Strengthening personnel management in developing countries: Lessons learned, lessons forgotten, and an agenda for action

This symposium introduction first sets the stage by briefly discussing why developing countries are different, based on how public personnel managemen t in the United States evolved over the past two centuries, compared to the evolutionary process in developing countries today. Next, it introduces th e three contributors who analyze current human resource management trends I n Latin American and the Caribbean and discusses their Impact on HR profess ionals there. Finally, It discusses some lessons we have learned about stre ngthening personnel management in developing countries, some lessons we may have forgotten, and an agenda for action by international organizations an d individuals that can reinforce developing countries' own efforts.