Question:

The course work is about Human resource manager and line manager..there should be two to three examples of how it has worked in the organization and what the main problems are..All references must be academic and i have uploaded the coursework and the slides.

Answer:

HR and line managers’ interaction

 

Introduction

A human resource manager performs very important functions in an organization. In most cases, these functions are four-fold, whereby this professional works as a change agent, service provider, adviser, and regulator-cum-internal contractor. An efficient HR manager is one who interacts with the line manager in a professional manner (Budhwar 2000b, p. 152). On the other hand a line manager is normally the head of a revenue-generating department, and also carries the responsibility of ensuring that an organization’s core objectives are achieved. He does this by executing functions relating to issues such as target setting, policy making, and decision making. In this regard, it is clear that the line manager is always reliant on an efficient HR management system for him to succeed.

This paper analyzes the role of the HR function with regard to its interaction with the line managers in organizations. The paper also offers real-life examples in the context of UK organizational environment. The objective is to critically analyze the various ways in which this interaction presents itself, the challenges encountered, and how HR and line managers go about dealing with them.

The nature of HR function-line manager interaction

In today’s organizational setting, there is a long-standing association between the HR function and line managers. The interaction between these two entities cannot be gainsaid, especially in a world where competition is rife both locally and internationally. In this context, there is need to link business and people strategies, and there is no better way to do this than to encourage interaction between HR managers and line managers. When the right people strategies are put in place, an organization gains competitive advantage in the market.

The task of ensuring that HR functions interrelate with those of line managers is akin to that of linking HR to all the life cycles of the organization (Guest 2003, p. 204). For start-up companies, this interaction creates flexibility of operation, while making the work of recruitment and retention of the best employees rather easy. For companies that are already on the path of growth, this interaction facilitates the tasks of building on earlier successes (Curriea 2003, p. 591). It enables the organization to put in place the right HR systems in place for both recruitment and reward. When the organization’s target market reaches maturity, this interaction facilitates the work of business consolidation as well as control of costs, wages, and training. During times of economic decline, the interaction becomes necessary as an organization struggles to survive. At such times, the HR functions have to be applied by line managers before decisions can be made on cost-cutting measures, redundancy, and outsourcing of certain tasks.

However, Currie (2001, p. 53) notes that in spite of the importance of the relationship between line management and the HR function, it appears that there is lack of sufficient understanding of the process through which the willingness and ability of line managers to partake the responsibility for diverse HR issues. Curie gives the example of an NHS hospital trust in the UK, whereby the task of realizing strategic change within the area of human resources has been a great challenge. Curie blames some of the blame on the prevailing organizational conditions. The conditions are such that the interaction between HR managers and line managers is not always cordial.

Currie (2001, p. 58) suggests that in their day-to-day relationship with the HR function, middle managers need to be significantly involved in the work of bringing about strategic change. They should not merely be involved in the implementation of the strategy that has been determined by the HR function; the relationship should be one involving partnership. In facilitation of this goal, middle managers need to be allowed to continue crossing the functional boundaries of the organization. A sizeable portion of investment needs to be directed towards their development. This realization seems plausible considering the contemporary trend towards broad themes conferred upon line managers instead of tight prescription of routine tasks.

However, not all researchers agree that the relationship between the HR function and line managers should be one of partnership. Truss (2002, p. 41), for instance, argues that the role of HR managers continues to change, and this change tends to influence the relationships with line managers. In Truss’s view, HR directors are seen to play a more ‘strategic’ role within their organizations. Just like Currie, Truss goes ahead to use the example of an NHS trust, although the latter’s assessment extend over a span of 7 years and the aim is to come up with a model that maps the nature of relationships between HR managers and line managers.

The argument of Truss (2002, p. 44) is supported by Budhwar (2000a, p. 292) who talks about the ‘devolvement’ of HR responsibility to line managers. Budhwar (2000a) focused on a study of six British manufacturing firms, in which the main strategies used included in-depth interviews, a questionnaire survey, and cognitive mapping. The study’s findings showed that in 50% of the firms, a high level of strategic integration was being practiced. Moreover, in over 61% of the sample, there was a tendency to employ devolvement practices, albeit at a low level. The most interesting finding in Budhwar’s (2000a) is that organizational policies have a greater influence than traditional contingent variables when it comes to the practice of integrating HR functions into the firms’ corporate strategies as well as devolving HR management to line managers.

The case of Hilton International’s UK hotels

One of the key strategic drivers used by the Hilton International UK Hotels is the worldwide service quality initiative known as Esprit. It is important to assess the nature of interaction between HR function and line managers in light of Esprit because this initiative’s core aim upon its establishment in March 2002 was to create a culture of motivation. More importantly, the trial phase of this initiative was undertaken in the UK and Ireland. Since then, Esprit has become known as the Spirit of Hilton, and it is designed in such a way as to make work at the company more rewarding and more enjoyable. The main tenets of this approach to HR management are respect, recognition, and reward.

In the case of Hilton International’s UK hotels, focus has largely been on a business partnership model. As shown by Maxwell (2006, p. 1155) the Esprit strategy is the best yardstick for assessing the way in which line managers understand their roles and responsibilities within the HR function. In Maxwell’s study, it was found out that the level of participation by line managers in HR activities is greater as perceived by HR managers; line managers at Hilton International’s UK Hotels perceive the level of involvement in HR activities to be lower. In this regard, there are marked differences between the perceptions of line managers and those of HR managers regarding the activities of the latter.

The situation at Hilton is such that there is need for all managers to understand that they have a role to play in all HR activities (Watson 2007, p. 41). In reality, however, the nature of interaction between line managers and HR managers is not always like this. Misunderstandings often occur on the roles of line managers. There is also a feeling of perceptual dissonance in business and HR strategy. Moreover, just like in other organizational settings, there is increased importance of providing support to line managers in HR activities.

Regarding support of line managers in HR, it is clear that majority of line managers at Hilton believe that the provision of support materials coupled with personal development constitute the most crucial aspects of assistance (Forster 1996, p. 137). It is not surprising, therefore, that these line managers feel the need for more HR and Esprit training. Regarding barriers, the main complaints expressed by line managers include short-term job pressures and heavy workloads. These barriers imply the need for perceptual divergence between line managers and HR professionals to be addressed so as to transform this interaction into a partnership.

Conclusion

In summary, it is clear that the interaction between the HR function and line managers is necessary in today’s world of business. In the UK corporate environment, the relationship between line managers and human resource managers continues to change in response to changes in the international business environment. In most cases, the HR function is seen to take precedence over the functions of the line managers. However, as the example of Hilton International’s UK hotels shows, there is need for this interaction to be in the form of a partnership. When perceptual gaps between the HR function and line managers are narrowed, this can easily lead to improvement in business performance.

 

References

Budhwar, P, 2000a, ‘Strategic Integration and Devolvement of Human Resource Management in the UK Manufacturing Sector’, British Journal of Management, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 285–302.

Budhwar, P, 2000b, ‘Evaluating levels of strategic integration and devolvement of human resource management in the UK’, Personnel Review, Vol. 29 No. 2, p. 141-161.

Currie, G, 2001, ‘Exploring the relationship between HR and middle managers’, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 53–69.

Curriea, G, 2003, ‘The interaction of human resource policies and practices with the implementation of team-working: evidence from the UK public sector’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp. 581-599.

Forster, N, 1996, ‘Expatriate management policies in UK companies new to the international scene’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 177-205.

Guest, D, 2003, ‘Human Resource Management and Corporate Performance in the UK’, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp. 291–314.

Maxwell, G, 2006, ‘Perspectives on Line Managers in Human Resource Management: Hilton International’s UK Hotels’, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 17, No. 6, p. 1152-1170.

Truss, C, 2002, ‘Paying the piper: choice and constraint in changing HR functional roles’, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 39–63.

Watson, S, 2007, ‘Line manager perspectives on HRM and HRD roles in Hilton International’s UK hotels, Employee Relations, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 30-49.