The politics of HRM: waiting for Godot in the Moroccan civil service

Abstract

This study illustrates the fundamental importance of a political understanding in order to improve HRM in both public and private organizations. It complements studies that have found a statistical relationship between public staff management and economic growth by presenting a case study of Morocco, using the strategic human resource management (SHRM) model as a framework. The view to which we are alluding is perhaps too well known to require rehearsing here. Readers not familiar with its origins or the policies to which it led can consult Williamson (1993). There are several reasons why HRM in the Moroccan civil service has stagnated, notably unfamiliarity with HRM models and the French administrative heritage. But the fundamental reason is Morocco's political system, where real power resides in the Palace, and where political actors are reluctant to take bold initiatives. Thus a focus on the management level is currently misplaced, and fundamental political action harnessing the authority of the Palace without disempowering other political actors is needed. The study implies that a political analysis is sometimes a prerequisite for improving HRM in both public and private organizations.