Course info

This is a graduate level course on Human Resources Management. The course covers crucial aspects in the evolution of public administration and the business of government since the 18th century. It is related to and tied in to the seminal topics covered in the course on Public Administration: Theory and Practice, particularly with a focus on managing people in the public sector.  The emphasis is, however, on the changes in the managing of personnel as human resources gradually changed over time in view of the importance of public management and governance in the information age, where the performance of government continues to depend on talent and capable people.  Topics covered include the politics and ideologies of different era in public administration development as a discipline and the practical reality of the public sector, the drive for public management and governance as well as the increasing involvement of the private sector and nonprofit sector in the provision of public service, how these changes affect public sector's human resource management, hence changes in the functions of human resource management in relation to different personnel systems in the public sector. It takes into account technical aspects of HRM such as important regulations or laws that ensure a meritocratic system in the public service, how to manage well the relationships between the public sector and the private as well as nonprofit sectors, selection and recruitment, position management, training and development, performance management, motivation, compensation, discipline etc..  Students learn from the perspective of an agency's manager and what are tools available, how best to manage people in the public service where public service jobs become a scarce resource in itself. Assessments include homework (questions), presentation and a paper, and a final examination.