Workshop Two

High
Performance
Work Practices
and the Project
Manager
IMPORTANT
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Workshop Two
Slides: High Performance work
practices
Activity one: Google clip and
discussion
Activity two: Case Study on
Google
Online collaborate session with
your tutor in the last hour of the
workshop
Please refer to activities on NILE
and remember to complete your
own self directed reading and
research on this topic
High Performance
Work Practices

A number of specific approaches to

managing people can bring about improved
organisational performance (Farnham,2015)
‘Bundles’ of core activities
A critical appreciation of such practices
enables the project manager to consider the
applicability of this to managing project
teams and to enhance the success of the
project
The PM can directly influence high
performance through an appreciation and
application of HRM and the core concepts of
HPWP’s
 HRM and Strategic
HRM
Through the people professionals who work
within it, the HR function helps an organisation
deliver its corporate strategy and objectives by
effectively recruiting and developing people and
managing their performance. HR objectives are
delivered differently in different types of
organisations (CIPD,2019)
An approach to managing human resources,
strategic human resource
management supports long-term business goals
and outcomes with a strategic framework. ... It
then looks at strategic HRM in relation to
business strategy, human capital management
and business performance. (CIPD,2020)
The Bath Model of HRM
Seven dimensions of best
practice
 Employment security and internal labour markets
Selective recruitment and sophisticated selection
Extensive training, learning and development
Employee involvement, information sharing and employee
voice
Self-managed teams and teamworking
High compensation contingent upon performance
Reduction of status differentials/ harmonisation
(Pfeffer, 1998)
The Black Box
Purcell et al (2003) studied 12 organisations, the purpose was to
provide direct evidence of the link between performance and
HR/people management practices (AMO) and identify their impact

• Ability and Skill

• Motivation
• Opportunity to participate

Policies linked to AMO will engender employee attitudes of

commitment, motivation and satisfaction which in turn influence
discretionary behaviour and effort
Appelbaum’s study identified HPWP which provided an opportunity
for participation, skill enhancement, motivation incentives, related
to employee commitment and satisfaction. This supports AMO.
HPWP’s
Purcell et al (2003 cited in Robinson 2006) research concluded
that high performance is related to
 A Strong, inclusive culture related to the values, purpose and
mission of the organisation, relationship with customers,
employees and stakeholders
 The effectiveness of front line managers/supervisors in policy
execution perceived by employees
 Appelbaum’s(2000) study identified HPWP which provided an
opportunity for participation, skill enhancement, motivation
incentives, related to employee commitment and satisfaction.
This supports AMO.
The psychological contract
Activity One
Google
Please pause these slides .
Click onto the tab ‘ Module Activities /workshop
Two ‘and watch the go
1.Identify the different ways Google are
engaging their employees to perform.
2.Why are Google successful in creating
sustainable performance?
3. What can we infer about the psychological
contract from an employer and employee
perspective?
4.What HPWP’s can you identify .
 Critical analysis of HPWP and the role of the
Project Manager
Project Managers are operating in unique and complex environments .How effectively
project related demands are managed by the PM can lead to high performance

There is the potential, however, of ‘abusive supervision’ ( Gallagher et al., 2015)

Does the imperative to succeed encourage high performance in all cases or are there
risks associated with the pressure to perform?
How does the increasing drive to achieve ‘more with less’ impact on the PM ,team
and organisation?
What is the role of HPWP’s in project success and what are the implications for the
development of PM skills and competencies?
Understanding job related demands and the
PM
Job related demands are both physical and psychological:
Constant change
Multiple activities occurring both simultaneously and separately
Deadlines
Budgets and resources
Staffing issues and demands
Stakeholder management
(Demerouti and Baker, 2011)
The impact of HPWP
and PM skills

The manner in which employees are

treated can achieve greater job
satisfaction and motivation
The strength of the PM’s capabilities
( competencies , skills ) to apply
HPWP’s effectively will impact on
project success

(Becker and Huselid , 1998;Keegan and

Den Hartog ,2004; Muller and
Turner,2010;Kerzner 2013)
Antecedents and consequences of positive
practices from the Project Leader

Ability to navigate project related demands

Psychological capacity /strength and resilience
Use of HPWP’s and effective management of people issues
Emotional intelligence (Salovey and Meyer; Goleman).In a team
environment emotional intelligence is shown to improve trust , co-
operation and creativity
Detrimental effects of poor project manager supervision behaviours
‘abusive supervision ‘
‘supervisors engage in a sustained display of hostile, verbal and non
verbal behaviours excluding physical contact ‘ (Schyns and Schillng,
2013; Tepper 2000)
May include personal attacks, task attacks, humiliation , excessiov
monitoring
‘outcomes rather than the intentions behind the behaviour matter’
(Gallagher et al , 2015)
Antecededents of negative practices from the
PM
Project managers are more likely to engage in abusive behaviour when
they consider themselves to be recipients of unfairness or injustice -
perceived injustices may be organisational or interpersonal
Where there has been a breach of their psychological contract
Where they perceive there to be significant differences between themselves
and their supervisees/team
Perceptions of aggressive ‘norms’ within the organisation
Lack of planning and control
Supervisor / co worker conflict ( Harris et al., 2014)
Insufficient top management support
Consequences of abusive supervision
Emotional exhaustion
Counterproductive work behaviours
Poor organisational citizenship behaviours
Ineffective stakeholder management
Lack of project success

Stakeholder relationships are critically dependant on the project

managers ability to pursue HPWP’s
Summary

Research shows that HPWP’s are most likely to

impact on the people related success factors of the
project and can widely influence other aspects
The imperative to succeed and other contextual
factors influence PM behaviour
The consequences of abusive supervision can be
personally and organisationally detrimental
Stakeholder relationships are critically dependant on
the project managers ability to pursue HPWP’s
Activities Two & Three
Case Studies

We will be brief on Assessment 1 now.

After today’s session please click onto the Module
Activities tab
Click onto Workshop Two
Click onto Activity Two and Activity Three and
follow the instructions for further self guided work.
REMEMBER- you need to make a note of anything
covered today and last week to help with your
portfolio for assessment two.
References
Appelbaum, E., Bailey,. T, Berg., P. and Kalleberg , A (.2000) Manufacturing advantage. Why High Performance Work systems Pay off. London :ILR Press
Becker, B. and Huselid, M. (1998). High performance work systems and firm performance: A synthesis of research and managerial implications. In K. M. Rowland
& G. R. Ferris (Eds.) Research in personnel and human resource management ,Vol 6, pp. 53–101. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
CIPD resources cipd.co.uk
Derouti, E., Bakker, A., Nachreiner, F.and Schaufeli, W. (2001). The job demands-resources model of burnout. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(3), pp.499–512.
Farnham 2015
Gallagher,E. ,Mazur, A, Ashkanasy,N. (2015) Rallying the troops or beating the horses? How project related demands can lead to either high-performance or
abusive supervision. Project Management Journal, Vol. 46, No. 3, pp.10–24
Guest, D. (2004) The psychology of the employment relationship. An analysis based on the psychological contact . Applied Psychology – An international review ,
53.pp 541-555
Harris, K. J., Kacmar, K. M., & Zivnuska, S. (2007). An investigation of abusive supervision as a predictor of performance and the meaning of work as a moderator
of the relationship. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), pp.252–263.
Huemann, M. (2010). Considering human resource management when developing a project-oriented company: Case study of a telecommunication company.
International Journal of Project Management, 28, pp.361–369.
Jugdev, K., & Müller, R. (2005). A retrospective look at our evolving understanding of project success. Project Management Journal, 36(4), pp.19–31.
Keegan, A. E., & Den Hartog, D. N. (2004). Transformational leadership in a project-based environment: A comparative study of the leadership styles of project
managers and line managers. International Journal of Project Management, 22(8), pp.609–617.
Kerzner, H. R. (2013). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. New York, NY: Wiley.
Müller, R., & Turner, R. (2010). Leadership competency profiles of successful project managers. International Journal of Project Management, 28(5), pp.437–448
Pfeffer, J(1998). The Human Equation : Building Profits by Putting People First. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School
Purcell, J. and Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. (2003) Understanding the People and Performance Link : Unlocking the Black Box. London:
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Research Report .
Salovey, P., Mayer, J. D., & Caruso, D. (2002). The positive psychology of emotional intelligence. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive
psychology ,pp. 159–171). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Schyns, B., & Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly,
24(1), pp.138–158.
Tepper, B. J. (2000). Consequences of abusive supervision. Academy of Management Journal, 43(2) pp.178–190.
Please go back to module activities, workshop two to complete the final work
required for today

IMPORTANT -you need to make a note of anything covered today and last week to
help with your portfolio for assessment two.

Your tutor will be available to chat during the last hour of your timetabled session.

HAVE A GOOD WEEK – WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU NEXT WEEK 