Integrating Social Equity in Public Human Resource Management Courses

Human resource management (HRM) is a curricular component in public administration programs. HRM is primarily taught from a legal and/or organizational perspective, focusing less on the “human” aspect of the discipline. However, public HRM professionals often encounter “gray areas” of public administration with tensions between mechanistic (structured) and humanistic (organic) approaches to management. This chapter demonstrates how to use case studies for humanistic decision-making in HRM to integrate and foster social equity. A collection of realistic scenarios places students in an HRM manager role as they navigate situations that can occur in the workplace. The case scenarios encourage students to examine the environment, legal regulations, processes, and policies for compliance in the public sector, as well as factors related to social equity. Scenarios immerse students in the complexity of HRM and challenge them to make difficult decisions, from appropriate dress codes to fostering inclusion in the workplace.