1. Introduction: The human factor in governance . The human factor . Governance . Staff management and governance . Human resource management, governance and economic growth: the evidence 2. HRM as downsizing: From cost to strategy . Introduction: The significance of downsizing . The experience of reform . The industrialized country experince . Interview findings . Discussion: Lessons from the downsizing experience . Conclusion: Towards a strategic model of employment reform 3. Mauritius: Economic growth and strategic human resource management . Social, political and economic influences on the civil service . Interview findings . Discussion: Strategic HRM and economic growth . Conclusion: Lessons from the case 4. Tanzania: Laws and institutions . Social, political and economic influences on the civil service . The civil service post-independence: building services and political control . Interview findings . The laws and policies . The institutions . Discussion: strengthening laws and institutions in Tanzania . Conclusion: aligning institutions with new objectives 5. Morocco: The politics of HRM . The political context of reform . Interview findings . Discussion: The politics of HRM . Conclusion: adding the political dimension 6. Swaziland: Political commitment . Introduction: commitment and the failure of reform . Commitment and the failure of reform . Identifying political commitment . Interview findings . Using the commitment model to explain reform failure . Understanding commitment to civil service reform in Swaziland . Conclusion: Lessons from the case 7. Sri Lanka: Political patronage . Patronage in civil service staffing and politics . The history of reform . Patrons and patronage brokers . Interview findings . Understanding HRM in Siri Lanka discussion: dealing with patronage in Siri Lanka . Conclusion: patronage and public staff management 8. Malaysia: history and path dependence . Path dependence in development studies and governance . The malaysian civil service . Society, economy, politics and the civil service . Interview findings . Improving HRM in the Malaysian civil service . Discussion: path dependence and history in the Malaysian civil service 9. Namibia: the human resource crisis in health in Africa . Institutional and HR capacity in health . The namibian health service . Interview findings . Discussion: HR and the health crisis . Conclusion: towards a new HR paradigm 10. Conclusion: Improving HRM in developing country governance . Strategic human resource management . Other HR activities: employee selection and performance management . A two-stage normative model of HRM . The politics of HRM (chapters 5,6 and 7) . History (chapter 8) . Towards 'total explanation' and 'thick description' in governance . Governance priorities and interactions between levels . Conclusion: institutional settlements and performance cultures