PSAA 634: Public Management
Spring 2015
Meeting Time : Wednesdays 1:30pm-4:20pm
Room: 1063
Instructor: Justin B. Bullock
Office: 1034
Office Hours: Thursdays, 1:30pm-4:30pm and by appointment
E-mail: jbull14@tamu.edu
Introduction
PSAA 634 provides a comprehensive coverage of both public human resource
management and public organizational behavior. This course seeks to give the student a
detailed overview of both technical aspects of public human resource management
practices and skills for effectively managing behavior within public organizations. The
course will primarily focus on public, government organizations, but will also highlight
best practices for the nonprofit sector, as well. Although the course focuses primarily on
the United States, many of the concepts it addresses are additionally relevant to other
countries
This syllabus is a proposed outline of the course. It is not a binding contract. Notification
will be provided for any required changes. This course is intended to be educational and
enjoyable. You are encouraged to ask questions and to participate in class discussions.
This will help you to get the most out of the valuable time you are investing in the course.
No prerequisites are required for this course.
Essential Elements and Learning Outcomes of PSAA 634 Public Management
After successful completion of this course, the students will be able to:
1. Apply models of decision making (esp. rational choice, bounded rationality, and
sense-making/institutional theories).
2. Explore group/team management (principal/agent and collective action problems
in teams, group think, etc.).
3. Understand diversity management.
4. Explain the importance of and implementation of performance management
systems, including the rationale for evidence based management generally, the
design of measurement systems, and the management of performance systems.
5. Examine the processes related to inter-organizational relations, including
“horizontal” / non-hierarchical coordination, collaboration and policy networks,
and their associated challenges and opportunities.
6. Identify the various forms of public participation and its impact on public
management.
7. Recognize the legal context of public management (Judicial control of
administrative decisions/policies, rule-making, etc.).
Aggie Honor Code and Academic Integrity
“An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal, or tolerate those who do.”
You have a responsibility for adhering to Texas A&M University’s Honor Code. For
information about the code and how it is enforced you may visit:
www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/
You should be particularly careful to cite the work of others when completing
written assignments. Please consult section XIII of your student handbook for guidance
on avoiding plagiarism and other forms of academic misconduct. You should also feel
free to contact me for the clarification of any issues that seem ambiguous. The best way
to avoid plagiarism is to err on the side of caution when you are in doubt about the need
to cite sources.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination
statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.
Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be
guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their
disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please
contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, in Room
126 of the Koldus Building or call 845-1637.
Grading
Marks for this course will be apportioned as follows:
Individual Leadership Plan
Management Plan
Group Project: Human Resource Management
Group Project: Organizational Behavior
Weekly Reflections of Readings
REQ
10% & REQ
25%
25%
40%
The final grade is determined by a summation of results from these assignments
The letter grades correspond to the below summations.
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69 percent
F below 60 percent
Late assignments will not be accepted. If you notify me of a conflict a week before the
midterm or final we can arrange for you take the test at an earlier date. Exceptions to
these rules are family, medical emergencies, and additional exceptions made in student
rule 7 http://student-rules.tamu.edu/rule07.
Your performance in this course will be assessed using a variety of tools. The first tool is
the Individual Leadership Plan. This assessment tool will be distributed twice in class.
You will be given this planning tool at the beginning of the semester and at the end of the
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semester. This tool provides a medium by which you can lay out a detailed leadership
plan that fit your goals, strengths, and weaknesses. The final plan can be used to help
complete a portion of the requirement for the leadership certificate offered by the Bush
School.
The second tool that will be used to assess your performance in this course will be a
detailed Management Plan. This tool will be a detailed handbook that you develop
throughout the course that will help you tackle management challenges, particularly as
you begin assuming responsibilities as a manager throughout your career. The structure
and particulars of the material that will consume this guide will be discussed in more
detail during the first several class meetings.
The third tool that will be used to assess your performance in this course will be weekly
reflections of the readings. For each of the chapters that we cover in this course, you will
be required to write a one-page response to the major concepts in the chapter. These onepagers will be graded based on completion. There will be approximately 35 of these
assigned throughout the semester. These “one-pagers” will be used to not only help
ensure that you are adequately engaging the material, but will also serve as guides to
group discussions throughout the semester. Approximately half of each class period will
be spent discussing, both in small groups and with the entire class, your reactions to the
readings.
Two group project case studies will constitute the remainder of your grade. The groups
will have approximately five members and will be randomly assigned by me. The first
case study will highlight a human resource or general management issue while the second
case study will highlight an organizational behavior issue. Your group will be given a list
of abstracts of full-length case studies to choose from for each project. These projects are
designed to help develop your skills as a critical thinker, writer, presenter, and workgroup member. These projects will also allow you to give and receive detailed feedback
on the performance of your work as a group member.
I encourage you to consult with me if you have questions about your assignments. Also, I
encourage you to seek the advice of the Bush School’s writing consultant.
Textbooks
PSAA 634 relies on three main texts for this course:
Berman, Bowman, West, and Van Wart (2013). Human Resource Management in
Public Service.
Denhardt, Denhardt, and Aristigueta (2013). Managing Human Behavior in
Public and Nonprofit Organizations.
Rainey HG (2014). Understanding and Managing Public Organizations.
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Useful links:
- Academic Calendar http://registrar.tamu.edu/General/Calendar.aspx
- Final Exam Schedule http://registrar.tamu.edu/General/FinalSchedule.aspx
- On-line Catalog http://catalog.tamu.edu/
- Student Rules http://student-rules.tamu.edu/
- Religious Observances http://dof.tamu.edu/content/religious-observance
- Center for Teaching Excellence http://cte.tamu.edu/
Course Outline
Week 1
Introduction (1/21)
Each week will pair a Resource Management concept with an
Organizational Behavior concept. These readings will be further
complemented with academic readings from the Raney text.
Week 2
What is Public Management: Two Perspectives. (1/28)
(First Individual Leadership Plan Due)
Berman Ch 1: The Public Service Heritage: Context, Continuity, and
Change
Denhardt Ch 1: Organizational Behavior as a Way of Thinking and Acting
Raney Ch 1: The Challenge of Effective Public Organization and
Management
Raney Ch 3: What Makes Public Organizations Distinctive
Week 3
Public Management: The Law & Knowing Yourself (2/4)
Berman Ch 2: Legal Rights and Responsibilities: Laws Governing the
Workplace
Denhardt Ch 2: Knowing and Managing Yourself
Raney Ch 4: Analyzing the Environment of Public Organizations
Week 4
Public Management: Recruitment & Fostering Creativity (2/11)
Berman Ch 3: Recruitment: From Passive Posting to Social Media
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Denhardt Ch 3: Fostering Creativity
Raney Ch 8: Organizational Structure, Design, Technology, Information
Technology, and Social Media
Week 5:
Public Management: Selection & Managing Stress (2/18)
Berman Ch 4: Selection: From Civil Service Commission to Decentralized
Decision Making
Denhardt Ch 4: Managing Stress
Week 6:
Public Management: Position Management & Decision Making (2/25)
Berman Ch 5: Position Management: Judicious Plan or Jigsaw Puzzle?
Denhardt Ch 5: Decision Making
Raney Ch 7: Formulating and Achieving Purpose: Power, Decision
Making, and Strategy
Week 7:
Public Management: Motivation & Motivating (3/4)
Berman Ch 6: Motivation: Possible, Probable, or Impossible?
Denhardt Ch 6: Motivating Yourself and Others
Raney Ch 9: Understanding People in Public Organizations: Motivation
and Motivation Theory
Raney Ch 10: Understanding People in Public Organizations: Values,
Incentives, and Work-Related Attitudes
Week 8:
Case Study #1 Due & Presentation (3/11)
Week 9:
SPRING BREAK: NO CLASS (3/18)
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Week 10:
Public Management: Compensation & Leadership (3/25)
Berman Ch 7: Compensation: Vital, Visible, and Vicious
Denhardt Ch 7: Leadership in Public Organizations
Raney Ch 11: Leadership, Managerial Roles, and Organizational Culture
Week 11:
Public Management: Employees & Politics (4/1)
Berman Ch 8: Employee-Friendly Policies: Fashionable, Flexible, and
Fickle
Denhardt Ch 8: Power and Organizational Politics
Raney Ch 5: The Impact of Political Power and Public Policy
Week 12:
Public Management: Training & Communication (4/8)
Berman Ch 9: Training, Learning, and Development: Exploring New
Frontiers
Denhardt Ch 9: Communicating Effectively With Others
Week 13:
Public Management: Appraisal & Teams (4/15)
Berman Ch. 10: Appraisal: A Process in Search of a Technique
Denhardt Ch. 10: Working in Groups and Teams
Raney Ch. 12: Teamwork: Understanding Communication and Conflict in
Groups
Week 14:
Public Management: Conflict, Change, & Representing (4/22)
(Second Leadership Plan Due)
(Management Plans Due)
Denhardt Ch. 11: Managing Conflict
Denhardt Ch 12: Organizational Change
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Denhardt Ch 13: Representing the Organization “On the Outside”
Raney Ch 13: Managing Organizational Change and Development
Week 15:
Case Study #2 Due & Presentation (4/29)
Discussion of Management Plans
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