Assessing the Core and Dimensional Approaches: Human Resource Management in Public, Private, and Charter Schools
- 1 December 2011
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Public Performance & Management Review
- Vol. 35 (2), 251-280
- https://doi.org/10.2753/pmr1530-9576350202
Abstract
There is a long-standing debate in public administration as to the differences and similarities in management practices across sectors. A number of scholars have argued for market-based reforms as a means to transform and improve public sector services, including the educational system. Charter schools have emerged as a reform that proposes to improve the educational system through choice, competition, and autonomy from the bureaucracy of traditional public school districts, but their implications are not fully understood. This mixed-method study analyzes differences in human resource management practices across traditional public, charter, and private schools, with a focus on formalization and autonomy. In support of other research on public-private management differences, this analysis suggests that traditional public schools are more formalized and have less autonomy than private and charter schools. Findings provide support for the utility of a core approach that distinguishes between public and private organizations based on ownership. The study suggests that ownership has a significant influence on personnel management practices, but that funding generally does not.Keywords
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