THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF TRANSITION FROM PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TO NEW PUBLIC MANAGEMENT
Keywords:
New public management, human resource management.Abstract
The transition from traditional Public Administration (PA) to New Public Management (NPM) and the implementation of NPM ideas are closely related to Human Resources (HR) in public institutions. Therefore, HR are expected to meet the following requirements; fundamental changes in behaviour and competence, orientation to results, openness to changes and innovations, personal responsibility, participation in decision making, flexibility, team work and cooperation, turn back to a citizen as a client, etc. In order to achieve a consistent shift, a lot of attention should be devoted to the reconstruction of Human Resource Management (HRM). More than that, it is necessary to rely on modern ideas of HRM.
Having systemized scientific literature, the article aims to formulate HRM characteristics, which are prominent in the transition process, and analyze their manifestation in HRM of Lithuanian municipalities.
The methods of the research are the following; analysis of scientific literature, logical analysis, survey and conclusion making.
The article claims that HRM, which meets the principles of NPM, is based on decentralization, participation and acquisition of private sector experience while applying managerial methods.
In order to carry out the quantitative analysis, HRM characteristics are formulated considering the historical situation in Lithuania as the soviet administrative heritage which influenced the approach to HRM, work regulations and skills. In addition, the analysis focuses on the transition process which determined the formation of diagnostic indicators. Here it is aimed to find out which form of management is dominant in Lithuanian municipalities; either Personal Management (PM) or modern HRM or the form of management which encompasses the elements of the both. The survey was carried out in 12 different municipalities of Lithuanian cities and districts.
