• Evaluate the emergent paradigm’s impact on traditional values; and
• Explore the structure & functions of public HRM under alternative
personnel systems

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 Historical Perspective

Four perspective:
1. Function – needed to manage human resources in public
agencies.
2. Processes – by which public jobs, as scarce resources, are
allocated.
3. Interaction – among fundamental social values that often
conflict.
4. Public HRM – is the embodiment of human resources
systems- the laws, rules, organizations, & procedures used to
fulfill personnel functions in ways that express the abstract
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values
 Values
1. Responsiveness - means a budget process that allocates
positions and therefore sets priorities and an appointment.
2. Efficiency – means staffing decisions based on ability and
performance rather than political loyalty.
3. Employee Rights – mean selection and promotion
4. Social Equity – means public jobs allocated
proportionately, based on gender, race, and other
designated criteria.

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 Privatization and Partnership:
The Emergent Paradigms

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 Problem
■ Poor performance in the public service
and difficulty in controlling and directing
bureaucrats.

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 Solution

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 Impacts

Top Management Self/ employee

Colleagues
- To increase the - To be more responsible and
- can provide a productive
responsiveness and motivated in doing the job task.
public servive.
effectiveness within
working environment.
Aimed:
“Work better and cost less.”

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 Antigovernment Values
(Privatization Paradigm)

1. Personal accountability – expect people to make individual

choices and accept responsibility.

2. Limited and decentralized government – is to be feared for

its power to arbitrarily deprive individuals of their rights.

3. Community responsibility for social service – deliver social

service.

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 Partnership Paradigm
■ Added strategic emphasis on:
- Cooperative service delivery
- Business
- NGOs
■ The strategic element of PP – is undergirded by the belief that concrete
results in the delivery of public goods.

Note: Advocates of the new framework argue that the skilled deployment of
human assets is best accomplished outside of the traditional service model.
This drive to deliver result “BEYOND CIVIL SERVICE”

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 Alternative Organizations and Mechanisms

1. Purchase of service agreements

2. Privatization
3. Franchise agreements
4. Subsidy agreements
5. Vouchers
6. Volunteers
7. Regulatory and tax incentives

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 Flexible Employment Relationships

■ Increased used of temporary, part-

time, seasonal employment and
increased hiring of exempt employees
through employment contracts.

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 Thinking Strategically:
Impact of the Emergent Paradigm on Traditional Values
and Program Outcomes

New Strategies:
- diminish employee rights
- threaten social equity
- reduced employer-funded benefits.
- personnel techniques that have become more
common
- pay cutssss
- temporary employees

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 Suggestions:
■ Pick service w/ clear objectives that can be
measured and monitored
■ Use in house/ external competition and avoid
sole source contracting
■ Develop adequate cost accounting system
■ Consider negative externalities, such as
impacts on the local economy, governmental
policies etc.

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 Role of Public HRM
• Political Leaders- responsible for authorizing personnel system and
establish objectives.
• Personnel directors & specialist- design and implement personnel
system.
• HR directors &specialist- both help line manager use HR
• Managers and supervisors – implement the rules, policies, and
procedures
• HR – department/ office that functions as an administrative support
service
- Advertising vacant positions, reviewing job applications, and
etc.

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 Conclusion:

• Public HRM can be viewed from

several perspectives;

1. Functions
2. Process
3. The influence of seven symbiotic
and competing values
4. Laws, rules, and regulations

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 Conclusion:
• Public HRM comprises the functions needed to
manage human resources in public agencies.
• The field of public HRM is laden w/contradictions
in policy and practice resulting from often
unwieldy and unstable combinations of values
and systems and fraught with the inherent
difficulties of relying on competitive and
collaborative systems to achieve diverse goals.
• Civil service id the predominant public HRM
system.

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 Thanks!

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