A Comparison of Personnel Courses in Public and Business Administration
Abstract
Themes and Perspectives Evident in Course SyllabiA Comparison of Personnel Courses in Public and Business Administration SAGE Publications, Inc.1994DOI: 10.1177/0734371X9401400411 Patricia J. Fredericksen Rosanne London RESEARCH PROBLEM A s rank-and-file employees and managers enter either public or private organizations they bring with them a cognitive framework structuring their thinking and shaping their interactions with others. Herzog (1993) notes that practitioners tend to hold strongly based personal theories regarding how organizations work and how people should be treated at work. From an administrative per- spective, the character of this framework and the degree to which managers, supervisory staff, and employees hold similar perspectives can be critical elements in the success of the organization (Klingner and Nalbandian, 1985:xi-xvii; Cayer, 1986:86-94). One factor influencing the perspective managers and employees bring to the employment environment is their individual educational experiences, including those courses taken pertaining to management. Personnel administration is one such course central to these concerns. Personnel administration courses typically address a wide range of management practices. The particular theoretical perspec- tive presented in any given personnel course helps shape the management perspective individuals take with them as they become members of organizations and as their professional lives develop. One method