Leading, Managing & Developing

People

Line Management &

HRM
Dr Amanda Lee

Sensitivity: Internal
 Session Overview
• The relationship between line managers and HRM.
• The role of front line managers (FLMs).
• FLMs and performance management.
• Issues with devolving HRM to line managers.
• Line managers and the psychological contract.
• Changing organisational forms and the need for flexibility.

Sensitivity: Internal
 HRM and line management
• HRM policies and practices do not exist in a vacuum.
• Front-line managers (FLMs) are increasingly charged
with the implementation of many HR practices (Purcell
and Hutchinson 2007).
• ‘HRM black box’ (Purcell et al. 2003).
• The HR practices perceived or experienced by.
employees will be those delivered or enacted by line
managers with direct supervisory responsibility.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Front-line managers & HRM practices
• The way FLMs undertake their HR duties of selecting, appraising, developing,
communicating, involving, etc., is inextricably linked to a wider set of what are
increasingly called leadership behaviours, which aim to influence employee
attitudes and behaviour and give direction.
• These two aspects of FLMs’ roles can be brought together in the term ‘people
management’.
• The aspects of FLMs’ people management activities, leadership behaviour and the
application of HR practices, imply a symbiotic relationship between them.
• FLMs need well designed HR practices to use in their people management
activities in order to help motivate and reward employees and deal with
performance issues and worker needs.
• This in turn leads to improved organisational performance (Guest 2011).
• Poorly designed or inadequate policies can be ‘rescued’ by good management
behaviour in much the same way as ‘good’ HR practices can be negated by poor
FLM behaviour or weak leadership.

Sensitivity: Internal
Sensitivity: Internal
 The performance equation
AMO:
Ability and capability = can do
Motivation = will do
Opportunity = needs to be provided to employees

Performance in any kind of role is some function of the

individual`s abilities, motivation and opportunity
P = f(AMO)

BLACK BOX role of the line manager

Sensitivity: Internal
 Discretionary behaviour
• No matter how extensive the controls, in the final analysis,
management is reliant on employee co-operation (Keenoy 1992).
• Employees have to be trusted to use their judgement as everything
cannot be foreseen/written down etc. E.g. working beyond contract.
• Employees are not passive, they have some power over their
action.
• Links to autonomy, fairness and equity, motivation and the
psychological contract.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Issues with devolving HRM to FLMs

• Assumption that FLMs are committed to the organisation.

• Particularly issues if FLMs given HR ‘responsibilities’ as
part of a cost cutting exercise.
• More than just an add-on.
• Lack of knowledge and skills/lack of training and support.
• Lack of respect for, and knowledge of, HR work and role.
• Lack of consistency.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Front-line managers as agents in the HRM-performance causal chain
(Hutchinson and Purcell 2007)

• HR function – understand role of FLMs and how they influence the

psychological contract (AMO/Blackbox) etc.
• FLMs should be involved in design of HR practices.
• T&D – probably needs to be compulsory re: HR practices.
• Appraisals – more stakeholders and own review mechanisms.
• Creation of organisational culture that aligns HR with strategic goals
and workplace practices.
• Strong support from senior managers and role modelling behaviour.
• Good HR practitioners who understand business and organisational
needs.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Framework for applying the psychological contract to the
employment relationship (Guest & Conway; CIPD 2004)

Contextual and Policy and Psychological State of the

Background Psychological Outcomes
Practice Contract
Factors Contract

Individual: Attitudinal
Age Consequences:
Gender Organizational
Education commitment
Level in Work satisfaction
organisation HR policy and Work-life balance
Type of work practices Job security
Hours worked   Motivation
Employment Leadership/ Reciprocal Stress
Delivery of
contract Climate promises the deal
Ethnicity   and Trust
Tenure Employment obligations
Income relations Fairness Behavioural
   
Consequences:
Organizational: Quality of
Attendance
Sector workplace
Intention to stay/quit
Size Job performance
Ownership OCB
Business strategy
Union recognition

Sensitivity: Internal
 FLMs and the Psychological Contract
• Need performance-related HR policies to encourage people to exercise a degree of
choice on how and how well they do their job (discretionary behaviour)
• HR policies and practices should assist in the development of positive employee
attitudes and feelings of satisfaction, commitment and motivation.
(Purcell et al. 2003/2007/2012)
• FLMs need to address:
 Process fairness
 Communications
 Management style
 Managing expectations

“A number of HR policies and practices, frequently carried out by line managers, influence
worker commitment, loyalty and engagement” (Rees and French 2013:148)

Sensitivity: Internal
 Turbulent times and the need for flexibility
• Key goals of HRM–, flexibility - amongst other things “ensuring an
adaptable organisation structure” (Guest 1995/2004)
• Organisations want flexibility in hunt for agility and efficiency …..
• Individuals want flexibility to establish a more effective work life balance…..
• Win/win? But do we really get organisational support?

Types of organisational flexibility:

• Functional – the adaptability and mobility of employees to undertake a range
of tasks and employ a variety of skills.
• Numerical – vary the amount of labour in response to changes in levels and
patterns of demand.
• Temporal – varying patterns of hours worked.
• Wage – individualised and variable pay systems.
(Atkinson 1984)

Sensitivity: Internal
 Changing Organisational Forms

• Partnerships.
• Contracting out of activities.
• Changes in the employment relationship; not just one
employing organisation – think about the control or
influence of multiple employers.
• Temporary agency workers in ambiguous circumstances:
self-employed yet employed – agency is legal employer
but client exercises control.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Individual flexible working practices
• Flexibility means different things to different stakeholders.
• Flexible working practices are perceived as good for WLB, improved customer
service, efficiency savings, reduced R&R costs etc.
• Examples include:
 Part-time working
 Term-time working
 Job-sharing
 Flexitime
 Compressed hours
 Annual hours
 Home-working
 Remote working/mobile working/teleworking
 Career breaks
 Commissioned outcomes
 Zero-hours contracts

Sensitivity: Internal
 Importance of behavioural personal flexibility

• Organisations are seeking people with appropriate personal

characteristics e.g.
 Team orientation
 Manage complexity and uncertainty
 Adaptability
 Seek responsibility
 Leading
 Change and creativity
 Problem solving etc.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Links to managing and leading change

• Role of FLMs.
• Constant evaluation of strategy, policies and practices to
ensure keeping up or ‘being at the top of the tree’.
• Constant introduction of new initiatives.
• Organisational agility – need to be flexible organisationally
and individually, therefore direct link to psychological
contract.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Implications in respect of personal flexibility

• In small groups discuss the potential implications for,

and of, personal flexibility in respect of:-

• Competencies and capabilities.

• Organisational values and related organisational
behaviours.
• Emotion/commitment to the organisation.
• The psychological contract – and the role of line
managers
• Discretionary behaviour – link to performance.

Sensitivity: Internal
 Further reading:
• Alfes, K., Truss, C., Soane, E., Rees, C. & Gatenby, M. (2013) The relationship between line
manager behaviour, perceived HRM practices and individual performance: Examining the
mediating role of engagement. Human Resource Management. 52 (6): 839-859.

• Bainbridge, H. (2015). Devolving people management to the line: How different rationales for
devolution influence people management effectiveness. Personnel Review, 44 (6): 847-865.

• CIPD (2019). Factsheet: Line managers’ role in supporting the people profession. Available
from: https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/hr/line-managers-factsheet

• Purcell, J. & Hutchinson, S. (2007) Front-line managers as agents in the HRM-performance

causal chain: theory, analysis and evidence. Human Resource Management Journal. 17 (1):
3–20.

• Purcell, J., Kinnie, N., Hutchinson, S., Rayton, B., & Swart, J. (2003). Understanding the
People and Performance Link: Unlocking the Black Box. London: Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development.

• Trullen, J., Stripe, L, Bonache, J. & Valverde, M. (2016) The HR department’s contribution to
line managers’ effective implementation of HR practices. Human Resource Management
Journal. 26 (4): 449-470. Reviewed in In a Nutshell, issue 64.

Sensitivity: Internal