Reflection on New Learnings

‘Reflections on New Learnings’ Paper

In this module you will need to submit a 3 page paper that summarizes the topics, concepts, theories, or ideas that you have learned thus far and found the most stimulating in the course. The paper also needs to:

• specify how you learned those topics, concepts, theories, or ideas (see examples below),
  
  
• explain how those topics, concepts, theories, or ideas which you learned relate to the Course Student Learning Outcomes listed in the second section of the course syllabus, AND
• highlight why the topics, concepts, theories, or ideas were of particular interest and value to you.

Although the paper should be written as an essay, you are encouraged to use bullet points or other visual highlights (bold, underline, colors, etc.) that emphasize the points you are discussing.  Please rely on your own course readings, your writing and your professional perspective on the course content to craft this paper.

The explanation you provide will need to be relatively specific, particularly in terms of how you learned the topics, concepts, theories, or ideas. For example,

• Rather than writing “Age discrimination: The Discussions helped me learn this point” you should write something along the lines of: “Age discrimination: In Module 1, Lisa’s discussion question and the replies, especially Alejandro’s reply that gave an example from his workplace, helped me to grasp this concept more clearly. This was reinforced by the ideas on page 86 of the textbook, which noted that this form of discrimination applies to those over 40 years of age (I always wondered if there was a fixed threshold) and that, in general, organizations cannot force an older employee to retire based only on age, except in certain positions, such as public safety and executive policymaking.”
• Rather than, “Values: I learned a lot about values in our readings” you will need to write something like: “Pages 40-42 in the textbook, which we read in Module 1, helped me to understand the importance and roles of values in an organization because the explanation provided on those pages highlighted that there are three levels of values consciousness, and that even if an organization has values, they are irrelevant unless administrators and employees have learned their organization’s values. I have seen this in the office where I work because my agency always stresses the importance of maintaining our organizational values when dealing with the public.”

Grading and points will be based on the following criteria:

– Identified at least four (4) topics, concepts, theories, or ideas that were learned. The four topics/concepts should be selected from at least three different modules (i.e. do not select all of the topics that you learned from only one or two modules).

– Provided sufficient explanation that clarified how the topic, concept, theory, or idea was learned (see examples above) and what made it of interest to you.

– Logically connected each topic, concept, theory, or idea learned with specific Course Student Learning Outcomes listed in the syllabus.

– A well written paper (no spelling or grammar mistakes, well-presented, easy-to-read, etc.)

Information learned in the course

Learning Module 3

Position Management, Motivation, and Compensation

Overview and Goals:

In this learning module we will look at position management, which involves position classification, job analysis, and job evaluation, motivating employees, as well as the all-important subject of compensation and pay.

Chapter 5 opens by looking at the origins of position classification and management in the public sector. As with other aspects of public sector personnel management, position classification and management grew out of the shortcomings of the patronage system and became much more ‘scientific’ around the end of the 19th century. For example, systematic job descriptions were introduced early in the 20th century, and the Classification Act of 1923 codified a number of important aspects of position management. Yet, as with other aspects of public sector personnel management, position management became overly bogged down in red tape throughout much of the 20th century, and recent efforts at reform have endeavored to unravel this red tape, through the use of such techniques as broadbanding and simplifying personnel policies and manuals.

Chapter 5 then considers the fundamentals in job design and job analysis, noting that these two tasks form the basis of many other human resource functions. The chapter describes job design and re-design, and explains the importance of balancing efficiency, effectiveness, and employee satisfaction. Additionally, the chapter provides an outline of how information can be collected during the job analysis process and how job analysis can help organizational leaders to gain a broader perspective on organizational values and functions. Both job design and job analysis can produce job descriptions, which are used in creating position classification systems, which help to group positions within an organization. Chapter 5 concludes by considering some aspects of job evaluation, and introduces the concept of ‘ whole job’ analysis and evaluation. To access some Powerpoint slides prepared by the publisher, click on the highlighted link at the end of this sentence; these Powerpoint slides should be used as a supplement to your readings but not in place of reading the chapter –  Chapter 5 Powerpoint slides Chapter 5 Powerpoint slides – Alternative Formats .

Chapter 6 considers motivation, and many of the concepts and ideas should be familiar to most students. The chapter focuses on how human resource managers can seek to ensure that personnel policies and practices generate conditions that allow employees to satisfy their needs and create a climate of motivation. Chapter 6 introduces the idea of psychological contracts and explains how these relationships, as well as feedback, can be effective motivational tools. To access some Powerpoint slides prepared by the publisher, click on the highlighted link at the end of this sentence; these Powerpoint slides should be used as a supplement to your readings but not in place of reading the chapter –  Chapter 6 Powerpoint slides Chapter 6 Powerpoint slides – Alternative Formats .

Chapter 7 opens by noting that compensation is an important issue in human resource management for a couple of reasons: i) pay levels impact a person economically, socially, and psychologically, and ii) payrolls are the largest portion of budgets for public sector organizations. Yet, a paradox inherent in the discussion of compensation is that even though this is an important human resource function, compensation levels in the public sector are not a management system due to the fact that they are tightly interwoven in the political system (i.e. compensation levels are a persistent “political hot potato”). To access some Powerpoint slides prepared by the publisher, click on the highlighted link at the end of this sentence; these Powerpoint slides should be used as a supplement to your readings but not in place of reading the chapter –  Chapter 7 Powerpoint slides Chapter 7 Powerpoint slides – Alternative Formats .

Chapter 7 describes the factors that affect the determination of pay in public sector organizations and describes in detail each of those factors:

i) Philosophy; the general philosophy in the U.S. has been to limit compensation levels in the public sector based on the idea that people engaging in public service were doing so to enrich society rather than themselves. Although over the past few decades the philosophy has shifted toward a more pragmatic approach toward civil servant compensation levels, but in general public sector wages remain below private sector wages.

ii) Labor market forces (external competition); this is not a simple supply-and-demand outcome because there are many forces and factors that impact compensation levels. Further, comparability of compensation levels is complicated by different levels of benefits beyond basic pay rates.

iii) Job content (internal consistency); this topic ties in with issues presented in Chapter 5 in terms of Job Analysis and Job Evaluation and the idea that compensation should be related to the extent to which each position within an agency contributes to organizational objectives.

iv) Personal allocation (individual contribution); this aspect influences pay adjustments rather than pay levels per se, and includes such topics as seniority, cost-of-living adjustments, merit pay, skill pay, and gainsharing. The chapter highlights some of the nuances of these compensation programs, noting for instance that although merit pay programs are theoretically logical in regard to increasing productivity and properly rewarding individuals, in practice merit pay programs face a number of potential, and real, problems.

Professor Behn’s (short two page) article “Pay for Performance” provides some specific critiques of pay-for-performance programs in the public sector, highlighting four main shortcomings of these programs that make their application by public agencies troublesome.

The chapter by Gilbert Siegel (“ Designing and Creating an Effective Compensation Plan”) provides a detailed overview of traditional compensation plans and reasons why those are changing in the public sector. Additionally, the chapter provides a step-by-step outline of how an effective salary structure can be designed and maintained.

By the end of this learning module, students will be able to explain the importance of job design and job analysis in the public sector, demonstrate how to write a job description, and explain how a position classification system can be created. In addition, students will be able to explain the importance of motivation and how psychological contracts and feedback can be used effectively as motivational tools.  Additionally, the end of this learning module, students will be able to explain the factors that affect the determination of pay in public sector organizations, and students will be able to describe the steps that can be used in order to draw up a compensation structure.

Required Reading:

• Chapters 5, 6, and 7 (Human Resource Management in Public Service, Berman, et al.) [Required Textbook]
• Behn, Robert. “Pay for Performance.” Bob Behn’s Public Management Report. 1.5 (2004): 1-2. Web. [http://www.hks.harvard.edu/thebehnreport/January2004.pdf]
• Siegel, Gilbert B. “ Designing and Creating an Effective Compensation Plan Designing and Creating an Effective Compensation Plan – Alternative Formats .” Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government. Third Edition. Ed. Condrey, Stephen E. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2010. 663-686. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]

Recommended Reading (Optional):

• Jenkins, Susan M. and Patrick Curtin. “ Adapting Job Analysis Methodology to Improve Evaluation Practice Adapting Job Analysis Methodology to Improve Evaluation Practice – Alternative Formats .” American Journal of Evaluation. 27.4 (2006): 485-494. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]
• Wright, Bradley, E. “ Public Sector Work Motivation: A Review of the Current Literature and a Revised Conceptual Model Public Sector Work Motivation: A Review of the Current Literature and a Revised Conceptual Model – Alternative Formats .” Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory. 11.4 (2001): 559-586. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]

Additional Learning material

Learning Module 2

Recruitment and Selection

 Overview and Goals:

In this learning module we will look at the fundamental issues and challenges involved in the recruiting process, as well as how selection of applicants is conducted in the public sector.

As noted in our textbook, recruitment is arguably the most important function in human resource management. Chapter 3 considers the recruitment process by looking at three specific steps – i) planning and approval of a position, ii) preparing the position announcement, and iii) selecting appropriate strategies in order to attract high quality candidates. The recruitment process has been a focal point in the public sector due to negative impact the Spoils System brought to the civil service up until the late 19th century. With the passage of the Pendleton Act, recruitment in the public sector became much more systematic and controlled; however, recent trends have called for some of the recruiting functions to be handled by agencies and units in conjunction with a central personnel office (rather than handled exclusively by a central personnel office), and for a reduction in the amount of proceduralism (red tape) in the recruitment process.

Chapter 3 highlights some of the basic questions that need to be addressed prior to recruiting for a position, such as whether the position should be advertised externally or internally or both, whether there will be individual vs. pool recruiting, etc. The chapter also outlines how to draw up an effective position announcement and explains the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods of advertising a position. The chapter also explains the importance of promoting diversity and how diversity can be enhanced during the recruitment process. To access some Powerpoint slides prepared by the publisher, click on the highlighted link at the end of this sentence; these Powerpoint slides should be used as a supplement to your readings but not in place of reading the chapter –  Chapter 3 Powerpoint slides Chapter 3 Powerpoint slides – Alternative Formats .

Chapter 4 provides an overview of the selection process, which begins when applications for a position are received. The chapter begins by considering some of the theoretical criteria that can be used in the selection process; thereafter the chapter provides an historical review of the various eras in employee selection in the public sector in the United States and concludes the section by looking at some recent trends that are emerging in order to improve the selection process in the civil service, particularly since the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act in 1978.

Chapter 4 further details the selection process by explaining the four phases of the screening process and the steps that are undertaken during the initial review stage, in particular in order to ensure that those steps align with the requirements of the job. Also, introduced are tests that can be used; again, with a focus on ensuring that any tests align with the competencies required for the job. The chapter provides some guidelines for how interviews can be conducted, as well as some tips on how to avoid discriminatory actions during the selection process. The chapter concludes by providing details on what occurs during the offer process and the importance of onboarding. To access some Powerpoint slides prepared by the publisher, click on the highlighted link at the end of this sentence; these Powerpoint slides should be used as a supplement to your readings but not in place of reading the chapter –  Chapter 4 Powerpoint slides Chapter 4 Powerpoint slides – Alternative Formats .

The article by Jared Llorens and J. Edward Kellough (“A Revolution in Public Personnel Administration”) provides an analysis of federal government’s Recruitment One-Stop program, detailing how the federal government’s movement to decentralize its personnel system during the 1990s under the National Performance Review program has made the move to an automated, centralized recruitment and selection process a little more difficult, although improvements in the federal hiring process are being seen.

By the end of this learning module, students will be able to explain the paradoxes of the recruiting process in the public sector, highlight the strengths and weaknesses of various recruitment strategies, and detail how diversity can be enhanced through the recruitment process. Additionally, by the end of this learning module, students will be able to explain the contemporary trends that are taking place in the public sector, be able to explain what takes place during each of the four screening phases, be able to outline the basic procedures needed in the interview process, and outline what are acceptable actions (as well as unacceptable actions) in order to improve the likelihood of nondiscriminatory hiring.

Required Reading:

• Chapters 3 and 4 (Human Resource Management in Public Service, Berman, et al.) [Required Textbook]
• Llorens, Jared J. and J. Edward Kellough. “ A Revolution in Public Personnel Administration: The Growth of Web-Based Recruitment and Selection Processes in the Federal Service A Revolution in Public Personnel Administration: The Growth of Web-Based Recruitment and Selection Processes in the Federal Service – Alternative Formats .” Public Personnel Management. 36.3 (2007): 207-221. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]

Recommended Reading (Optional):

• Poindexter, Kate. “ Passing the Torch But Not Just Yet Passing the Torch But Not Just Yet – Alternative Formats .” Public Manager. 37.2 (2008): 11-14. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]
• Trahant, Bill and Steve Yearout. “ Competing for Talent in the Federal Government–Part I Competing for Talent in the Federal Government–Part I – Alternative Formats .” Public Manager. 35.1 (2006): 57-61. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]
• Davidson, Glenn, Stan LePeak, and Elizabeth Newman. “ Recruiting and Staffing in the Public Sector: Results from the IPMA-HR Research Series.” Summer 2007. [http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/ipma-hr/unpan027173.pdf]
• Office of Personnel Management. “Career Patterns: A 21st Century Approach to Attracting Talent.” 2006. [http://main.opm.gov/CareerPatterns/CPGuideV1.pdf]
•  U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Federal Workforce: Additional Insights Could Enhance Agency Efforts Related to Hispanic Representation.” GAO-06-832. 2006. [http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06832.pdf] 
• Babcock, Pamela. “ Spotting Lies Spotting Lies – Alternative Formats .” HRMagazine. 48.10: (2003). 46-52. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]
• Ryan, Ann Marie and Nancy T. Tippins. “ Attracting and Selecting: What Psychological Research Tells Us Attracting and Selecting: What Psychological Research Tells Us – Alternative Formats .” Human Resource Management. 43.4 (2004): 305-318. Web. [Click on the highlighted title to access this article]