Sample HRM Paper: HR and line managers’ interaction

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Title: HR and line managers’ interaction

Introduction: Overview of HR and Line managers

The role of HR function is to deliver a diverse range of program administrative and consulting services that are based on the specific needs of the organisation. To be effective, the HR function must always be responsive to the business strategy of the organization (Curriea 2003, p. 585). It also has to be aligned in such a way that it can support the implementation of the human capital strategy of the organisation. To achieve these ends, the HR manager has to perform a variety of roles, particularly those relating to benefits, compensation, training and development, HR information systems, staffing, as well as HR compliance and administration (Budhwar 2000a, p. 301). In other words, the HR function entails more or less the work of architects.

In contrast, a line manager is responsible for the promotion and enforcement of the work environment. Line managers have to take all the necessary measures to communicate with employees regarding processes of change, with the aim of creating a vision for the future (Bohlander 2009, p. 39). Line managers also have to make clear, period statements to all the staff members working under them. Whenever a problem arises in the production line, the line manager is normally among the first managers to be informed. He is the one who understands best the working environment of the employees. As such, the line manager’s role entails making a business impact, ensuring that there is organizational effectiveness, rolling out management principles, and undertaking workforce planning and development. He also plays the role of employee champion and a change expert. In other words, he is the organization’s strategist (Budhwar (2000a, p. 292).

However, the HR has to interact with the line manager, particularly in areas relating to workforce training and development. The interactions take the form of idea exchange on the best way of training and developing the workforce. The line manager is the best-positioned person to tell which employee requires training in which area. He also understands the career growth paths that are best for specific employees, based on their talents, skills, interests, and overall business strategy.

On the other hand, the line manager looks up to the HR to deliver the appropriate workforce training and development since he is an expert in this area. This interaction becomes cordial, whereby the line manager provides direction for strategy while the HR manager offers expertise on how best to train and develop every employee so as to meet specific business goals (Budhwar 2000b, p. 152).

This paper analyzes the role of the HR function with regard to its interaction with the line managers in organisations. The paper also offers real-life examples in the context of UK organisational 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: The case of Hilton International’s UK hotels

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 organisation (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 organisation to put in place the right HR systems in place for both recruitment and reward. When the organisation’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 organisation 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. Maxwell (2006, p. 1155) gives the example of Hilton International UK Hotels, where line managers are required to interact with HR managers as an integral part of their day-to-day activities. On the other hand, 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 organisational conditions. The conditions are such that the interaction between HR managers and line managers is not always cordial.

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 organisations. 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.

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 (Watson 2007, p. 41).

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 conclusion, 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

Bohlander, G, 2009, Managing Human Resources, Cengage Learning, New York.

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.

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