People Management in the Public Sector

Abstract

This chapter discusses people management in public sector organizations, starting from the idea that it is their mission that makes public organizations different from private organizations. The mission-driven character of public organizations is a key distinctive characteristic that impacts on people management in combination with other distinctive features including the constraints on managerial discretion, perceptions of red tape, and employees’ public service motivation. It is also acknowledged that other specific contextual features should be taken into account as the public sector consists of a variety of organizational settings. This chapter focuses on the generic characteristics that make people management in public organizations distinctive and describes how these impact the effect people management has on societal, organizational, and employee outcomes.