PA 631 - Management, Human Resources, and Ethics in the Public Sector

Units: 4
Examines the responsibilities of public sector managers, public HRM and the ethical dimensions of public service. Topics discussed include influence of social and political values upon public service concepts; examination of public managers as strategic leaders; value dilemmas, and accountability. (see Errata Course for update)

Prerequisites: PA 621, PA 622 and completion of the University Writing Skills Requirement (UWSR).
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground, or Hybrid.
Grading: A-F grading only.
Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Understand and articulate how theoretical paradigms have historically impacted human resource management in public agencies.
Explain the legal/statutory framework that guides public organizations’ human resource practices, and evaluate comparative models of decision-making in human resource management, paying specific attention to competing interests and sources of conflict in public agencies.
Identify critical issues facing contemporary HRM in the public sector and assess effectiveness of models, instruments, and other tools for personnel assessment and evaluation.
Articulate a guiding definition of ethics for professional work and explain basic principles, concepts, and standards of ethics in today’s public sector.
Discuss a variety of ethical issues commonly encountered in public service and recognize ethical dilemmas and distinguish them from non-ethical dilemmas.
Apply moral reasoning to conflicts of interests and ethical issues and assess personal ethical principles in relationship to underlying ethical issues.