HRM responsibilities in the public sector: The role of line managers

> Research problem and contribution. The overall aim of this thesis was to enhance insight into the mechanisms underlying the HRM-performance relationship in the public sector by focusing on the HRM implementation issue. In particular, our focus was on the design of the HR function and the specific contribution of line managers (i.e. HR devolution) in bringing about an effective HRM in the organisation. The central research question was formulated as follows: How do different actors, in particular line managers, contribute to the (effective) implementation of HRM in the Belgian federal government? More specifically, the goals of our research were threefold (i.e. three building blocks). First, we explored the configuration of the HR function, identifying the different actors involved in HRM implementation (building block 1). Second, we focused on the role of one of these actors in HRM, namely that of line managers. In particular, we examined the actual delineation of line managers’ HRM responsibilities, incorporating both HR and line management’s perspectives (building block 2). Third and finally, we investigated different factors driving or constraining middle and first-line managers’ effective HRM implementation (building block 3). Our research was set within the context of the Belgian federal government. With this thesis, we generally contribute to previous knowledge on HRM implementation and HR devolution. By studying (line management’s role in) HRM implementation, we respond to some of the shortcomings in current literature. For example, research on the issue of (effective) HRM implementation generally remained scarce up until now. Especially in the public sector, only a few authors had focused on line managers’ role in HRM implementation. Governments world-wide are, however, under pressure to improve public sector performance. Through its impact on employee attitudes and behaviour, effectively implementing HRM can then significantly contribute to (public) organisations’ performance. > Theoretical background. Our research is generally embedded within the strategic HRM literature, which focuses on demonstrating and exploring the HRM-performance link. Wright and Nishii’s (2013) process model of strategic HRM provided the foundation for our research. The key feature of this model relates to the distinction between intended HRM (HR policy designed by the HR department), actual HRM (the way that HR practices are implemented), and perceived HRM (employees’ perceptions and interpretations of HR practices). In this thesis, the focus was on ‘actual HRM’ as we mapped the different HR actors involved in HRM implementation and, particularly, looked into the HRM responsibilities of one of the main HR actors, i.e. line management, and their (effective) HRM implementation. In order to further shed light on ‘actual HRM’, we relied on role theory. As such, we adopted one overarching framework that tied together our different empirical studies: the theory of role dynamics by Kahn and colleagues (1964). This theory was able to show us how a role takes shape and identify which organisational, individual, and interpersonal factors may impact the role-taking process. Throughout the thesis, our theoretical arguments were underpinned by additional theories and insights from the literature in various research fields (e.g. HR devolution literature, support theory, motivation studies, etc.). > Research design. Set in the Belgian federal government, our empirical research design was organised in two main parts, combining a more general analysis of the broader federal government and a more intensive case study of two federal organisations, the NEO and the FPS Finance. The first part of our research aimed to identify the different HR actors present and their responsibilities in HRM implementation (building block 1). For this purpose, we addressed the HR directors of multiple federal government organisations through a written questionnaire and complementary interviews. The second, major part of our research looked into the delineation of line managers’ HRM responsibilities (building block 2) and the conditions fostering line managers’ (effective) HRM implementation (building block 3). Two federal organisations were selected to be studied in depth based on the findings in the first research phase. Within the two case organisations, we conducted an online survey and a number of focus groups among both HR professionals and line managers (middle and first-line managers). Addressing multiple actors enabled us to incorporate different perspectives in our research. Furthermore, the combination of quantitative and qualitative evidence allowed us to cross-validate findings and maximise the benefits of each approach, e.g. statistical testing of hypotheses and rich, contextual detail. > Main findings. By concentrating on HRM implementation, we explored one of the key underlying mechanisms that are found to mediate the HRM-performance link. Our research findings clearly showed that several actors are involved in the implementation of HRM, and therefore confirmed our expectation of a distributed delivery of HR practices to employees. In other words, the HR department was found to work with several other internal and external partners that together make up the HR function. Also, it appeared that trends such as the decentralisation of HRM, HR devolution, and shared service centres slowly but surely found their entrance into (public sector) practice. Still, though, HR professionals throughout the organisation, supported by top and line management, remained in charge of most HR practices. Overall, the importance of the implementers of HRM in linking HR policy to actual practice (and performance) in the workplace was highly recognised. Managing human resources was therefore increasingly considered a matter of successfully deploying multiple HR actors and afterwards coordinating their involvement in the implementation of HRM (building block 1). In the main part of this thesis, we concentrated on line managers as one important actor that is increasingly held responsible for the implementation of HRM. In this respect, our results showed that there is indeed a reasonable degree of HR devolution within the public sector. However, most of the HR tasks still remained a shared responsibility between line managers and other HR actors, e.g. the HR department. One of the issues keeping line managers from fully taking on their HRM responsibilities was the lack of authority or discretionary power. Strict personnel regulations such as the statutory employment system didn’t do any good in this matter. The content of line managers’ HR role was generally straightforward, focusing on HR tasks related to follow-up and evaluation, training and development, and issues related to the job and the work environment. Nevertheless, HR tasks involving any ‘financial’ responsibility, such as promotion, rewards and managing HR budgets, were not considered to be part of line management’s HR role. The latter finding didn’t come as a surprise considering that the public sector is known for its rigidity in promotion and pay issues. Furthermore, our results showed that perceptual differences between HR professionals and line managers were apparent in different aspects of the HR devolution issue. For instance, HR not only expected line managers to be involved in more HR tasks, but also believed they should be taking on a larger role in those tasks (degree of HR devolution). In addition, we found that HR and the line also had different perceptions on various factors that may contribute to their perceptions of the degree of HR devolution, including organisational support, (personnel) red tape, line managers’ individual capacity, and age differences (building block 2). In addition, our research demonstrated that good performance of line managers in executing their ‘new’ HRM responsibilities is not at all evident. We found that the organisational context, individual attributes of the line manager, and the line’s interactions with colleagues can determine line managers’ effectiveness in implementing their HR tasks. Notably, a well-organised support system, considering the limitations of personnel red tape, the necessary people-oriented competencies, and genuine commitment on the part of line managers were significantly related to line managers’ HRM implementation effectiveness. The majority of support was derived from HR professionals throughout the organisation, manifesting itself in several forms, including training and development, information provision, e-HR, and practical advice. We also emphasised the importance of a broader support network, including the organisation in general, the supervisor and co-workers, rather than only focusing on support from HR. Furthermore, our research compared middle and first-line managers experiences of their HR role. Both managerial levels had a certain amount of HRM responsibilities, but distinctions existed in the delineation of their HR role and in the factors driving or constraining their HRM implementation effectiveness. Generally, the importance of organisational support, personnel red tape (in case of middle managers), line managers’ autonomous motivation, HR-related competencies, HR support, and co-worker support was confirmed by the line managers in our research. As a final point, several contextual factors related to the public sector setting were found to pose additional challenges to the organisation of HRM implementation throughout our research. In particular, the heavily regulated federal employment system and the remnants of the closed-career system influenced the way HRM was being implemented in the Belgian federal government. > Conclusion, practical implications and future research. With this thesis, we aimed to contribute to the strategic HRM literature by examining the contribution of various actors, particularly line managers, to the (effective) implementation of HRM in a public sector setting. Our research delivered a range of quantitative and qualitative results that provided a snapshot of the HRM implementation issue at one particular moment. Generally, we found that it is essential to recognise the existence of an HR function consisting of multiple actors and to coordinate their involvement in the implementation of HRM (building block 1). Our results have also shown that line managers have both understood and accepted their HR role. Difficulties, however, occurred in the actual delineation of line managers’ HRM responsibilities (building block 2). Involving line managers (and other actors) in HRM implementation is, however, only opportune if they are performing their HR tasks in the approved manner. As such, we discovered that effective HRM implementation is not at all straightforward and that several organisational, individual and interpersonal factors may drive or constrain middle and first-line managers’ execution of HR tasks (building block 3). Throughout our research, the public sector setting was also found to pose additional challenges to the HRM implementation issue. Based on our findings, we were able to formulate some overarching recommendations for practice. A first practical suggestion was that organisations should ensure that the roles and responsibilities of those involved in HRM implementation are clearly defined and communicated. In addition, we identified some ‘new’ challenges for HR professionals in the organisation, including the HR department’s role as a coordinator of the HR function, HR as a source of support, and the importance of the local HR representation. We also plead for an HR approach (e.g. recruitment, appraisal and motivation) specifically directed at line managers. It is also recommended for organisations to think long and hard about the entirety of the HR function’s configuration, contemplating the different actors possibly involved and their contribution to HRM implementation. Reflecting on the theory and the methodology highlighted some of the shortcomings of our research, but could also inspire further research. For instance, it is important to keep in mind that our research is based on a cross-sectional design and that the possible generalisation of our results is relatively limited. Finally, we also proposed some broader topics or opportunities to be explored in future research, including an in-depth research of the configuration of the HR function, the relationships between managerial levels, integrating leadership literature, and exploring the meaning of HRM implementation effectiveness.status: publishe