Human resource management in public-private partnership organisations: A review

Abstract

The proliferating phenomenon of public-private partnership (PPP) in public service provision continues to lay a firm foundation for the growth of organizations of hybrid character (van Gestel, Denis, & Ferlie, 2020). Unfortunately, the effects of such organizational arrangements on critical management practices remain underexplored (Berman, 2012). Analytically focusing on purpose-based taxonomy of practices including hiring, training, compensation, and employment relations (Chuang, Chen, & Chuang, 2013), this paper theoretically explores the possible implications of the PPP modality on human resource management (HRM) practice at the organizational level. Thirteen (13) critical propositions are delineated from interpretively intersecting extant knowledge from PPP and HRM strands of literature. In essence, the analysis suggests a) the high dependence of HRM practice and decision-making on the structural and institutional context, b) the necessity for more agility, characterized by adaptability and dynamism, and c) the need for a changed management competence profile of practitioners focusing on strategic and integrative skills sets in a PPP organization context. The paper advances the propositions as important insights for practitioners and as potent directions for further research.

Keywords: Public-Private Partnership, Human Resource Management, Compensation, Hiring, Training, Employment Relations

Authors’ individual contribution: The Author is responsible for all the contributions to the paper according to CRediT (Contributor Roles Taxonomy) standards.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgements: I would like to acknowledge the following colleagues for providing insights on the earlier versions of the manuscript: Prof. Dr. Phil. Sonja Öhlschlegel-Haubrock (FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, Germany), Professor Christopher H. Bovis (Faculty of Business, Law and Politics, University of Hull, the UK), Dr. Antonio Malfense-Fierro (University of Hull, the UK), and the anonymous reviewers.

JEL Classification: H41, H54, J53, L32, M12, M52

Received: 28.07.2020
Accepted: 21.09.2020
Published online: 24.09.2020

How to cite this paper: Onyoin, M. (2020). Human resource management in public-private partnership organisations: A review. Corporate Governance and Organizational Behavior Review, 4(2), 18-29. https://doi.org/10.22495/cgobrv4i2p2