Public Personnel Management in County Government

• Author: Nicholas P. Lovrich,Brent S. Steel
• Published date: 01 April 1996
• DOI: 10.1177/0734371X9601600204
• Date: 01 April 1996
• Subject Matter: Articles

Keeping Up With the Times
Public Personnel Management
in County Government
BRENT S. STEEL AND NICHOLAS P. LOVRICH
In recent decades there have been many social, economic and political changes in society which
have led to an emphasis on progressive public personnel policies and management. Some of the
most salient changes for public personnel policy have been the increasing number of women in
the workplace, a societal emphasis on equality and diversity, the unionization of government
employees, and an increasing emphasis on employee lifestyle issues. This article investigates
how well county governments have responded to these new workplace dynamics and the factors
associated with adaptive change. The focus of the analyses presented is the adoption of
progressive personnel practices and policies such as sexual harassment prevention training
and complaint processing, affirmative action recruitment, collective bargaining rights, and
employee assistance policies. Based on a survey of 790 counties in 1993, the results indicate
that the adoption of formal sexual harassment, affirmative action, collective bargaining, and
employee assistance programs is demonstrably related to level of urbanization, the presence of
a professional personnel office, size of the workforce, local-level representation of women and/
or minorities in public office, and political culture.
hile
county government has
in the social, economic, environmental,
~ ~ ~ become an increasingly im-
W
and criminal justice arenas (Berman and
portant
component of Ameri-
Lehman, 1993). The ability of counties to
can federalism in the 1980s and 1990s
cope with the increasingly challenging
(Sokolow, 1993: 29), there have been few
duties of governance in the period of sys-
empirical studies dedicated specifically to
tematic devolution of governmental re-
the administrative structure and person-
sponsibilities is heavily dependent on the
nel systems found in contemporary
adequacy of the personnel management
county governments. Counties are now
systems in place.
being asked
&dquo;
to
grapple with enormous
Concurrent with these expanding
and vexing problems&dquo; in a variety of
admmistrative and policy responsibilities
policy arenas (Berman and Lehman, 1993:
is a generalized heightening of societal
xiii). Beginning with President Reagan’s
concern for social equity and quality of
program of &dquo;new federalism&dquo; and con-
life (Inglehart, 1990). It is argued that this
tinuing with the new Republican-con-
new
value emphasis on gender, racial, eth-
trolled Congress’ &dquo;Contract with
nic, and disability-affected equality of
America,&dquo; many counties are finding their
opportunity has very serious implications
administrative responsibilities increasing
for the public workplace. The need for
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public authorities to model appropriate
with a brief review of the specific person-
practices in these areas has led many com-
nel issues in question. Next, the factors
mentators to call for the adoption of new
associated with timely adoption of these
&dquo;progressive&dquo; personnel policies (e.g., see
policies are discussed, followed by a sys-
Davis, 1971; Waldo, 1980:158-161; Koehn,
tematic empirical examination of which
1983; O’Leary, 1994) and more employee-
counties have actually adopted the poli-
centered and employee-empowered types
cies.
of management practices (Osborne and
Gaebler, 1992; Winter Commission, 1993).
Sexual Harassment
Some of the most salient changes for
As noted by Carol Weinberg (1994), there
public personnel policy have been the in-
are two general types of sexual harass-
creasing number of women m the work-
ment : hostile environment and bargain situ-
place (Guy,1995: 232-233), increasing
ations. The former type is defined by
unionization of government employees
&dquo;...an environment that is unwelcoming
(Kearney, 1995: 177-178), and an increas-
and intimidating for women&dquo; while the
ing emphasis on employee lifestyle issues
latter type &dquo;...occurs when sexual activ-
and career development (see West and
ity or other sex-related behavior is solic-
Berman, 1995). According to Wooldridge
ited by the promise of a reward&dquo;
and Wester (1991: 207), these changes are
(Weinberg, 1994: 147-148). Under either
producing a &dquo;turbulent environment&dquo; for
type of sexual harassment, Title VII of the
public personnel administration and
Civil Rights Act of 1964 allows the em-
&dquo;...local governments will have to become
ployee to seek corrective actions through
aware
of, and respond to, these variables.&dquo;
&dquo;
the EEOC
and through the federal courts.
This article investigates how well
More recently, with the passage of the
county governments have responded to
Civil Rights Act of 1991, victims of sexual
these new workplace dynamics and iden-
harassment can sue for punitive damages
tifies the factors associated with adaptive
as well as compensatory awards (Bayes
change. The study of county government
and Kelly, 1995: 224).
and policies is largely an &dquo;unexplored&dquo;
The EEOC
strongly encourages em-
area in the social sciences (Berman and
ployers to take preventive action to dis-
Lehman, 1993), and this article is among
courage both types of sexual harassment.
the few available systematic attempts to
In the EEOC’s Policy Guidance Memoran-
analyze public personnel issues in county
dum of 1988, a public jurisdiction’s poli-
government. The focus of the analyses
cies and personnel practices should in-
presented, based upon mail surveys from
clude internal procedures for &dquo;...receiv-
the personnel directors (or the equivalent)
ing, investigating, and resolving sexual
in 790 randomly selected counties in 1993,
harassment claims&dquo; (see Robinson et al.,
is the adoption of programs pertaining to
1993: 129). In addition, the EEOC recom-
sexual harassment, affirmative action,
mends that prohibitions against sexual
collective bargaining, and employee as-
harassment should be widely promul-
sistance and counseling programs by
gated, and that they should be communi-
county governments. The article begins
cated regularly to employees.
33

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Affirmative Action
O’Neill, 1989). By offering an opportu-
nity for self-help and recovery to an em-
With the passage of the Equal Employ-
ployee (in place of termination) an orga-
ment Opportunity Act of 1972, Title VII
nization expresses a clear indication to its
provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
employees that they are thought of as val-
prohibiting discrimination in personnel
ued partners in a common enterprise of
practices were extended to state and local
public service.
governments. As a consequence, affirma-
There are several services typically
tive action and equal employment oppor-
offered by EAPs; these range from treat-
tunity policies were developed to end dis-
ment for alcohol and drug abuse to coun-
crimination in current public personnel
seling for emotional problems, marital
management and to remedy the effects of
and financial woes (Quinn, 1989). EAPs
past discrimination (Graham, 1995). Al-
can be offered in-house or by contracting
though some recent U.S. Supreme Court
with the private sector. A study by
adjudications of affirmative action cases
Klingner et al. (1989) found that a large
suggest change in this area, local public
percentage of national agencies, state gov-
agencies have been subject to require-
ernments and larger cities have adopted
ments for &dquo;good faith effort&dquo; affirmative
EAPs. These findings also are supported
action programs as defined by federal
by a national study by the Public Risk
courts and the Equal Employment Oppor-
Management Association published in
tunity Commission for over two decades
1989 (Quinn, 1989).
now. While women
and minorities have
made notable progress in some areas of
Collective Bargaining
government work (e.g., public welfare
and education), they have had substan-
President Kennedy’s 1962 Executive Or-
tially less success in attaining jobs and
der 10988, facilitating union organizing
achieving advanced ranks in traditionally
and collective bargaining in the federal
male-dominated areas such as fire and
government, spawned imitative policies
police departments (Cayer and Sigelman,
at the state and local levels which pro-
1980; Graham, 1995; Guy, 1995; Riccucci,
moted the growth of public sector union-
1986; Warner et al., 1989).
ism. While there has been an overall de-
cline in umon membership in the United
Employee Assistance Programs
States over the last two decades, the pub-
lic sector remains unionized at high lev-
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
els as compared to the private sector
provide a variety of diagnostic, counsel-
(Johnson, 1994). In 1976, unionized work-
ing, and referral services to employees
ers in the private sector work force totaled
who are dealing with personal problems
25 percent; by 1987 it was 13 percent. By
that affect their work performance. They
contrast, public unions’ share of govern-
offer a constructive alternative to the ter-
ment employment was 40 percent in 1976
mination of an otherwise productive em-
and fell slightly to 36 percent in 1987 (see
ployee who is having some type of treat-
discussion in Sylvia, 1994: 241-242; and
able personal problem(s) (Johnson and
also see Johnson, 1994, passim).
34

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The activities that local government
dent variables are used as plausible pre-
employee unions can undertake reflect
dictors of county personnel policies in the
both the legislation...