Continuity and change: the role of the HR function in the modern public sector
Summary (3 min read)
Introduction
- The main purpose of these changes has been to increase the efficiency, cost-effectiveness and performance of public organisations, and has involved an increasing pressure from government on organisations to emulate private sector managerial practices, including performance management, customer orientation, and a heightened strategic focus (Boyne et al., 2004; Horton, 2003; Corby and Higham, 1996).
- First, the authors review the relevant literature, focusing particularly on the contested meaning and enactment of strategic HR roles within a public sector context.
- The authors then explain the methods used in their research study before presenting the findings from six case studies.
The Role of Human Resource Management in the Public Sector
- In the UK, up until the Conservative reforms which began in the 1980s, public administration was closely associated with the Weberian centralised, hierarchical model of public services, where administrative rules were determined by central government and implemented by public organisations with relatively little scope for strategising at a local level (Bach and della Rocca, 2000).
- Under NPM, this traditional approach came to be seen as something of a liability, undermining performance and demotivating individuals (Bach and della Rocca, 2000; Farnham and Horton, 1996).
- In a move mirrored by governments around the developed world (Selden, 2005), what were perceived as ‘best practice’ concepts of people management derived from the private sector were held up as ideals to which the public sector should aspire (Harris, 2004; Horton, 2003; Morgan and Allington, 2002; Kessler et al., 2000; Bach and della Rocca, 2000).
- Set within the broader context of public management reforms, this paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate over whether or not HR functions are performing what can be considered a strategic role.
Methods
- This is separate from, but clearly related to, issues surrounding the content of HR strategy itself.
- Given the lack of consensus in the literature as to whether or not HR can perform a strategic role in the public sector, and what, if any, that strategic role might look like, the study adopted an essentially exploratory approach, comparing and contrasting what were perceived as strategic versus administrative roles from the perspective of organisational actors.
- This methodology was used effectively by Kessler et al (2000) to draw out differences and similarities across similarly constrained settings, and provides a means of establishing the extent to which organisational responses emerge due to a particular set of contingencies, or due to the exercise of strategic choice.
- Data were collected primarily by interview, with a total of 134 interviews held across the six case studies.
- In the research design, it would have been preferable to have had a high and low performing organisation in each pair to maximise contrast (Eisenhardt, 1989); instead, the authors have a high and medium performer in the hospital and local council pairs.
Hospitals
- In Hospital A, there was evidence that administration continued to be important, as did the implementation of government initiatives such as Agenda for Change (the new NHS job grading and reward strategy) Improving Working Lives (the government’s work-life balance initiative), and ensuring compliance with the European Working Time Directive.
- The degree of flexibility and autonomy and local fit is squeezed into a very narrow opportunity locally.
- Providing an efficient service, dealing with unions, and updating policies were also described by HR managers as being central to HR’s contribution.
- The majority of line managers did not regard HR as playing a strategic role: ‘they understand the business of HR, but they’re not always understanding of the business of the Trust’ (line manager).
- ‘if the authors tried to invoke industry-type HR policy and staff management within the NHS, we’d have b****y anarchy on their hands, also known as One line manager said.
Councils
- As was the case in the NHS Trusts, the HR function at Council A was heavily influenced by government policy, for instance, a current focus was on bringing in single employment status for manual and office workers, although one HR manager said ‘we’re very late with it’.
- This reflects a perhaps more reactive approach compared with Hospital B in response to government imperatives.
- Managing relations with unions was an important part of HR’s role, although previously relations had been somewhat stagnant with draft policies being blocked by the unions.
- This was perceived positively by senior managers.
- HR’s strategic role in the council was felt to be adversely affected by the decentralised structure of the department.
Police
- Within the police, it was evident that many line and HR managers felt that: ‘HR remains very much a support function, which I think is appropriate’ (HR manager, central HR).
- The feeling was that HR’s strategic involvement at a local level was circumscribed by the centre: ‘an awful lot is centrally driven’ (senior line manager).
- Many of the staff were also unqualified, and therefore were largely performing a clerical role.
- Many policies were regarded by police officers ‘as a nuisance’ and the imposition of targets such as individual performance development review (PDR) returns was seen as detracting from policing work particularly since, as the HR manager noted, ‘it’s very disjointed’ so, for instance, PDRs were a requirement, but were not actually used for any purpose.
- Many line managers wanted HR to provide advice and process information in a timely fashion, but felt that the department was unable to deliver this due to pressures caused by the administrative workload.
Discussion
- The findings from this study provide a fascinating and detailed insight into the role of the HR function in the public sector under the Blair administration.
- The authors can also observe interesting differences within and across the three sectors that have been the focus of this study.
- The authors data therefore show that HRM in the public sector has moved on from the stereotypical ‘traditional’ public sector model, but has not evolved into the exclusively unitarist and managerialist human resource management role envisaged by some.
- This creates an interesting and complex role for the HR function at the nexus between professional imperatives, government agendas, the demands of senior and line managers and their own will to change the nature of their contribution (Harris, 2004; Truss et al., 2002).
Conclusions
- This study has explored the question of whether the role of the HR function has become more strategic under the reform agenda.
- There is clear evidence that the HR role is becoming increasingly strategic, but this role is not replacing traditional HR roles, rather, it is being grafted on, adding to the diversity, challenge and complexity of HR in the public sector.
- From a policy perspective, it is clear that the government’s change agenda is taking effect.
- There is also evidence that in some organisations, such as the police, the full potential of the function is being held back by cumbersome and time-consuming procedures.
- Of course, this study has some limitations.
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Citations
Cites background from "Continuity and change: the role of ..."
...…business partnering can take various forms from change agent (Caldwell, 2001; Ulrich, 1997) to strategic partner (Lawler III and Mohrman, 2003; Truss, 2008; Pritchard, 2010) to internal consultant (Wright, 2008) or most recently what is discussed by Ulrich et al. (2009) operational executor…...
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...Some of the factors and tensions which cause imbalance of transactional over transformational work are mentioned in the study about the public organization by Truss (2008)....
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...Therefore, business partnering can take various forms from change agent (Caldwell, 2001; Ulrich, 1997) to strategic partner (Lawler III and Mohrman, 2003; Truss, 2008; Pritchard, 2010) to internal consultant (Wright, 2008) or most recently what is discussed by Ulrich et al....
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Frequently Asked Questions (2)
Q2. What are the future works in this paper?
Their findings show that change within public sector HRM has progressed much further than earlier research would suggest. However, there is also evidence that in some organisations, such as the police, the full potential of the function is being held back by cumbersome and time-consuming procedures. There is therefore a need to investigate new ways of streamlining and reducing the burden of process, as well as investigating in more detail how tensions and conflicts within the role can be addressed.