ABSTRACT
The context within which human resource management (HRM) takes place differs between the continents and also within Europe at the level of nation-states. The scientific traditions in Europe and the United States are also slightly different. First, Europe is far from synonymous with the European Union (EU). Second, there are several different types of administrative traditions on the European continent. Third, it is also important to take into account the different types of welfare states in Europe. New Public Management (NPM) is a shorthand concept for a set of loosely related ideas about government and public service reform with the key objective being to create a public sector that works better and costs less. There are many similarities between the research on HRM taking place in the United States and that occurring in Europe, but there are also small differences in emphasis.
