Revitalizing Human Resources Management

This article provides the historical context of the five broad categories of reforms and their relationship to governance challenges in the United States in the twenty-first century. These include reengineering government bureaucracy, fostering demographic representation within it, ensuring employee rights for all, improving labormanagement relations, and improving performance. Noted in particular is the concern at all levels of government for untangling the procedural kudzu that purportedly has overgrown personnel systems and gotten in the way of effective performance. It also determines several of the most profitable areas of future research related to these human resources management (HRM) trends in American bureaucracy. It specifically highlights some of the more important issues within HRM that need continued attention in any effort to revitalize the public service.