Investigates the devolution of human resources (HR) responsibilities to the line within a large food manufacturing company A total of 13 senior/board level line managers took part in this study Records questionnaire and interview data with reference to line manager perceptions of their involvement in HR activities Of interest is the finding that the line managers claimed to be satisfied with the HR responsibilities that have been devolved to them and are keen to take on activities that relate explicitly to the development of their team Most line managers report working closely with their HR counterparts and see the configuration moving towards a partnership The line managers’ main concern is that a lack of support from HR during the delivery of the service can detract from the overall effectiveness They also note that junior level line managers are likely to feel less supported by HR and comment that it is merely their high level position that drives the HR‐line partnership in their situations Suggests that this research will act as a first step in exploring the relationship between varying levels of line managers and their HR counterparts in order to ascertain whether the higher your status in the organisation, the better your relationship is with HR

Devolving HR responsibility to the line: threat, opportunity or partnership?

Although line managers have always been involved in managing human resources (HR), it is within human resource management (HRM) that their involvement has been placed centre‐stage as a core element of an HR approach. This article reports findings from 40 interviews with line managers on their experiences in handling HR work that has been devolved to them, from a study of three different UK work organisations. The study finds that significant organisational benefits and costs exist from involving the line in HR work. The article concludes that participation of both line and HR managers in HRM needs to be re‐assessed, as line involvement in HRM is a problematic initiative for organisations to adopt.

Line manager involvement in HRM: an inside view

Line managers are today seen as increasingly important in effectively implementing HRM practices. Based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory, we predict that line managers' performance in this regard will depend on their ability to apply HRM practices, and that their motivation and the opportunity provided will enhance this effect. Through a survey of 174 line managers and 1,065 of their direct subordinates in two organizations, we found ability to be the best predictor of a line manager's HRM performance. Motivation did not moderate the effect of ability on performance as predicted, and our results suggest this relationship needs further attention. Opportunity did enhance the effect of ability on HRM implementation effectiveness. Therefore, HRM departments should aim to enhance line managers' abilities and provide adequate opportunities for them to carry out the expected HRM duties

Employee perceptions of line management performance: applying the AMO theory to explain the effectiveness of line managers' HRM implementation

Based on social exchange theory, we investigate the impact of HRM investments made by two important HR actors, line managers and HR department, on employees' affective commitment. More specifically, we examine the independent and joint impact of line managers' enactment of HR practices, their relations-oriented leadership behaviour and the HR department's service quality. Accordingly, we consider the largely neglected HRM role of line managers. In addition, we focus on perceived HRM, which is seen as a determining factor in employees' attitudinal and behavioural reactions. Data for this study were collected from 1363 employees, working in three service organizations. The results indicate that line managers can enhance employees' affective commitment by both the effective enactment of HR practices and the effective relations-oriented leadership behaviour. High service quality by the HR department also has a positive effect on employees' affective commitment. Implications for research and practice are discu...

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The influence of line managers and HR department on employees' affective commitment

Work-life balance policy and practice: Understanding line manager attitudes and behaviors

Alternative hypotheses for the personnel function are presented, based on findings from four case study organisations which have devolved personnel responsibilities from a designated personnel department to line managers The views of line managers and employees are sought to assess the effects of these changes The study finds that devolved responsibilities of personnel are formally geared to securing commitment from employees by promoting an integrative culture of employee management through line managers In practice, though, we find little evidence that personnel has succeeded in catalysing such changes The case study findings do not point to any clear evidence of a general increase in influence for personnel practitioners following devolution Tensions exist between line managers and personnel and the function appears to be vulnerable to further contraction The study concludes that prospects for personnel following devolution are at best uncertain

Jeffrey Hyman

Papers

Devolving human resource responsibilities to the line: Beginning of the end or a new beginning for personnel?

Editorial: Symposium On Comparative Public Training Policy