The role of the human resource management (HRM) function and its consequent contribution to organizational culture and strategic management have been much debated. This relationship has not been empirically tested in the Australian local government sector. This paper explores the types of organizational culture and the role effectiveness of the HRM function as perceived by 217 senior managers in 71 New South Wales and Queensland local government entities. We found four clusters of local government entities, each with different profiles of organizational culture and perceived effectiveness of the HRM role. While most organizations are undergoing a transition in their cultural values, over one-third of the organizations exhibit a market-oriented culture. These market-oriented organizations have a higher level of human resource role effectiveness. The present study contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the status and influence of HRM as a value-adding corporate function.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aulich, C. 1995. Reforms in human resource management in Australian local government . Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources33(3): 93-104 .
2.
Aulich, C. 1999. From convergence to divergence: Reforming Australian local government .Australian Journal of Public Administration58(2): 12-23 .
3.
Aulich, C., J. Halligan and S. Nutley. eds. 2001. Australian handbook of public sector management. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin .
4.
Boyne, G., G. Jenkins and M. Poole. 1999. Human resource management in the public and private sectors: An empirical comparison , Public Administration77: 407-420 .
5.
Bradley, L. and R. Parker. 2001. Public sector change in Australia: Are managers’ ideals being realized? Public Personnel Management30: 349-361 .
6.
Brown, K.N. Ryan and R. Parker. 2000. New modes of service delivery in the public sector: Commercialising government services . International Journal of Public Sector Management13: 206-221 .
7.
Cameron, K. S. and S. J. Freeman. 1991. Cultural congruence, strength and type: Relationships to effectiveness . Research in Organizational Change and Development5: 23-58 .
8.
Cameron, K. S. and R. E. Quinn. 1999. Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing values framework. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley .
9.
Chapman, R., M Haward and B. Ryan. eds. 1997. Local government restructuring in Australasia. Tasmania: Centre for Public Management and Policy .
Dollery, B. and N. Marshall. eds. 1997. Australian local government: Reform and renewal. Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia .
12.
Fisher, C., P. J. Dowling and J. Garnham. 1999. The impact of changes to the human resource function in Australia . International Journal of Human Resource Management10: 501-514 .
13.
Galang, M. C. and G. R. Ferris. 1997. Human resource department power and influence through symbolic action . Human Relations50: 1403-1426 .
14.
Gardner, M. ed. 1993. Human resource management and industrial relations in the public sector. Melbourne: Macmillan .
15.
Gruening, G. 2001. Origin and theoretical basis of new public management . International Journal of Public Management4: 1-25 .
16.
Hall, L. and D. Torrington. 1998. Letting go or holding on - the devolution of operational personnel activities . Human Resource Management Journal8(1): 41-55 .
17.
Hays, S. W. and R. C. Kearney. 2001. Anticipated changes in human resource management: Views from the field . Public Administration Review61: 585-597 .
18.
Howard, L. W. 1998. Validating the competing values model as a representation of organizational cultures . International Journal of Organizational Analysis6(3): 231-250 .
19.
Jaconelli, A. and J. Sheffield. 2000. Best value: Changing roles and activities for human resource managers in Scottish local government . International Journal of Public Sector Management13: 624-644 .
20.
Jones, R. 1999. Implementing decentralised reform in local government . International Journal of Public Sector Management12(1): 63-76 .
21.
Llewellyn-Smith, M. 1998. Local government reform in South Australia . Public Management80(1): 20-24 .
22.
McNeil, J. 1997. Local government in the Australian federal system. In Australian local government: Reform and renewal, eds B. Dollery and N. Marshall, 17-39. Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia .
23.
Martin, J. 1997. Workplace reform: Human resource management and enterprise bargaining, In Australian local government: Reform and renewal, eds B. Dollery and N. Marshall, 209-226. Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia .
24.
Martin, J. 1999. Leadership in local government reform: Strategic direction v. administrative compliance . Australian Journal of Public Administration58(2): 24-37 .
25.
Naschold, F. and G. Daley. 1999. The strategic management challenge: Modernizing local government. Part two . International Public Management Journal2(1): 52-67 .
26.
Osborne, D.E and T. Gaebler. 1992. Reinventing government: How the entrepreneurial spirit is transforming the public sector. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley .
27.
Parker, R. and L. Bradley. 2000. Organisational culture in the public sector: Evidence from six organisations . International Journal of Public Sector Management13: 125-141 .
28.
Steane, P. 1999. Public management developments in Australia and New Zealand . Public Management1: 133-142 .
29.
Teo, S. T. T. 2000. Evidence of strategic HRM linkages in eleven Australian corporatized public sector organizations . Public Personnel Management29: 557-574 .
30.
Tucker, D. 1997. Queensland local government: Rationalisation to the 1990s and beyond. In Local government restructuring in Australasia, eds R. Chapman, M. Haward, and B. Ryan. Tasmania: Centre for Public Management and Policy .
31.
Ulrich, D. 1997. Human resource champions: The next agenda for adding value and delivering results. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press .
32.
Van Gramberg, B. and J. Teicher. 2000. Managerialism in local government - Victoria, Australia , International Journal of Public Sector Management13: 476-492 .
33.
Weller, P., M. Gardner, N. Ryan and B. Stevens. 1993. The role of the public sector: Implications for the Australian public service . Canberra Bulletin of Public Administration72 (April): 1-23 .
34.
Wood, M. and E. H. Jones. 1993. Human resource strategies in the commercialization and corporatization of government enterprises . Australian Journal of Public Administration52(1): 25-30 .
35.
Yeung, A. K. O., J. W. Brockbank and D. Ulrich. 1991. Organizational culture and human resource practices: An empirical assessment . Research in Organizational Change and Development5: 59-81 .
36.
Zammuto, R. F. and J. Y. Krakower. 1991. Quantitative and qualitative studies of organizational culture . Research in Organizational Change and Development5: 83-114 .
