Except as in this chapter otherwise provided, the provisions of Chapter 2 (commencing at Section 11150) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code shall govern and apply to the conduct of the department in every respect the same as if the provisions were set forth in this code, and wherever in that chapter the term “head of the department” or similar designation occurs, for the purposes of this division, it shall mean the commissioner.