PSC Library Newsletter - July 2010

New Books | New Journal Articles | New on the Web
New PSC Publications | Archives

Subscribe to the Newsletter

New Books

	Public management and governance / edited by Tony Bovaird and Elke Löffler. London; New York: Routledge, 2009. xxiii, 374 p.: ill. ; 25 cm. "[This book] examines key issues in efficient management and good quality service in the public sector." 351 P975 2009

	Personnel management in government agencies and nonprofit organizations / Dennis L. Dresang. New York: Longman, 2009. x, 354 p.: ill. ; 25 cm. "[This book] includes full coverage of policy issues and professional practice in nonprofit organizations, as well as at every level of government." 352.6 D772 2009

	Provincial and territorial ombudsman offices in Canada / edited by Stewart Hyson. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009. xix, 307 p.; 24 cm. "In this [book], contributors describe and assess the performance of the ten ombudsman offices in light of their multiple and evolving functions." 352.882 P696 2009

Exploring positive identities and organizations: building a theoretical and research foundation / Laura Morgan Roberts, Jane E. Dutton. New York: Routledge, 2009. xxiv, 549 p.; 23 cm. "In the new world of work and organizations, creating and maintaining a positive identity is consequential and challenging for individuals, for groups and for organizations. New challenges for positive identity construction and maintenance require new theory." 302.35 R645 2009

Teamology: the construction and organization of effective teams / Douglass J. Wilde. London: Springer, 2009. xvi, 92 p.: ill. ; 24 cm. "[This book] demonstrates how psychiatrist C. G. Jung's cognition theory, a cornerstone of modern personality typology, may be used to form and organize effective problem-solving teams through a novel quantitative transformation of numbers from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological instrument directly on to Jung's eight cognitive modes." 302.3 W671 2009

Strategic project management made simple: practical tools for leaders and teams / Terry Schmidt. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2009. xix, 251 p.: ill. ; 24 cm. "The central premise of [this book] is that most projects and strategies never get off the ground because of adhoc, haphazard, and obsolete methods used to turn their ideas into coherent and actionable plans. It is the first book to couple a step-by-step process with an interactive thinking tool that takes a strategic approach to designing projects and action initiatives." 658.4012 S355 2009

	Modern psychometrics: the science of psychological assessment / John Rust and Susan Colombo. London; New York: Routledge, 2009. xiii, 258 p.: ill. ; 25 cm. "Today psychometrics plays an increasingly important role in all our lives as testing and assessment occurs from preschool until retirement. This book introduces the reader to the subject in all its aspects." 150.287 R971 2009

What we know about emotional intelligence: how it affects learning, work, relationships, and our mental health / Moshe Zeidner, Gerald Matthews, and Richard D. Roberts. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2009. xviii, 441 p.: ill., map; 24 cm. "The authors discuss what is (and what isn't) emotional intelligence (EI), why the concept has such appeal today, how EI develops, and the usefulness of EI in the real world - in school curricula, the workplace, and treating psychological dysfunction." 152.4 Z415 2009

Working hours and job sharing in the EU and USA: are Europeans lazy? Or Americans crazy? / edited by Tito Boeri, Michael C. Burda, and Francis Kramarz; with Pierre Cahuc ... [et al.]. Oxford [England]; New York: Oxford University Press, 2008. xiv, 269 p.: ill. ; 24 cm. "Why do Europeans work so little compared to Americans? What do they do with their spare time outside work? Can they be induced to work more without reducing labour productivity? […] This book explores these questions and many more in an attempt to understand the changing nature of the hours worked in the USA and EU." 331.257094 W926 2008

The five most important questions you will ever ask about your organization / Peter F. Drucker; [with] Jim Collins ... [et al.]. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. xx, 119 p.; 21 cm. "With Peter Drucker's five essential questions and the help of five of today's thought leaders, this book will challenge readers to take a close look at the very heart of their organizations and what drives them." 658.4013 D794 2008

From difficult to disturbed: understanding and managing dysfunctional employees / Laurence Miller. New York: AMACOM/American Management Association, 2008. xiv, 241 p.; 24 cm. "How does an already busy manager deal with people whose personalities are difficult or even seriously disturbed? The answer lies in using practical psychology to understand just what it is that makes them tick, whether it's something as common as being introverted or extroverted ... or something much more serious." 658.3045 M648 2008

	Beyond work: how accomplished people retire successfully / Bill Roiter. Mississauga, Ont.: Wiley, c2008. xii, 243 p.: ill. ; 23 cm. "[This book] looks at what happens as accomplished people move beyond work and enter their years as a new adult." 332.024014 R741 2008

	Whitaker's almanack 2010. London: A. & C. Black, 2010. 1365 p.: ill., maps; 24 cm. "The almanack contains a comprehensive overview of every aspect of UK infrastructure and an excellent introduction to world politics." 314.2 W577 2010 Reference

Management des organisations / André Cavagnol et Pascal Roulle. Paris: Gualino: Lextenso, 2009. 440 p.: ill. ; 22 cm. "Le management est-il une science? De nombreux auteurs préfèrent évoquer un art ou même un artisanat. C'est dans cette optique que le présent ouvrage a été conçu. Présenté comme un outil d'exploration, un 'voyage au centre des organisations', il met en exergue les concepts et théories les plus marquants, incluant des approches relativement récentes." 658.402 C376 2009

Le parlementarisme canadien / sous la direction de Réjean Pelletier et Manon Tremblay. Québec: Presses de l'Université Laval, 2009. xxii, 581 p.: ill. ; 23 cm. "[Ce livre] est devenu, depuis plus d'une décennie, un ouvrage incontournable en langue française sur les institutions et les principaux acteurs politiques au Canada ainsi que sur les aspects les plus fondamentaux du fédéralisme canadien." 320.471 P252 2009

Réussir sa carrière grâce au personal branding: gérer son identité et sa réputation professionnelles / Olivier Zara ; [préface de Loïc Le Meur]. Paris: Eyrolles, 2009. x, 254 p.: ill. ; 22 cm. "Ce guide, simple et efficace, a pour but d'aider le lecteur à construire et à promouvoir une marque personnelle puissante et pérenne pour être visible, crédible et distinct dans son domaine." 650.1 Z36 2009

	Dreamweaver CS4 pour les nuls / Janine Warner ; [traduction, Philip Escartin]. Paris: First interactive, 2009. xxi, 449 p.: ill. ; 23 cm. "Tout pour maîtriser le meilleur logiciel de création de sites Web. Ce livre va vous aider à trouver les réponses dont vous avez besoin et quand vous en avez besoin." 005.72 W282 2009

New Journal Articles

• Reasons for being selective when choosing personnel selection procedures (International Journal of Selection and Assessment, v.18, n.1, March 2010, pp.17-27)
  "The scientist-practitioner gap in personnel selection is large. Thus, it is important to gain a better understanding of the reasons that make organizations use or not use certain selection procedures."
  
  
• Restructurer peu, restructurer mieux: leçons d'expériences ministérielles récentes au Canada (Canadian Public Administration, v.53, n.1, March 2010, pp.21-46)
  "In this article, we take a look at restructuring initiatives involving functional departments. First, we review the documented reasons leading to the decision to restructure. Next, we compare recent restructuring activities in three Canadian provinces and at the federal government level."
  
  
• Comment gérer des personnes pathologiquement réfractaires à l'autorité? (Gestion, v.35, n.1, printemps 2010, pp.18-30)
  "Les cadres détiennent une autorité qui leur permet de donner des ordres à leurs subordonnées et de s'attendre à ce que ces ordres soient suivis. Dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions, ils doivent s'adapter à des employés qui ont des personnalités diverses qu'ils peuvent trouver plus ou moins faciles à côtoyer au quotidien, à tort ou à raison. Mais que peut faire un cadre face à un subordonné qui conteste l'autorité de manière systématique?"
  
  
• What do people want from their jobs? The big five, core self-evaluations and work motivation (International Journal of Selection and Assessment, v.18, n.1, March 2010, pp.28-39)
  "If people are differentially motivated on the basis of individual differences, this implies important practical consequences with respect to staffing decisions and the selection of the right motivational techniques for managers."
  
  
• From approach to inhibition: the influence of power on responses to poor performers (Journal of Applied Psychology, v.95, n.2, March 2010, pp.305-320)
  "This article examines how relative differences in power affect responses to poor performers in organizations. We predicted that higher power individuals would engage in approach-related behaviors, whereas lower power individuals would be inhibited when responding to poor performers."
  
  
• Six crucial leadership competencies for an era of downsizing (Leader to Leader, v.56, Spring 2010, pp.8-11)
  "The article discusses the author's views on six fundamental dimensions of leadership which are essential in leading downsized or problematic organizations."
  
  
• Le développement organisationnel: de l'intégration de bases solides à la réalisation de projets (Effectif, v.13, n.1, Janvier/Février/Mars 2010, pp.16-20)
  "Depuis plusieurs années déjà, on entend dire que les organisations se transforment, que c'est l'ère de la mondialisation, que les fusions et acquisitions sont d'actualité, que la conjoncture économique et sociale force les entreprises à s'adapter, sans parler des crises économiques."
  
  
• Keeping your colleagues honest (Harvard Business Review, v.88, n.2, March 2010, pp.114-117)
  "Over the past four years, I have studied the moments when people decide whether to speak up about an ethical issue, and what they say when they do. I've collected stories from managers at all levels, with a particular focus on the earlier years in careers and on individuals who have positive stories to tell."
  
  
• Comment gérer des télétravailleurs? (Gestion, v.35, n.1, printemps 2010, pp.88-96)
  "Dans cet article, nous situons d'abord le télétravail dans son contexte de changement, en présentant les ruptures qu'il crée dans le cadre spatiotemporel de l'exercice du travail. Par la suite, nous analysons trois défis qui s'avèrent critiques dans un contexte de travail à distance: en premier lieu, le contrôle de gestion et le rôle de l'encadrement, en deuxième lieu, la gestion des carrières; en troisième lieu, la socialisation dans l'organisation et la gestion des connaissances."
  
  
• Seasonal employment in Canada: its decline and its persistence (Canadian Public Policy, v.36, n.1, March 2010, pp.1-27)
  "We exploit micro, longitudinal data in order to analyze the strong downward trend in seasonal employment that has been observed in Canada in recent decades."
  
  
• 'Jouer' ou 'habiter' son rôle d'encadrant (L'Expansion Management Review, n.136, mars 2010, pp.24-37)
  "Il ne suffit pas d'être nommé à un poste à responsabilité pour savoir l'exercer. Cela exige une véritable conversion, rendue malaisée par l'évolution du management."
  
  
• Recruiting on corporate web sites: perceptions of fit and attraction (International Journal of Selection and Assessment, v.18, n.1, March 2010, pp.40-47)
  "This study adopted a person-organization (P-O fit) framework to investigate job seeker attraction to organizations in the context of e-recruitment."
  
  
• Would you work if you won the lottery? Tracking changes in the American work ethic (Journal of Applied Psychology, v.95, n.2, March 2010, pp.349-357)
  "Although many social scientists and political commentators have speculated that the American work ethic is in decline, the last longitudinal study of this issue was conducted by Vecchio (1980) on data collected over 30 years ago. […] In the current study, the authors used an updated data set that included data from 1980 through 2006 and found evidence for a declining trend since Vecchio's study, although the decline seems to be leveling out."
  
  
• Nameless+harmless=blameless: When seemingly irrelevant factors influence judgment of (un)ethical behavior (Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes, v.111, n.2, March 2010, pp.93-101)
  "People often make judgments about the ethicality of others' behaviors and then decide how harshly to punish such behaviors. When they make these judgments and decisions, sometimes the victims of the unethical behavior are identifiable, and sometimes they are not."
  
  
• Taking time off to the bank (HRMagazine, v.55, n.3, March 2010, pp.41-46)
  "The article emphasizes the significance of paid-time-off (PTO) to promote work and life balance among employees. It explains the financial and administrative benefits of implementing PTO to both employees and employers."
  
  
• Les sept péchés capitaux du courriel (L'Expansion Management Review, n.136, mars 2010, pp.46-55)
  "Le courrier électronique est devenu incontournable dans l'entreprise. Mais son usage, chronophage, est à l'origine de nouveaux comportements problématiques."

New On The Web

• Fourth Report of the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee on the Public Service A Relevant and Connected Public Service (Privy Council Office, Canada)
  "In their annual report, the committee makes recommendations on the future development of the Public Service of Canada."
  
  
• 2010-11 Public Service Renewal Action Plan (Clerk of the Privy Council)
  "The Action Plan builds on renewal progress to date. It also has a new emphasis: the need to foster efficient, collaborative and innovative workplaces."
  
  
• Canada School of Public Service 2010-2011 - report on plans and priorities (Canada School of Public Service)
  "The Canada School will continue to fulfill its key role of delivering on the Government of Canada's policy on learning, training and development by focusing on four key areas: orientation and certification, management and professional development, leadership development, and second official language acquisition and maintenance."
  
  
• Data.gov.uk (United States)
  "This website provides a single access point to over 2,500 central government datasets that have been made available for free re-use."
  
  
• Best places to work in the federal government: 2009 rankings (Partnership for Public Service)
  "The best places to work rankings - the most comprehensive and authoritative rating of employee satisfaction and commitment in the federal government."
  
  
• Talent management (Australian Public Service Commissioner)
  "Speech given by the Deputy Australian Public Service Commissioner at Talent Management in the Public Sector."
  
  
• Service integration partnerships (NetworkedGovernment)
  "Single-window service delivery (or one-stop shopping) has become an integral part of public administration. Operating under the new name of Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) agencies, it brings together services across departments and across governments, in a seamless experience based on citizens' wants and needs."
  
  
• Kiwis Count 2009: New Zealanders' satisfaction with public services (State Services Commission, New Zealand)
  "The Kiwis Count survey provides rich information on how New Zealand's public services were performing in the eyes of the people who use them."
  
  
• Learning and innovation in government (The House of Commons - Public Accounts Committee, United Kingdom)
  "To find more efficient and effective ways of delivering services with reduced resources, government need to learn from past experiences, and identify and implement innovative ways of tackling problems."
  
  
• Managing for engagement - communication, connection, and courage (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, United States)
  "This report focuses on how leaders can drive employee engagement and increase high performance through hands-on performance management."
  
  
• Le médiateur fédéral: un pont entre le citoyen et l'administration (Belgique)
  "Un nouveau site pratique et interactif au service des citoyens. Vous avez un problème avec l'une des administrations fédérales? Le médiateur fédéral peut vous aider."
  
  
• State of the Service (Institute for Government, United Kingdom)
  "Over the past five years, Whitehall has produced an unprecedented amount of information about its own corporate performance. But the data emerging from capability reviews, performance reports and staff surveys has rarely been brought together in an accessible format."
  
  
• Demand for skills (The Work Foundation)
  "This report demonstrates the government and its agencies and the small business sector think very differently about skills."
  
  
• Business continuity management building resilience in public sector entities (Australian National Audit Office)
  "This guide has been produced following consultation with Australian Government and private sector entities. The guide provides a refreshed version of a previous ANAO guide."
  
  
• Building a digital Europe: lessons for the delivery of secure pan-European e-government (Rand Corporation)
  "This paper presents pointers on what is required to deliver a secure e-government environment for mobile European citizens, based on the lessons learned from existing services and initiatives and identified challenges in the national and pan-European environments."
  
  
• Government performance: strategies for building a results-oriented and collaborative culture in the federal government (Government Accountability Offfice, United States)
  "GAO examined the key management practices in an agency in which managers' reported use of performance information has improved; look at agencies with relatively low use of performance information and the factors that contribute to this condition; and review the role the President and Congress can play in promoting a results-oriented and collaborative culture in the federal government."

New PSC Publications

• There are no new PSC publications this month.