Public Personnel Administration Environment the Reaction Paper

Further into the discussion of public personnel, the chapter identified the similarities and differences between public and private sector employees. As earlier discussed, public sector employees are more susceptible to political changes, and thus have "more legal restrictions" (p. 4). This means that despite political changes in the government, public sector employees are expected to be neutral, and "moral legal restrictions" cover, in part, this required impartiality. Public sector employees are required to uphold, at all times, a moral character -- a character that is impartial and legally correct and proper. This is a tall order for public sector employees, given that the environment they work for everyday is constantly changing and driven by conflicts of interest, if not among the employees, but among its managers or politicians/public officials.

Linked with proper employee conduct, public personnel are also always challenged with a judgment call on whom to serve. This determination of lines of authority brings into question whether public personnel should recognize the authority of the "clientele, superiors, legislators or their interpretation of the public interest" (p. 6). Again, this dilemma calls for the employee's better judgment and upholding of his/her moral conduct as public personnel. The greater challenge is in the employee's interpretation of what is the public's interest. Given these dynamics facing public personnel, management of this group is indeed a greater challenge when set against the private…