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

Effective human resource management is a critical function in today′s public workplace, and the authors have written a book that helps readers develop key skills for success while also reminding them of the complex puzzles and paradoxes of management in the public sector.

The coverage of Human Resource Management in Public Service is exceptionally comprehensive and up-to-date. After reviewing the historical and legal traditions of HRM, readers learn the essential skills of recruitment, selection, training, compensation, and performance appraisal. The authors include two very timely chapters on family-friendly work practices and quality improvement.

This book has been carefully crafted to be an effective learning tool, with learning objectives, chapter reviews, and three sets of end-chapter study questions (class discussion, tam activities, and individual assignments). The book concludes with a comprehensive glossary, and interesting and illuminating examples are liberally scattered throughout the book (more than 10 per chapter).

The authors have almost one hundred years of combined teaching and professional experience in public administration. According to their Preface, "Our intent is to make this material user-friendly and accessible by highlighting dilemmas, challenging readers to resolve them, and enticing them to go beyond the text to discover and confront other. Our goal is not merely to stuff minds but rather to stretch them."