This course is about managing people in public and nonprofit organizations. The course assesses the theory and practice of strategically developing, utilizing, and aligning human resources to improve the culture and outcomes of public and nonprofit organizations. Topics include HR strategy, individual diversity, leadership, selection, training, compensation, classification, performance appraisal, motivation, and future practices for public and non-profit organizations. Some private sector practices will also be considered for comparison.
Strategic human resource management is a relatively new approach within the organizational behavior framework, going beyond the role of personnel administration. Effective human resources leadership fosters the maximum contribution from each member of an organization toward the attainment of organizational goals. Thus, it requires knowledge of the strategic long-range goals and objectives of the organization, as well as knowledge of the complexities of human behavior. It requires knowledge of motivational techniques and principles and demands the objective measurement of performance. It recognizes the fact that each employee is capable of making a valuable contribution and seeks ways in which individual goals may be merged with organizational goals.
Thus, human resource leadership recognizes the value of the employee as a key contributors. In so doing, it necessitates the personal as well as professional development of the employee. People are encouraged to unleash their potential and to be innovative and creative. All of these factors should promote increased organizational effectiveness in the form of improved financials, better planning, quality communication, greater delegation of responsibility, increased problem-solving activity, improved performance measures, and increased job satisfaction.