ABSTRACT
The field of public human resource management has endured a tumultuous yet challenging past four decades, with the emergence of reforms such as outsourcing, privatization, decentralization, reinventing government, new public management, and the like. At the center of these reform activities has been the call for human resource management to become a relevant and viable partner in the management of public organizations. Human resource managers must adapt to these changes in the profession, all the while implementing effective and responsive human resource management systems in their organizations. Building an effective human resource management system is an incremental, collaborative process, whereby major actors in the organization (governing body, management, and employees) gain confidence and respect in the human resource department and its ability to facilitate an effective and responsive system of personnel management.
