UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

 

 

POLI 613: PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION

 

FIRST SEMESTER, 2021-2022 ACADEMIC YEAR

 

TIME: MONDAY: 2 PM – 4 PM

 

COURSE OUTLINE AND READINGS:

 

LECTURER: PROF. ATSU AYEE

 

COURSE OBJECTIVE

 

The course is designed to provide students with a broad coverage of theories, practices and methods of public personnel administration. It explores the strategic, environmental and operational concerns that confront administrators in the public sector. Examples will be taken from Ghana and other African countries.

 

2.  Learning Objectives

 

The learning objectives of the course are at three levels, namely, knowledge, skills and behaviour. 

 

3.  Learning Outcomes

 

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

 

i. Define public personnel administration and human resources management; ii. Identify the six major interrelated policy areas of public personnel administration (management of change; organization/job design; recruitment, selection and socialization; appraisal, training and development; reward system; communication;

iii.                State the theories of motivation;

iv.                Identify the techniques and tools for achieving effective human resources management;

v.                  Understand current developments and the dominant trends in respect of some important human resources management issues.

vi.                Identify the political influences on Public Personnel Administration 

 

4.  Instructional Methodology

 

This class will use a seminar/workshop format and will meet for three hours once a week. It will comprise a combination of lectures, discussions, student presentations and term papers.

 

 

 

5.  Evaluation

 

Seminar presentation by student	-	25%
Term paper of 2,500 words on student’s choice of topic	-	25%
Written Examination (2,500 words for each question)	-	50%
Total	-	100

 

COURSE TOPICS AND READINGS

 

WEEK 1

 

1. The nature and scope of public personnel administration and human resources management

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

B.G. Peters, The Politics of Bureaucracy (New York: Longman, 1995).

 

R.W. Cox III, Susan J. Buck & Betty Morgan, Public Administration in Theory and Practice (Englewood Cliffs, NJ.: Prentice-Hall, 1994).

 

J.A.F. Stoner, R.E. Freeman & D.R. Gilbert Jr., Management (New Delhi: PrenticeHall of India, 1999).

 

 

N.M. Riccucci, “Human Resources Management: Current and Future Challenges”, in D.C. Menzel & H.L. White (eds.) The State of Public Administration: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities (New York/London: M.E. Sharpe, 2011).

 

S.C. Selden, “Innovations and Global Trends in Human Resource Management Practices”, in B. Guy Peters and J. Pierre (eds.) The Handbook of Public Administration. (London: Sage, 2007).

 

 

D. Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa. (Ibadan: Evans Brothers, 2011), Chapter 7.

R.S. Dwivedi, A Textbook of Human Resource Management. (New Delhi: Vikas, 2007).

 

 

WEEK 2

 

2.  Theories of motivation: (“content” theories such as those of Abraham Maslow, Alderfer’s Existence Related and Growth and F. Herzberg; and

“process” theories such equity and Vroom’s expectancy).

 

R.S. Dwivedi, A Textbook of Human Resource Management. (New Delhi: Vikas, 2007).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Terry Lucey, Business Administration (London: DP Publications, 1994).

 

R. Appleby, Modern Business Administration, 3^rd (London: Pitman, 1982).

 

D.S. Pugh, Organizational Theory: Selected Readings, 3rd (London: Penguin, 1990).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

J.A.F. Stoner, R.E. Freeman & D.R. G ilbert Jr., Management (New Delhi: PrenticeHall of India, 1999).

 

l. Langbein, “Economics, public service motivation, and pay for performance: Complements or substitutes?” International Public Management Journal, Vol. 13, 2010, pp. 9-23.

 

WEEK 3

 

3. Management of change 

 

John Storey (eds.) Blackwell Cases in Human Resource and Change Management (Oxford: Blackwell, 1998).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

J.A.F. Stoner, R.E. Freeman & D.R. Gilbert Jr., Management (New Delhi: PrenticeHall of India, 1999).

 

WEEK 4

 

4. Organization/job design; job analysis and evaluation 

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

WEEK 5

 

5. Recruitment, selection and socialization; manpower planning and staff development

 

Harry Taylor, “Public Sector Personnel Management in Three African Countries: Current Problems and Possibilities”, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 12, No. 2 (May), 1992, pp. 193-207.

 

E.A. Narayana, “Bureaucratization of Non-Governmental Organizations: An Analysis of Employees’ Perceptions and Attitudes”, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 12, No. 2 (May), 1992, pp. 123-137.

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

D. Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa. (Ibadan: Evans Brothers, 2011), Chapter 7.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

WEEK 6

 

6. Training and development

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

WEEK 7

 

7. Compensation/reward system/pay/benefits/; pay reforms in Ghana

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

G.B. Siegel, “The jury is still out on merit pay in government”. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 7(3), 1987, pp. 3-15.

 

C. Rusaw, “Professionalism under the “performance-based pay” reform: A critical assessment and alternative development model”, Public Personnel Management, 38(4), 2009, pp. 35-54.

 

J.S. Bowman, “The success of failure: The paradox of performance pay”. Review of Public Personnel Administration, Vol. 30, 2010, pp. 70-88.

 

A. Weibel, K. Rost, & M. Osterloh, “Pay for performance in the public sector: Benefits and (hidden) costs”. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 20,  2010, pp. 387-412.

 

Joseph R.A. Ayee, “The Politics of Pay Reforms in Ghana”, Journal of African Political Economy and Development, Vol. 1, Issue 1 (December 2016), pp. 4-25.

 

 

WEEK 8

 

8. Performance appraisal

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

G.A. Brewer & R.M. Walker “Personnel constraints in public organizations: The impact of reward and punishment on organizational performance.” Public Administration Review, 73, 2013, pp.  121-131.

 

J.E. Kellough, “Managing human resources to improve organizational productivity: The role of performance evaluation”. In N. M. Riccucci (Ed.), Public personnel management: Current concerns, future challenges (pp. 173-185), 2012. New York, NY: Longman.

 

J.L. Pearce “Rewarding successful performance”. In J. L. Perry (Ed.), Handbook of public administration (pp. 401-441), 1989. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

 

J.L. Perry, “Merit pay in the public sector: The case for a failure of theory”. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 7, 1986, pp. 57-69.

 

WEEK 9

 

9. Communication

 

J.R. Thompson, “Labour Management Relations and Partnerships: Were They Reinvented? in B. Guy Peters and J. Pierre (eds.) The Handbook of Public Administration. (London: Sage, 2007).

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

J.A.F. Stoner, R.E. Freeman & D.R. G ilbert Jr., Management (New Delhi: PrenticeHall of India, 1999).

 

Harry Taylor, “Public Sector Personnel Management in Three African Countries: Current Problems and Possibilities”, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 12, No. 2 (May), 1992, pp. 193-207.

 

E.A. Narayana, “Bureaucratization of Non-Governmental Organizations: An Analysis of Employees’ Perceptions and Attitudes”, Public Administration and Development, Vol. 12, No. 2 (May), 1992, pp. 123-137.

 

 

WEEK 10

 

10. Leadership

 

G.B. Siegel & R.C. Myrtle, Public Personnel Administration: Concepts and Practices (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1985).

 

Ashly Pinnington & Tony Edwards, Introduction to Human Resource Management (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000).

 

Dele Olowu and L. Adamolekun, “Human Resources Management” in L. Adamolekun (ed.) Public Administration in Africa: Main Issues and Selected Country Studies (Boulder, CO.: Westview, 1999), Chapter 6.

 

O.G. Stahl, Public Personnel Administration (New York: Harper & Row, 1976).

 

F.A. Nigro & L.G. Nigro, The New Public Personnel Administration (Itasca: Peacock, 1976).

 

R. Bennett, Organizational Behaviour (London: M&E Pitmann, 1997).

 

G.A. Cole, Organizational Behaviour (London: DP Publications, 1995).

 

Frederick S. Lane, Current Issues in Public Administration, 5^th edn (New York: St Martins, 1987).

 

Doede Keuning, Management: A Contemporary Approach (London: Pitman, 1998).

 

Joseph R. A. Ayee, Leadership in Contemporary Africa: An Exploratory Study, UN University Leadership Academy, Occasional Papers Academic Series No. 3 (December), 2001, pp. 1-140.

 

WEEKS 11, 12 & 13

 

11. The Politics of Public Personnel Administration

 

N.M. Riccucci, “Human Resources Management: Current and Future Challenges”, in D.C. Menzel & H.L. White (eds.) The State of Public Administration: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities (New York/London: M.E. Sharpe, 2011).

 

S.C. Selden, “Innovations and Global Trends in Human Resource Management

Practices”, in B. Guy Peters and J. Pierre (eds.) The Handbook of Public Administration. (London: Sage, 2007).

 

Gene A. Brewer and J. Edward Kellough, “Administrative Values and Public Personnel Management: Reflections on Civil Service Reform”, Public Personnel Management, Vol. 45(2), 2016, 171–189.

 

M. Tessema, J. Soeters, J., & A. Ngoma, “Decentralization of HR functions”. Review of Public Personnel Administration, Vol. 29, 2009, pp. 168-188.

 

B.G. Peters, B. G., & J. Pierre,  Politicization of the Civil Service in Comparative Perspective: The Quest for Control. (London: Routledge, 2004).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMINAR TOPICS

 

1.      What is public personnel administration? What are the environmental impact and the strategies to modify the impact on public personnel administration?

 

2.      Why is planned change needed in organizations? What are some of the sources of resistance to change? 

 

3.      Assess any motivation theory with which you are familiar. 

 

4.      What is organizational development (OD)? What are some of its interventions?

 

5.      Identify and discuss the seven basic activities connected with the human resource management (HRM) process. 

 

6.      What is leadership? What are the strengths and weaknesses of three leadership styles with which you are familiar?

 

7.      Examine the usefulness of communication in public personnel administration.

 

8.      Discuss the benefits and costs of pay for performance in the public sector.

 

9.      What is wrong with pay reforms in Ghana?

 

10.  Comment on the view that performance management leads to increased productivity in the public sector.

 

11.  Examine the political issues in public personnel administration.

 

12.  Does public personnel administration have a future?