Contains fourteen essays that examine, through a public policy focus, the 1978 civil service reform and its aftermath. The essays view policy design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as the overall politics of administration and institutional change. An indispensible tool for students of public administration, bureaucratic politics, and personnel policy. Contributors: Carolyn Ban; John Halligan; Kirke Harper; Mark Huddleston; J. Edward Kellough; Larry M. Lane; Chester A. Newland; James L. Perry; Beryl A. Radin; Robert Vaughn; and the editors.

With over 20 million people on its payroll, the government is the largest employer in the country. Managing people who do the nation’s work is of critical importance to politicians, government leaders, and citizens alike. Personnel Management in Government: Politics and Process, eighth edition, examines the progress and innovations that public personnel professionals are making to address changes in the political, legal, and managerial environment of government. It provides students with a comprehensive understanding of human resource management within its historical and political context in the public sector. A number of new developments are addressed in the eighth edition, including discussion of: Human resource management in nonprofit organizations in an all-new, dedicated chapter Current and future challenges to recruitment and hiring, including the use of social media in recruitment Privatization and contracting out The rise of employment "at will" policies Digital technology or "digitalization" in HRM and the need to enhance cybersecurity Managing performance with human capital analytics Increased reliance on telework States’ attacks on public sector labor unions HRM changes under the Trump administration Since publication of the first edition in 1977, Personnel Management in Government has addressed issues not yet considered mainstream, but that have proven central to the development of the field over time. This long-standing but no less innovative textbook is required reading for all students of public, government, and non-profit personnel management.

"Passage of the Civil Service Reform Act was controversial, and there is still controversy over its effectiveness. A book of this sort will be well received and anxiously read by specialists in public administration, public policy, and public personnel administration."-H. George Frederickson, University of Kansas The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was the most far reaching reform of the federal government personnel system since the merit system was created in 1883. The Future of Merit reviews the aims and rates the accomplishments of the 1978 law and assesses the status of the civil service. How has it held up in the light of the National Performance Review? What will become of it in a globalizing international system or in a government that regards people as customers rather than citizens? Contributors examine the Senior Executive Service, whose members serve between presidential appointees and the rest of the civil service. These crucial executives must transform legislative and administrative goals into administrative reality, but are often caught between opposing pressures for change and continuity. In the concluding chapter Hugh Heclo, many of whose ideas informed the 1978 reform act, argues that the system today is often more responsive to the ambitions of political appointees and the presidents they serve than to the longer term needs of the polity. On the other hand, the ambition of creating a government-wide cadre of career general managers with highly developed leadership skills has not been fulfilled. Other contributors helped to frame the 1978 act, helped to implement it, or study it as scholars of public administration: Dwight Ink, Carolyn Ban, Joel D. Aberbach, Bert A. Rockman, Patricia W. Ingraham, Donald P. Moynihan, Hal G. Rainey, Ed Kellough, Barbara S. Romzek, Mark W. Huddleston, Chester A. Newland, and Hugh Heclo. Six former directors of the Office of Personnel Management commented on early versions of these chapters at a 1998 conference.

Political scientists mainly from developed, English-speaking countries report on the success and failure of reforms, looking at such areas as budgeting, personnel management, and accountability. They isolate and evaluate factors that influence the outcome, including individual political leaders and the complexity of government. No index. Canadian card order number: C98-900231-4. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Offers in-depth analyses spanning the entire field of public personnel administration--from a history of the American civil service as characterized by competing perspectives to the contemporary application of total quality management by human resources practitioners. Addresses the major laws that regulate worker compensation.

This text on representive bureaucracy covers topics such as: bureaucracy as a representative institution; bureaucratic power and the dilemma of administrative responsibility; and representative bureaucracy and the potential for reconciling bureaucracy and democracy.

Includes coverage of issues relating to every level of government (federal, state, and local agencies) as well as in nonprofit organizations Examines the latest management theories (such as employee engagement and motivation) and current issues including disability and LGBT inclusivity, privatization, merit systems, and family and medical leave The discussion is rooted in public policy issues, providing students with a better understanding of the actors involved and the broader context of personnel administration The focus on the human resource issues is important to the work of all managers--not just personnel specialists Abundant pedagogical tools, including learning objectives, summaries, and discussion questions, guide student understanding and foster critical thinking Exercises and case studies throughout the book can be assigned for individual or group work, helping students apply public personnel management concepts to real world situations.