The temporal, social, and responsiveness dilemmas of public personnel administration

Public personnel administration is confronted by three intertwined dilemmas. Responsiveness to political leadership is essential to a democracy. Yet placing responsibility for personnel administration in the hands of political appointees introduces a transcience that is incompatible with a sustained commitment to organizational improvement through applications of the behavioral sciences. Vesting careerists with personnel administration authority is the best way to address the three dilemmas. Doing so will require a rapprochement with political leaders, one that establishes a normative orientation to personnel administration in which responsiveness to policy leadership is asserted along with other essential values associated with public service.