R. Paul Battaglio

State Government Human Resource Professionals’ Commitment to Employment at Will

This article examines the attitudes of a key set of state government officials—state human resource (HR) professionals—toward employment at will (EAW) in state government. It presents original survey data obtained from HR professionals in four southern states: Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Mississippi. Drawing on these data, the article creates an index measuring respondents’ commitment to EAW, as measured by their attitudes toward arguments used to advocate for EAW. The index is used as the dependent variable in an exploratory regression analysis indicating the importance of respondents’ experiences with the exercise of EAW discretion, years of public sector service, educational background, and state context to explaining variation in commitment to EAW. The article concludes with a discussion of the findings’ implications for the future of civil service reform in the United States.

Determinants of Local Government Workforce Planning

This article evaluates the utilization of workforce planning by municipalities across the United States with data derived from a survey of local government human resource professionals. The research demonstrates that certain aspects of workforce planning such as assessments of employee retirement, long-term recruitment and retention, and training and development have been integrated into the human resource functions of several municipalities. The authors also find that local governments that recognize the importance of training and development, information management, managing diversity, unions, and council–manager forms of government are more progressive in their implementation of workforce planning initiatives. However, many local governments still fail to recognize the opportunities that comprehensive workforce planning presents in developing and achieving the strategic goals of their organizations and managing human capital, especially given the political and economic climates.

Are We There Yet? The State of Public Human Resource Management Research:

Beginning in 1996, the state of Georgia embarked on a bold experiment in public management reform, embracing employment at-will (EAW) for public employees. Public human resource management (PHRM) research since the Georgia reforms has called for a greater appreciation for the link between personnel reforms and performance. This research examines whether the appeal for more exacting research has been taken up. The analysis provides an overview of research on public personnel reform, focusing on five themes identified by the literature: decentralization, performance-based pay, declassification, deregulation, and privatization. Reviewing 238 articles in 13 journals since 1996, the present effort finds a lack of empirical evidence linking personnel reforms with results. The authors conclude with several perspectives for future assessments of PHRM reform and lessons for practice.

Public Service Motivation, Public Management Reform, and Organizational Socialization: Testing the Effects of Employment At-Will and Agency on PSM Among Municipal Employees

This study tests public service motivation (PSM) by accounting for organizational factors and socialization in shaping motives. Focusing on PSM and its four dimensions, we control for employment at-will as an organizational factor and agency type in influencing organizational socialization. Utilizing hierarchical linear modeling, we evaluate PSM in 10 municipalities at the individual level, while controlling for agency context as a predictor for a second level of analysis. The results underscore the effect of organizational factors, indicating that municipal employees in employment at-will environments have higher levels of self-sacrifice than their civil service counterparts. Although municipal employees in public safety agencies exhibit higher levels of self-sacrifice and commitment to the public interest than their peers in other agencies, their levels of attraction to policy making and compassion are significantly lower. The findings suggest the importance of a multi-dimensional approach to PSM when considering institutional factors and agency socialization in the workplace.

Building Bridges? An Assessment of Academic and Practitioner Perceptions with Observations for the Public Administration Classroom

Abstract Beginning in the 1940s, academics recognized a gap between themselves and practitioners and contemplated methods of reducing this divide. Evidence for this gap includes recognition that academics and practitioners have different audiences, viewpoints, interests, intellectual approaches, research methods, and styles of discourse. Although much has been written about this topic and many solutions for closing this gap have been offered, there is growing concern among some scholars that this gap is increasing. Using a recent survey of current and lapsed members conducted for the American Society for Public Administration, we assess the current state of the gap between academics and practitioners on a range of ASPA services and priorities. Our findings suggest that demographic variables are more robust predictors of attitudinal differences among ASPA members as opposed to academic-practitioner views. Recognizing these differences may prove critical for ASPA as a professional forum of relevance as well as for promoting greater connectedness in public administration programs.

Personality and decision-making in public administration: the five-factor model in cultural perspective

Using a cross-sectional survey of 254 Turkish district governors, this study assesses the impact of personality on decision-making among public managers. The research evaluates self-reported results from the Five-Factor Model of personality and the Decision-Making Questionnaire of the psychology literature. The findings suggest that Openness, Conscientiousness, and Extraversion are important in the analysis of decision-making subjects, tasks, and contexts, respectively. Departing from previous research, the analysis here suggests that culture and structure are important factors in explaining personality and decision-making in public administration. Points for practitioners This study offers policy implications for the recruitment, performance appraisal, training, and assignment of practitioners in the public service. Personality assessments can be used as a valuable tool during the evaluation of public officials under consideration for recruitment, appointment, and promotion. Matching the personalities of potential candidates to positions requiring comparable qualifications has important organizational, personnel, and financial implications. Our research also suggests that decision-making and personality should also account for social, cultural, and organizational differences in their applications.

Exploring the structure and meaning of public service motivation in the Turkish public sector: a test of the mediating effects of job characteristics

ABSTRACT Using a data set consisting of 315 middle-managers at the district level in the Turkish public sector, we develop a structural equation model (SEM) for assessing the impact of empowerment and stewardship on public service motivation (PSM) through job characteristics. The results demonstrate that stewardship and empowerment are distinct ‘levers’ that managers can use in novel ways to influence PSM; and cultural context may factor into the manipulation of these levers. We find that job-based mediators may not compliment leadership styles and self-generating rewards, but, rather work separately in their appeal to PSM.

Examining the effects of EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) funding on perceptions of civil society among CSOs in Turkey: a case study of Batman province

Abstract In an effort to meet standards established by the European Union (EU), Turkey has promoted efforts geared toward encouraging civil society. Among these efforts, are support for local civil society organizations (CSOs). This study assesses the impact of EU standards on Turkish civil society with a special focus on EU Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) funded associations in Batman Province. To this end, we analyze responses to the Civil Society Index from a sample of directors of boards for CSOs in Batman Province. Our findings indicate CSOs receiving EU IPA funding have a more positive outlook on civil society than their self-supported counterparts; however, when controlling for the mission of CSOs the results vary with associations engaged in promoting human rights, education and social assistance having less optimistic views of the advancement of civil society.