THE LINE MANAGER’S ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING HR POLICIES

HR can initiate new policies and practices but it is the line that has the main responsibility for implementing them. In other words, ‘HR proposes but the line disposes.’ If line managers are not disposed favourably towards what HR wants them to do they won’t do it, or if compelled to, they will be half-hearted about it. As pointed out by Purcellet al(2003), high levels of organizational performance are not achieved simply by having a range of well-conceived HR policies and practices in place. What makes the difference is how these policies and practices are implemented. That is where the role of line managers in people management is crucial: ‘The way line managers implement and enact policies, show leadership in dealing with employees and in exercising control come through as a major issue.’ Purcell et alnoted that dealing with people is perhaps the aspect of their work in which line managers can exercise the greatest amount of discretion. If they use their discretion not to put HR’s ideas into practice, the result is that the rhetoric is unlikely to be converted into reality. Performance management schemes often fail because of the reluctance of managers to carry out reviews. It is, as Purcell et al point out, line managers who bring HR policies to life.

Afurther factor affecting the role of line management is their ability to do the HR tasks assigned to them. People-centred activities such as defining roles, interviewing, reviewing performance, providing feedback, coaching and identifying learning and development needs all require special skills. Some managers have them, many don’t. Performance-related pay schemes sometimes fail because of untrained line managers.

Further research and analysis at Bath University (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003) confirmed that: ‘The role of line managers in bringing policy to life and in leading was one of the most important of all factors in explaining the difference between success and mediocrity in people management.’