Originally published as Personnel Review Volume 34 Number 6, 2005
ISBN: 1 84544 809 X
Guest edited by: Stephen Bach, University of London, UK, Ian Kessler, University of Oxford, UK & Geoff White, University of Greenwich Business School, UK.
This Special Issue carries contributions which address the issue of public service reform under the Labour Government in the UK.
The published papers cover both a broad variety of human resource topics and a range of separate public services. Topics covered include the impact of performance indicators on HRM practices in the National Health Service (NHS); the impact of Government policy on employment relations in the Fire Service; the use of 360 degree appraisal systems to improve performance management in the civil service; the impact of ‘best value’ reviews upon HR in local government; the outcomes of new ‘partnership’ relationships between management and unions in a local authority facing a ‘best value’ review; and experimentation with job re-design in the NHS.
Contents:
Seeing stars: human resources performance indicators in the National Health Service
This paper examines the functioning of performance ratings of the human resources (HR) function of National Health Service (NHS). In particular, it looks at the star ratings system and the response of workplace HR managers to this system.
The death of corporatism? Managing change in the fire service
This article demonstrates how government policy on fires service reform was initially challenged by a stubbornly resistant fire service corporatism but finally dismantled following the 2003 fire service White Paper.
360° feedback: a critical enquiry
This paper critically examines the introduction of 360° feedback in the civil service, drawing on the experiences of the Patent Office and taking account of the wider context of civil service modernisation.
UK public sector reform and the “performance agenda” in UK local government: HRM challenges and dilemmas
This article examines how an external performance review process introduced as part of the public sector modernisation agenda in England and Wales has impacted on HR service provision and processes in local government and the extent to which it has acted as a catalyst for the development of more integrative and innovative HR practices to support organisational performance.
Role redesign: new ways of working in the NHS
A 12-month independent evaluation (2003-2004) of a role redesign initiative in the NHS is reported. The study followed a developmental, case-study design and included secondary data analysis, semi-structured interviews and observations at five case-study sites.
Best value and workplace partnership in local government
This paper explores employee experiences concerning job security/insecurity, workload, job satisfaction and employee involvement in the aftermath of Best Value reviews in a local authority.
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