Example Of The Differences In Human Resource Management In The Public And Private Sectors Thesis

Introduction

Human Resource Management has been an analytical issue due to differences in private and public sectors. While the private sector is more result and efficiency oriented, the public sector has always trailed with its domains dealing softly with employees. However, it has been encouraging to realize that the public sector is adopting advanced services same to private sectors. This research shows the differences in the two sectors based on analysis from USPS and UPS cases.
According to Shay (2001), employment growth has increased in the private sector. This is as a result of lesser time taken by UPS to hire employees. Unlike USPS, UPS has minimized its time to advertise, recruit and select employees. This has accrued to quality delivery of services and stiff competition to USPS. USPS has been lagging behind in efficiency since selection of workers has been prolonged with such grievance procedures and civil service ‘exams’ that have always thwarted employment of quality workers.
Moreover, as the private sector bases its quality measurement on the output, the public sector still does not rely on the performance because employees are immune to intermittent firing due to unions and court protection. It is a policy in USP to give the best output and to maximise employee’s performance since it is the basis of their payment. Vanhala (2013) opines that, the reason as to why public sector adopts softer measures to its employees is as a result of threat from unions and employees.
The private sector is well adaptive to its environment and demands. Workers have been flexible enough to accommodate changes in technology in their service delivery. Meanwhile, the public sector has been sluggish; not in same pace to adhere to new changes in service delivery. Over reliance on government support has been an integral hindrance for USPS to keep pace with deliveries. UPS is known to deliver despite of the time since the customer- employee’s relationship is friendly.

References

Shay S & Harel, G (2001). HRM Practices in the Public and Private Sectors: Differences and Similarities. Public Administration Quarterly 3(25), 316
Vanhala, S & Stavrou, E (2013). Human Resource Management practices and the HRM-performance link in public sector and private sector. Baltic Journal of management, 8(4), 416-437.