Smart Practice Development Administration in Iraq and Other High Security Risk Nations: Lessons From Colonial Experience

Outcomes of armed conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq indicate that the U.S. has been unprepared to fully address the panoply of problems related to establishment of social and economic stability, security and governance in the aftermath of war. How the war against terrorism should be fought is an issue beyond the scope of this article. However, if U.S. policy makers are to succeed in obtaining stability, security and good governance in these nations and in other parts of the world where significant development assistance is provided to highly unstable nations, they should learn lessons from past U.S. colonial experience, and from the experience of other nations. Such context include U.S. colonial administration of the Philippines after the Spanish- American War, the administration of the British Empire in India, the occupations of Germany and Japan after World War II and European colonization of Africa. Lessons from these cases, good and bad, may be examined in attempt to identify elements of what we term “smart practice” neo-colonial administration. No claim is made here that the U.S. is operating as a colonial power in Iraq. Rather, our argument is that lessons may be learned from colonial experience that are applicable to Iraq and other high security risk nations where development and reconstruction is badly needed

Mexico’s Professional Career Service Law: Governance, Political Culture and Public Administrative Reform

Less than three years after the historic election of President Vicente Fox in July 2000, Mexico passed a professional career service reform law (Ley de Servicio Profesional de Carrera, 2003) for national government ministries. This law, and the linked transformations in governance and political and administrative culture that underlie it, have stimulated public administrative reform at all levels of Mexican government – national, state and local. This paper: (1) presents a conceptual frame for the evolution of public personnel systems in developing countries, (2) describes Mexico’s professional career service law (LSPC) and the historical conditions that led up to it, (3) places the LSPC in the context of underlying changes in Mexican governance, political culture and institutions, and (4) uses selected economic, social, political and administrative indicators to benchmark the impact of the LSPC and these related changes on public administrative reform in Mexico today

Smart Practice Development Administration in Iraq and other High Security Risk Nations: Lessons from Colonial Experience

Outcomes of armed conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq indicate that the U.S. has been unprepared to fully address the panoply of problems related to establishment of social and economic stability, security and governance in the aftermath of war. How the war against terrorism should be fought is an issue beyond the scope of this article. However, if U.S. policy makers are to succeed in obtaining stability, security and good governance in these nations and in other parts of the world where significant development assistance is provided to highly unstable nations, they should learn lessons from past U.S. colonial experience, and from the experience of other nations. Such context include U.S. colonial administration of the Philippines after the Spanish- American War, the administration of the British Empire in India, the occupations of Germany and Japan after World War II and European colonization of Africa. Lessons from these cases, good and bad, may be examined in attempt to identify elements of what we term “smart practice” neo-colonial administration. No claim is made here that the U.S. is operating as a colonial power in Iraq. Rather, our argument is that lessons may be learned from colonial experience that are applicable to Iraq and other high security risk nations where development and reconstruction is badly needed

Section on Personnel and Labor Relations (1983 -1984) and Section on International and Comparative Administration

Abstract Innovation requires processes of adaptation, anticipation and openness to change. Change provides the opportunity to achieve new and different approaches. In order to replicate a best practice one of the pre-conditions is that the government who is implementing the best practice has the necessary capacity to do so. This implies, among other things, the right policy environment; support from leadership, involvement of stakeholders, adequate funding and an appropriate transfer plan. It also implies the capacity of the organization to constantly adapt to changing circumstances both internal and external, i.e. to operate as a learning organization. This article will: 1. Establish the importance of innovation to governance in general and development administration and implementation in particular; 2. Explore the relationships among organizational learning, knowledge management, and innovation diffusion and adoption; 3. Explore the utility of the concept of "best practices" in development administration; 4. Review the criteria for successful program implementation in a development context; 5. Present and discuss workable program implementation techniques; and 6. Discuss their applicability to specific sectors of development administration.

Section on Personnel and Labor Relations (1983 -1984) and Section on International and Comparative Administration

Abstract Innovation requires processes of adaptation, anticipation and openness to change. Change provides the opportunity to achieve new and different approaches. In order to replicate a best practice one of the pre-conditions is that the government who is implementing the best practice has the necessary capacity to do so. This implies, among other things, the right policy environment; support from leadership, involvement of stakeholders, adequate funding and an appropriate transfer plan. It also implies the capacity of the organization to constantly adapt to changing circumstances both internal and external, i.e. to operate as a learning organization. This article will: 1. Establish the importance of innovation to governance in general and development administration and implementation in particular; 2. Explore the relationships among organizational learning, knowledge management, and innovation diffusion and adoption; 3. Explore the utility of the concept of "best practices" in development administration; 4. Review the criteria for successful program implementation in a development context; 5. Present and discuss workable program implementation techniques; and 6. Discuss their applicability to specific sectors of development administration.

Applicant perspectives during selection

We provide a comprehensive but critical review of research on applicant reactions to selection procedures published since 2000 (n = 145), when the last major review article on applicant reactions appeared in the Journal of Management. We start by addressing the main criticisms levied against the field to determine whether applicant reactions matter to individuals and employers (“So what?”). This is followed by a consideration of “What’s new?” by conducting a comprehensive and detailed review of applicant reaction research centered upon four areas of growth: expansion of the theoretical lens, incorporation of new technology in the selection arena, internationalization of applicant reactions research, and emerging boundary conditions. Our final section focuses on “Where to next?” and offers an updated and integrated conceptual model of applicant reactions, four key challenges, and eight specific future research questions. Our conclusion is that the field demonstrates stronger research designs, with studies incorporating greater control, broader constructs, and multiple time points. There is also solid evidence that applicant reactions have significant and meaningful effects on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. At the same time, we identify some remaining gaps in the literature and a number of critical questions that remain to be explored, particularly in light of technological and societal changes