ABSTRACT
This chapter examines four of the most notable, challenging, and enduring issues that underlie the study and practice of public sector human resources management: affirmative action, labor-management relations, performance management, and succession planning. It addresses why these topics have remained so significant, what theoretical and empirical advances have been made in each area over the past twenty years, and what the future holds for these critical areas of public sector human resources management. The field of Human Resources Management (HRM) in the public sector is diverse, dynamic, and extensive. It continues to garner a good deal of attention because of its primary purpose: diversifying work and educational settings. One of the most hotly debated, political, and grossly misunderstood issues in HRM are affirmative action. All these efforts provide rich opportunities for continual research in HRM. Case studies and best practices in particular help to build theory in HRM and more broadly in public management.
