A Comparison of Personnel Courses in Public and Business Administration

• Author: Rosanne London,Patricia J. Fredericksen
• Date: 01 October 1994
• DOI: 10.1177/0734371X9401400411
• Published date: 01 October 1994
• Subject Matter: Articles

Themes and Perspectives Evident
in Course Syllabi
A
COMPARISON
OF
PERSONNEL
COURSES
IN
PUBLIC AND
BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
PATRICIA J. FREDERICKSEN
AND
ROSANNE LONDON
RESEARCH PROBLEM
factor influencing the
A
s rank-and-file em-
ployees
perspective managers
and man-
and employees bring to
agers enter either public
the employment envi-
or
private organizations
ronment is their indi-
they bring with them a
vidual educational ex-
cognitive framework
periences, including
structuring their think-
those courses taken per-
ing and shaping their in-
taining to management.
teractions with others.
Personnel administra-
Herzog (1993) notes that
tion is one such course
practitioners tend to
central to these concerns.
hold strongly based per-
Personnel admin-
sonal theories regarding
istration courses typi-
how
organizations work
cally address a wide
and how people should
range of management
be treated at work. From
practices. The particu-
an administrative
lar
per-
theoretical perspec-
spective, the character of this frame-
tive presented in any given personnel
work and the degree to which
course
manag-
helps shape the management
ers, supervisory staff, and employees
perspective individuals take with them
hold similar perspectives can be criti-
as they become members of organiza-
cal elements in the
tions
success of the
and as their
orga-
professional lives
nization (Klingner and Nalbandian,
develop. One method for ascertaining
1985:xi-xvii; Cayer, 1986:86-94). One
this theoretical perspective is to review
101

---

the requirements listed in any given
proach.
personnel course syllabus. Personnel
As noted, the educational back-
courses typically present some mix-
ground of rank and file employees,
ture of two paramount theoretical per-
supervisors and managers in today’s
spectives. These perspectives are com-
public agencies may emphasize either
monly referred to as the traditional/
a public or private sector perspective.
technical and the human resource / re-
It is therefore appropriate to consider
lations models (Miles, 1975:35-39;
both public administration and busi-
Harmon and Mayer, 1986:67-107).
ness administration personnel courses
These two models reflect differing
as part of a research project designed to
views of the individual, the role em-
determine the degree to which these
ployees should play in the workplace,
two theoretical perspectives are being
as well as what obligation the organi-
presented in personnel courses in these
zation has for the development of the
disciplines. Lovrich and Nelson (1991;
individual’s innate capacities.
1992) note the lack of systematic infor-
According to Hersey and
mation regarding the substance and
Blanchard (1988:51-83), a manager who
content of contemporary personnel
is guided by the traditional, scientific
courses. Specifically, the link between
management-inspired approach may
educational socialization and the de-
see
employees as being passive, depen-
velopment of professional management
dent and rather &dquo;childlike&dquo; in charac-
attitudes is an important area of re-
ter. In contrast, managers reflecting
search receiving too little attention thus
the human resource / relations ap-
far. The findings derived from the
proach tend to focus on the task of
content analysis of course syllabi re-
fostering feelings of affiliation, striving
ported here should contribute to a fuller
for creativity in the midst of routine
understanding of the connections be-
functions, and promoting employee
tween
educational exposures and man-
participation in decision-making in the
agement practices.
workplace. Application of either the
traditional or human resource/rela-
tions approach does have ramifications
REvœw OF THE LITERATURE
for the organization. Goodsell (1985 :9-
11) and Lipsky (1980:479-483) observe
The subject of personnel management
that the adoption of the traditional
encompasses all of the activities relat-
management approach may contrib-
ing to the employment conditions of
ute to
individuals in
a pessimistic and condemnatory
organizations. The tra-
public view of the public organization
ditional / technical approach focuses on
and its employees. This approach
core personnel techniques such as re-
may
also
cruitment,
encourage employees to adopt a
performance appraisal, la-
mentality perpetuating this
bor
negative
relations, employee discipline, and
view (Hummel, 1987:25-39). For these
grievance procedures --typically with
scholars, the ability of
an
a public organi-
emphasis on the employer’s con-
zation to contribute to effective
cerns. In
contrast, the human
resource
/
gover-
relations
nance may be seriously compromised
approach focuses attention
if it is too thoroughly influenced by the
on
topics such as career development,
traditional scientific management
leadership, motivation, and human
ap-
102

---

resource planning -- typically with an
als in organizations, causes serious dam-
emphasis on the interactive relation-
age both to the individuals mvolved and
to the
ship between
larger
employee and employer.
society (Harmon and Mayer,
1986: 199).
The works of Max Weber and
Frederick Winslow Taylor form an in-
tellectual
Building
foundation for the traditional
upon early work by
model
Mary Parker Follett (1924), human re-
(Miles, 1975:39; Harmon and
source / relations theorists -- including
Mayer, 1987:67-68). This approach to
Chris Argyris, Warren Bennis, Rensis
personnel management espouses a ra-
Likert, and Frederick Herzberg -- de-
tional, instrumental logic to address
veloped a
the personnel
strong normative commit-
aspects of organizational
ment
to developing individuals through
activity, and assumes that the physical
various
and social
organizational activities -- in-
environments of organiza-
cluding participative
tions
management,
are highly malleable and there-
employee
fore
empowerment programs,
can be designed to the benefit of
the
and job enrichment efforts. These theo-
organization (Harmon and Mayer,
rists advocate organizational democ-
1987:68). As a result of the implicit and
explicit
racy, a concept that recognizes that
assumptions basic to this &dquo;sci-
employees can become
entific
increasingly
management&dquo; perspective, the
autonomous and mature
traditional / technical
persons with
approach is fre-
appropriate attention to their indi-
quently characterized as promoting
vidual growth needs. Rather than view-
impersonal and / or authoritarian-style
ing employees as impersonal assets,
(Theory X) management (McGregor,
they are presumed to be inherently
1957:22-28). The employee can be seen
creative, willing and eager to contrib-
as an
impersonal instrumental asset to
ute, with both the
be utilized
capacity and the
to increase the efficiency,
desire to develop their abilities and
effectiveness, or productivity of the
promote the welfare of the organiza-
organization (Rosenbloom, 1988 :134-
tion (Cayer, 1986:90; Rosenbloom,
136 ; Cayer, 1986:90). The dehumaniza-
1989:136-138).
tion explicit in Weber’s treatment of
The application in practice of
bureaucracy and implicit in Taylor’s
either of the two
scientific
approaches is recog-
management has been con-
nized as having
sidered
important conse-
by some scholars to be dys-
functional because it does
quences for both the organization and
not address
the employee (Goodsell, 1985:88-104;
employees’ &dquo;higher order needs&dquo;
Klingner and Nalbandian, 1985:2;
(Maslow, 1943) in modern society
Cayer, 1986:90-91; Hersey and
(Argyris, 1964; Herzberg, 1966).
Blanchard, 1988:51-70 and 430-449;
The underpinnings of the human
Nigro, 1990:187-195). According to
resource
/ relations theoretical perspec-
Hersey and Blanchard (1988), the adop-
tive were developed by scholars who
tion of the traditional, scientific man-
shared the belief that the
agement approach in the private sector
setting results in
rationalistic,
employees acting in a
...
organization-domi-
nant view of organizational behavior, by
passive, dependent and childlike way.
effectively ignoring the rights, values,
In reaction, managers tend to reassert
and personal development of mdlvldu-
their authority and control and thereby
103

---

further reinforce their belief in the lim-
phasis upon the traditional/technical
ited abilities of employees. This
&dquo;self-
approach are thought to be inconsis-
fulling prophesy&dquo; aspect of the Theory
tent with democratic theory and inap-
X perspective has received frequent
propriate to address the rapid social
commentary (Thayer, 1981).
and economic changes confronting the
Reflecting upon differing man-
nation at this point of its history (Wil-
agement approaches in public organi-
son, 1989:113-136; Osborne, 1991).
zations, Goodsell (1988) and Lipsky
(1980) note adoption of the traditional
management approach may contrib-
ute to a pessimistic and condemnatory
METHODOLOGY
public view of the public service. In
addition, they fear that too strong
DATA COLLECTION
an
attachment to this approach can lead to
Syllabi from both social science (pre-
the development of a pathological or
dominantly public administration) and
&dquo;bureaucratic mentality&dquo; among pub-
business personnel courses were col-
lic sector employees. Public agencies
lected from colleges and universities
may then treat citizens with less dig-
between 1990 and 1992. Questionnaires
nity and respect than people in a de-
were sent to faculty teaching these
mocracy deserve. Nigro echoes these
...