Willow S. Jacobson

Human Resource Practices in State Government: Findings from a National Survey

What are states doing with respect to human resource practices to improve government operations? Using data collected by the Government Performance Project, this article identifies emerging trends and innovations in state personnel systems. Specifically, it provides a national comparison in the areas of personnel authority, workforce planning, selection, classification, and performance management. Results show that many states are delegating authority for personnel functions to agencies and managers, shifting their human resource missions to being more proactive and collaborative with agencies, and adopting performance management systems that integrate organizational and individual goals. In short, many states are investing considerable resources to modernize their human resource management systems.

To Post or Not to Post Employee Rights and Social Media

Employing an interdisciplinary approach this research examines the issue of employee rights in relation to social media policies both on and off the job. The proliferation of the use and forms of social media in the past 5 years has been extensive and governments are seeking to capture its power as a communication and engagement resource. Meanwhile, governments struggle to create appropriate, legal, and meaningful policies related to employee usage and behavior. Social media policies are analyzed with attention to the rights of employees. Content analysis of state government policies provide an overview of the current state of practice and highlights issues of public employee rights. The article includes a discussion of key issues of employee rights, recommendations for practice, and identifies future research needs.

Preparing for Tomorrow: A Case Study of Workforce Planning in North Carolina Municipal Governments:

Local governments are poised for a workforce crisis. Many will be faced with the impact of a mass exodus of baby boomers from their ranks at the same time the skills and knowledge required to continue to provide quality services increases. Governments will compete with private and non-profit organizations, as well as with each other, for talented workers. However, this crisis is likely to be felt by governments first because of their older employee base and high demand for knowledge workers. Individuals with needed skills and knowledge will become harder to recruit and retain, especially if governments are not clear about the skills they seek. Workforce planning can help governments act and perform strategically in the face of increasingly complex governmental demands made even more challenging by this impending human capital crisis. The 2002 International Personnel Management Association report, Workforce Planning Resource Guide for Public Sector Human Resource Professionals, found that “Workforce planning is the most critical human resource management challenge in the public sector today.” This paper examines the state of workforce planning in North Carolina municipalities. Survey data from medium and large size municipalities in North Carolina with populations over 15,000 is analyzed to determine the current state of their workforce planning efforts. An overview of current practices, identified needs, pressing concerns, and primary barriers to implementation and success are presented.

Status Update Social Media and Local Government Human Resource Practices

Social media use has quickly become an integral part of people’s personal and professional lives. Although many scholars highlight the benefits of social media for engagement, communication, and outreach, leveraging social media platforms for human resource (HR) practices continues to present interesting questions and challenges. This article examines how municipal and county governments are using social media in recruiting, hiring, monitoring, and disciplining employees. Many local governments are not taking advantage of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media as potential tools for recruitment and screening because of concerns related to liability. The same organizations are conducting workplace monitoring and addressing disciplinary issues around employee social media use, often without guiding policies in place. Based on the findings from this research, recommendations are provided on how and when local government HR departments can more effectively use social media in their practices.

Examining Training in Large Municipalities: Linking Individual and Organizational Training Needs.

A well-designed training system contributes to a public organizations performance by ensuring that employees have the knowledge and skills they need to meet the demands of their current and future jobs. Training may also help governments attract and retain workers in an increasingly competitive job market. Thus, it is important to understand the nature of training in public organizations. A comprehensive study of training in local government is almost nonexistent in literature. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, using data from the Government Performance Project, it describes the training infrastructure in 33 of the largest cities by revenue. Second, it develops a framework — the Strategic Systems Training Model — that integrates the needs of individual employees and organizations, and can be used by governments to plan and analyze their training effectiveness.

A New Approach to Assessing Performance of State Human Resource Management Systems A Multi-Level Fuzzy Rule-Based System

A growing body of research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of human resource management systems, yet few efforts have been made to develop a set of criteria and a method for evaluating human resource management systems in the public sector As part of the Government Performance Project, the present study offers a framework and methodology to fill this gap The Government Performance Project worked with a panel of experts to identify relevant criteria to evaluate pubhc sector human resource systems and to construct a survey instrument aligned with the identified criteria After discussing the criteria and survey construction, the article introduces a method of evaluating human resource management systems, fuzzy logic, that models expert judgments and takes into account measurement imprecision

Three Principles of Competency-Based Learning: Mission, Mission, Mission

Abstract NASPAA adopted new accreditation standards in October 2009, requiring Masters programs of public administration, public policy, and public affairs to adopt and implement competency-based learning. This learning approach, however, is not new to public administration. Scholars have been promoting competency-based education for more than 25 years (Greenhill, Metz, & Stander, 1982). This article expands on the previous work of competency-based education, presenting lessons learned from the experience of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). A systematic competency-based learning system was adopted and implemented in support of its mission statement of preparing public service leaders. The purpose of these lessons is to help NASPPA-accredited programs, of all sizes, conceptualize and advance their approaches to competency-based learning, including the need for a shared understanding of the program’s mission and the need for faculty flexibility when making curriculum changes.

Leading and Governing: A Model for Local Government Education

Abstract The changing nature and increased complexity of governing is well documented and discussed by scholars and practitioners alike. This article presents a leadership training program designed to respond to the changing needs of local government officials. The design is based on current literature and research, fieldwork in North Carolina, and shared faculty knowledge and experiences. The model presents the integration of three critical concepts: governance, leadership and public service, in teaching conducted for multiple audiences representing varied levels within local governments. Initial results and findings are presented.

Strategic Human Capital Management in Municipal Government: An Assessment of Implementation Practices

Growing empirical evidence supports the fact that human resource management (HRM) practices have a direct impact on organizational performance. However, recognition that the HRM function can impact the strategic direction and performance of public organizations has been a more recent shift. Local government represents a robust area to examine the capacity of government organizations to leverage their human resources (HR) to improve performance. Using data from a 2012 survey in Colorado and North Carolina, this article examines the degree to which municipal governments have implemented strategic human capital management (SHCM) practices. Results indicate that while progress had been made, there is still significant variation on the extent to which municipalities are implementing SHCM. For jurisdictions that have seen greater adoption of SHCM practices, a number of factors appear related, including the role HR plays in broader municipal strategic decision making and the perceived importance of the HR function for the municipality.

Do Human Resource Departments Act as Strategic Partners? Strategic Human Capital Management Adoption by County Governments

Drawing on qualitative data from 40 counties in New York and North Carolina, this article examines the adoption of strategic human capital management (SHCM) principles and practices at the county level and presents a typology of five levels of SHCM adoption. The level of SHCM implementation in a county depends on the view of the HR function by executive county leadership, the capacity of the county to engage in strategic planning and management, and the capacity of the HR director to think strategically about the role of HR in the government. The article concludes with recommendations for practice, which focus on educating a diverse set of actors about SHCM, building executive-level support, developing HR skill and competencies, and applying basic change management practices.