Review of Public Personnel Administration current issue

Dedication--Keon Chi

Condrey, S. E. — 2008-08-01

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978: A 30-Year Retrospective and a Look Ahead: Symposium Introduction

Perry, J. L. — 2008-08-01

President Jimmy Carter initiated the most sweeping reforms of the U.S. federal civil service in 95 years when he signed the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) on October 13, 1978. This introduction reviews the substantive reforms whose implementation began with creation of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), on January 1, 1979. CSRA's provisions were wide-ranging. They included reorganization of the agencies tasked with civil service management and regulation, establishment of a Senior Executive Service, creation of performance appraisal and merit pay programs, and clarification and simplification of appeal procedures for personnel actions. The introduction concludes with summaries of the five articles that appear in the symposium and their significance in the context of CSRA and developments of the past 30 years.

Federal Personnel Management Reform: From Civil Service Reform Act to National Security Reforms

Brook, D. A., King, C. L. — 2008-08-01

In what ways are current civil service reform efforts similar to and different from the qualities that characterize the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA)? These issues are explored by examining the new personnel authorities granted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and to the Department of Defense (DoD) in the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). In many respects, current reforms preserve some of the ideas behind CSRA or they derive from the authorities included in the CSRA. In other respects, current reform departs from the CSRA model and new ideas related to enactment, design, and implementation of civil service reform have emerged. Furthermore, a new argument emerged in DHS and NSPS that had never before appeared in any public discourse on personnel management reform: the link between federal personnel management policy and national security.

Policy Parallels: Applying Lessons From CSRA Chief Architect Alan K. Campbell to Contemporary Personnel Reform Efforts

Getha-Taylor, H. — 2008-08-01

The 1978 Civil Service Reform Act may be considered President Carter's most impressive domestic political victory. This victory can be linked to the efforts of many, but specifically to Alan K. (Scotty) Campbell, who served as the chief architect of the legislation and began implementing the act as first director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Thirty years later, personnel reform is again a presidential priority. As part of the 2002 Homeland Security Act, the Bush administration introduced provisions to enhance flexibility and performance, yet the contemporary reforms met considerable resistance. In an effort to compare and contrast these two reform efforts, this article draws upon historical evidence to examine how Campbell effectively engaged diverse stakeholders in the policy design process, why he championed performance-based pay, and how as a political appointee, he guided lasting change on the federal level.

Personnel Demonstration Projects and Human Resource Management Innovation

Thompson, J. R. — 2008-08-01

The Personnel Demonstration Project (PDP) provision of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 was intended to promote innovative human resource management (HRM) practices and policies. The early experience in this regard was not encouraging. However, during the second 15 years of its existence, the Personnel Demonstration Project authority has been critical to the diffusion of two important human resource management policy innovations, paybanding and category rating. This analysis explores the policymaking dynamic through which this diffusion has occurred.

Wrongdoing, Whistle-Blowing, and Retaliation in the U.S. Government: What Have Researchers Learned From the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Survey Results?

Near, J. P., Miceli, M. P. — 2008-08-01

Much of the unethical behavior occurring in modern organizations that comes to light is first identified and reported by insiders: organization members who are willing to blow the whistle. Data from surveys of federal employees conducted since 1980 by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) have been analyzed by researchers. These studies have taught us quite a lot about whistle-blowing, but we still need to learn much more. We present here a summary of results from research on the incidence of wrongdoing and whistleblowing, predictors of whistle-blowing, predictors of retaliation against whistle-blowers, and predictors of overall effectiveness of whistle-blowers in getting wrongdoing stopped. We describe key findings and suggest new directions for future research and policy to address the critical questions still remaining concerning whistle-blowing.

The Diffusion of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 in OECD Countries: A Tale of Two Paths to Reform

Lah, T. J., Perry, J. L. — 2008-08-01

This study investigates cross-national diffusion of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA). Two theoretical lenses are used to analyze the diffusion of performance appraisal, merit pay, the Senior Executive Service (SES), and the separation of positive and regulatory functions. The analysis indicates that most CSRA provisions have diffused more broadly internationally than would be expected based on their technical efficiency and effectiveness in the United States. Both the extent and patterns of diffusion indicate that institutional theory better explains diffusion than does communication theory. Although communication theory is helpful for explaining the early diffusion of CSRA provisions, primarily to English-speaking countries, later diffusion appears to be the result of institutional isomorphism. Regardless of which theories account for their diffusion, provisions from CSRA have diffused widely among OECD countries. The analysis suggests that CSRA has profoundly influenced civil service systems around the world.