Hybridisation of human resources management practices: the case of local government in France

Abstract

The dissemination of New Public Management principles is transforming human resources management practices in the public sector. The transformations that have taken place follow four logics: the logics of formalisation, contractualisation, individualisation and politicisation. The article examines the consequences of the interplay of these logics on the hybridisation of human resources management practices. To this end, two complementary methodologies were used: a quantitative methodology based on a survey of 223 local authorities within a French department; and a qualitative methodology based on interviews conducted with 25 of these authorities. The results show that these logics coexist, raising questions about the micro-negotiations that allow this coexistence.

New avenues for HRM roles: A systematic literature review on HRM in hybrid organizations

“…In the third sector, requirements are more likely to be made for more efficient management (Dart, 2004). Key stakeholders such as society, donors, or political committees mobilize logics in a differentiated way and then are objects of micro-negotiations in HRM decisions (Battilana and Dorado, 2010; Desmarais et al, 2019). If stakeholder demands and logics are taken up in the respective organizational structures and HRM strategy they create (paradoxical) tensions and if not properly addressed, will cause vicious cycles (Putnam et al, 2016).…”

“…These logics stem from multiple stakeholder demands . For example, Desmarais et al (2019) characterized the logics of individualization, contractualization, formalization, and politicization affecting the internal dynamics among several stakeholders like elected officials, HR professionals, and management. Their study indicated that political logics, influenced by powerful external stakeholders, shapes HRM practices and systems.…”