Abstract:
Over the past several decades, many theories have been advanced as to why efforts to
reform the public service have met with only limited success. Clearly, the role of leadership with
respect to reform must be examined, since successful organizational leaders should be extremely
accomplished in the promotion and protection of the values that underlie decision-making. The
issue of effective leadership is particularly significant for the future of the public service of
Canada. Large numbers of public servants in the executive ranks are due to retire within the next
five years. Given their central role, it is vital that there be enough dedicated and committed
public servants to staff future vacancies. It is also essential that future public service leaders
possess the competencies and values associated with a world-class public service and, a new type
of public organization.
Related to this point is the importance of people-management skills. People management
in the public service is an issue that has historically faced - and will continue to face - major
challenges with respect to recruiting and retaining the leaders it requires for its continued
success. It is imperative that the public service not only be revitalized and be seen as an
employer of choice, but also that the process by which it accomplishes this goal - the practice
of human resource management - be modernized. To achieve the flexibility needed to remain
effective, the public service requires the kind ofleadership that supports new public service
values such as innovation and which emphasizes a "people- first" approach.
This thesis examines the kind of public service leadership needed to modernize the
human resource management regime in the federal public service. A historical examination of
public service values is presented to help determine the values that are important for public
service leaders with respect to modernizing human resource management. Since replenishing the
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ranks of public service leaders is crucial to ensure the quality of service to Canadians, leadership
that supports career planning will be a major focus of this paper. In addition, this thesis
demonstrates that while traditional public service values continue to endure, innovative leaders
must effectively reconcile new public service values with traditional values in order to increase
the possibilities for successful reform as well as achieve business objectives.
Much of the thesis is devoted to explaining the crucial role of post-bureaucratic
leadership to successful reform. One of the major findings of the thesis is that leaders who
demonstrate a blending of new public service values and traditional values are critical to creating
effective employment relationships, which are key to modernizing human resource management
in the federal public service. It will be apparent that public service leaders must ensure that an
appropriate accountability framework is in place before embarking on reform. However, leaders
who support new public service values such as innovation and empowerment and who emphasize
the importance of people are essential to successful reform.
