P06 SIG Public Sector Human Resources

Social Equity, Sustainability, and Governance Transformations: Human Resource Management Perspectives

Panel Chairs

• Corresponding and Review Group Chair: Professor Pablo Sanabria, Universidad EAFIT, Colombia , Co-Convenor SIG psanabria@eafit.edu.co
• Professor Karen Johnston, University of Portsmouth, Co-Convenor SIG 
• Professor Norma Riccucci, Rutgers University Newark, Co-Convenor SIG 
• Professor Jessica Sowa, University of Delaware, Co-Convenor SIG
• Assistant Professor, Mauricio Astudillo-Rodas, Florida State University, Co-Convenor SIG 
• Associate Professor Deneen Hatmaker, University of Connecticut
• Professor Rachel Ashworth, Dean and Head of School, Cardiff University
• Professor Russell S. Hassan, The Ohio State University
• Associate Professor Amy E. Smith, University of Massachusetts Boston
• Professor Mark Considine, University of Melbourne
• Assistant Professor, Niklas Andreas Andersen, Aalborg University
• Senior Lecturer, Phuc Nguyen, Australian Welfare and Work Lab and La Trobe Business School, Australia

Crises such as the pandemic and environmental degradation; continued societal challenges such as increasing levels of social inequity; and advances in digital technology - all have implications for the management of human resources in the public sector. Also, the evolving welfare states and resultant governance transformations in various national contexts carry significant implications for citizens as well as the street-level organisations and workers involved in policy implementation.  Additionally, changing societal and political contexts (e.g., the rise of civic engagement, the need for greater representation of vulnerable populations, and changes in laws/policies to limit the rights of marginalized populations) further complicate workplace diversity and inclusion efforts while at the same time make these efforts even more important.

The SIG panel therefore aims to advance and welcome papers that will address the following themes: 

1. Implications of the New Normal Working Environment in the Public Sector asking critical questions such as:
   • What have been the implications for public sector employees and HR managers in the transformation of the post-pandemic work environment?
   • What have been the implications for the adoption and challenges of technological change for HR and employment in the public sector, such as the impact of AI on public employment and HR in public organizations?
   • How can digital delivery channels support or hinder the principles of personalisation and co-creation in employment services?
   • How is the application of big data, AI, and automated decision-making shaping HR practices and the ability of agencies to coordinate multi-actor networks of support and deliver outcomes for marginalized citizens?
2. Perspectives on Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion including, but not limited to:
   • Intersectionality,
   • Diversity and/in leadership,
   • Critical approaches to studying diversity and inclusion,
   • Identity and inclusion,
   • Racialized experiences of public sector workers,
   • Gender and careers,
   • Gendered organizations,
   • Work-life balance/conflict,
   • Diversity management, and
   • Representative bureaucracy.
3. Transformations in the governance of welfare and employment services and the implications for the practices and policies of labour market activation such as:
   • Transformations in the relationship between employment services, organisations and their citizen-clients, and how new modes of governance have influenced  these transformations.
   • The opportunities for scaling New Public Governance approaches to coordinating employment services.
   • What is the evidence that co-creation models can be more effective for vulnerable groups?
   • What organisational (e.g. management approaches, work cultures) and professional conditions (e.g. skills of frontline workers) are required to make co-creation and collaborative approaches work in practice?

We welcome new research, comparative studies, and encourage various types of research methodologies from systematic literature reviews, to qualitative and interpretive research, quantitative and positivist research, experimental research, and innovative methodologies.