The U.K.’s public sector modernization agenda has significant implications for human resource (HR) practices and how they contribute to organizational performance. Through 4 case studies of large, local authorities, this article considers how the externally imposed performance assessment process of best value review is affecting HR practices in local government and to what extent these are being developed to support the high-performance model reflected in central government performance interventions. It also explores whether these are helping or hindering approaches to the organizational development required to build the internal capability necessary for delivering local authorities’ future improvement plans.
Armstrong, M., & Baron, A. (2000). Performance management: The new realities. London: Institute of Personnel and Development.
2.
Audit Commission. (2002). Recruitment and retention: Public service workforce for the twenty first century: Public sector national report. London: Author.
3.
Bell, A.,& Hawksworth, S. (1999, June). Benchmarking for performance measurement, monitoring and control in the UK local government sector. Paper presented at the Human Resources for Development: People and Performance International Conference, Manchester, UK.
4.
Bendell, T., Boulter, L., & Kelly, J. (1994). Implementing quality in the public sector. London: Financial Times/Pitman.
5.
Bevan, S., & Thompson, M. (1992). Performance management in the UK: Analysis of the issues. London: Institute of Personnel and Development.
6.
Boxall, P.,& Purcell, J. (2003). Strategy and human resource management. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
7.
Boyne, G. (2002). Public and private management: What’s the difference?Journal of Management Studies, 39(1), 97-122.
8.
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. (2002). People management and development in the public services. London: Author.
9.
Cully, M., Woodland, S., O’Reilly, A., & Dix, G. (1999). Britain at work as depicted by the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey. London: Routledge.
10.
Dickens, L. (2000). Still wasting resources? Equality in employment. In S. Bach& K. Sisson (Eds.), Personnel management: A comprehensive guide to theory and practice(3rd ed., pp. 137-169). Oxford, UK: Blackwell.
11.
Farnham, D., & Giles, L. (1996). People management and employment relations. In D. Farnham & S. Horton (Eds.), Managing the new public services(pp. 112-136). Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan.
12.
Farnham, D., & Horton, S. (1996). Managing the new public services. Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan.
13.
Gibb, S. (2000). Evaluating HRM effectiveness: The stereotype connection. Employee Relations, 22(1), 56-75.
14.
Guest, D. (1997). Human resource management and performance: A review and research agenda. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(3), 263-275.
15.
Harris, L. (2002). The future for the HR function in local government: Everything has changed but has anything changed?Journal of Strategic Change, 11(7), 368-378.
16.
Krulis-Randa, J. (1990). Strategic human resource management in Europe after 1992. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1(2), 131-139.
17.
Lee Cooke, F. (2001). Human resource strategy to improve organizational performance: A route for firms in Britain?International Journal of Management Reviews, 3(4), 321-339.
18.
Local Government Management Board. (1994). Performancemanagement and performance related pay. Luton, UK: Author.
19.
McGovern, P., Hope-Hailey, V., & Stiles, P. (1998). Human resource management on the line?Human Resource Management Journal, 7(4), 13-29.
20.
Millward, N., Bryson, A., & Forth, J. (2000). All change at work: British employment relations 1980-1998.London: Routledge.
21.
Nutley, S. (2000). Beyond systems: HRM audits in the public sector. Human Resource Management Journal, 10(2), 21-33.
22.
Office for Public Management. (2003). Capacity building in local government: Research on capacity building needs(Final Interim Report to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister). Retrieved July 21, 2003, from www.opm.co.uk
23.
Redman, T. (2001). Performance appraisal. In T. Redman& A. Wilkinson (Eds.), Contemporary human resource management(p. 143-143). London: Financial Times/Prentice Hall.
24.
Strebler, M., Robinson, D., & Bevan, S. (2001). Performance review: Balancing objectives and content(Report 370). Brighton, UK: Institute of Employment Studies.
25.
Thornhill, A.,& Saunders, N. K. (1998). What if line managers don’t realise they’re responsible for HR?Personnel Review, 27(6), 460-476.
26.
Truss, C. (2001). Complexities and controversies in linking HRM with organizational outcomes. Journal of Management Studies, 38(8), 1121-1149.
27.
Tyson, S., & Fell, A. (1986). Evaluating the personnel function. London: Hutchinson.
28.
Watson, T. J. (2000). Management and interactive social science. Critical Participative Research, Science & Public Policy, 27(3), 203-210.
29.
White, G., & Hutchinson, B. (1996). Local government. In D. Farnham & S. Horton (Eds.), Managing people in the public services(pp. 185-224). Basingstoke, UK: Macmillan.
30.
White, L. (2000). Changing the whole system in the public sector. Journal of Organizational Change, 13(2), 162-177.
31.
Whittaker, S., & Marchington, M. (2003). Devolving HR responsibility to the line: Threat, opportunity or partnership?Employee Relations, 25(3), 245-261.
32.
Wood, S. (1999). Getting the measure of the transformed high performance organisation. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 37(3), 391-417.
33.
Wright, P. M., McCormick, B., Sherman, W.,& McMahan, G. (1999). The role of human resource practices in petro-chemical refinery performance. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 10(4), 551-571.
