POAD9118 Managing Human Resources in the Public Sector

2017

4.5

1 x 2-hour seminar weekly

POAD9113 has been successfully completed

As the largest employers in any State, public sector organisations are tasked with the management of their nation’s most critical resources: people. Embracing the full range of human capital, from highly qualified professionals to unskilled workers, public sector employers have to cope with everything, and the show must always go on despite budgetary constraints. Accordingly, this topic aims to develop your critical understanding of the context in which public sector organisations operate, key principles of Human Resources Management (and their applicability to public sector organisations), the role of line managers in the implementation of Human Resources policies and Contemporary and emerging issues in Human Resource Management. To achieve this, you will critically analyse and assess recent literature on Human Resources Management, debate the issues raised, review Human Resources Management practices in a public sector context and reflect upon the tensions involved in adopting private sector approaches. In the course of this topic you will also apply your understanding of Human Resources Management theory.

This topics aims to develop a critical understanding of:

• The internal and external contexts in which public sector organisations operate.
• Key principles of Human Resources Management and their applicability to public sector organisations.
• The role of line managers in the implementation of Human Resources policies.
• Contemporary and emerging issues in Human Resources Management with particular reference to tensions in the public sector.

Students who successfully complete this topic will be able to:

• Critically analyse and assess recent literature on Human Resources Management and debate the issues raised for public sector management.
• Critically review a number of key Human Resources Management practices in a public sector context and construct well supported recommendations for change and improvement.
• Apply their learning of Human Resources Management theory and practice to a series of problems and challenges typically faced by public sector line managers.
• Reflect upon the tensions involved in adopting private sector approaches to HRM in the public sector and debate ways in which these tensions can be dealt with.