The Critical Role of the Front-Line Manager in Operationalising People Management Strategies

Author(s):  
Stephen Pilbeam ◽  
Jim Atherton
2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110097
Author(s):  
Michelle van der Tier ◽  
Koen Hermans ◽  
Marianne Potting

Summary Professional standards state that social workers in public welfare organisations should act as state and citizen-agents. However, the literature provides little insight into how social workers navigate this dual responsibility in their daily work. To address this gap, we used Maynard-Moody and Musheno’s theory on state and citizens-agent narratives to analyse street-level practices of social workers in three local welfare organisations in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. This article explores how three specific organisational mechanisms (decision-making authority; the role of the front-line manager and the degree of specialisation) affect the ways social workers navigate both agent narratives in public welfare organisations. The data were gathered by a mixed method design of in-depth interviews and focus groups. Findings Our study shows that social workers struggle with the tensions that intrude between the state and citizen-agent narrative. We found that the extent to which both narratives are adopted by social workers is affected by a complicated interaction between the beliefs of social workers about social justice and responsiveness and the selected organisational mechanisms. Moreover, we found that critical reflection and a supportive attitude of front-line managers can help social workers to manage their double responsibility in practice. Application Our cross-national study contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship between organisational mechanisms and the moral deliberations of social workers regarding their dual responsibility. It provides in-depth insights into the tensions and conflicts social workers in different contexts face daily on account of their dual responsibility.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-48
Author(s):  
John Crowe ◽  
Michael Yoerger ◽  
Mackenzie Harms ◽  
Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock ◽  
Joseph A. Allen

Abstract Drawing from theory on humor styles, impression management, and workplace meetings, we conducted two survey studies of working adults to examine the role of positive and negative humor on meeting satisfaction. We began by investigating the positive effects of humor on meeting satisfaction as moderated by impression management. In an online survey of working adults, we found that humor use in meetings was positively related to meeting satisfaction. Impression management moderates this relationship, such that the positive relationship between the use of humor in meetings and meeting satisfaction is significantly stronger for individuals who report relatively low impression management. In a second study, we investigated perceptions of impression management use in meeting humor. Using an experimental 2×2 factorial design, we investigated how use of impression management strategies differentially impacts meeting attendees’ perceptions of humor styles. We found that affiliative humor resulted in greater meeting satisfaction than aggressive humor. Furthermore, use of impression management enhanced meeting satisfaction following aggressive humor and diminished meeting satisfaction following affiliative humor.


2011 ◽  
Vol 495 ◽  
pp. 176-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiannis Triantafyllopoulos ◽  
Nikolaos Konstantopoulos ◽  
Damianos P. Sakas

This article aims to examine the role of leadership after a change in the business environment of a company, such as a Merger and Acquisition, in high tech manufacturing companies. Particularly as the number of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) continues to increase and during recession times is one of the most common strategy, more leaders are called upon to to develop their skills an play the most important role for the company strategy. For this purpose both qualitative and quantitative methods are used to examine the effect of leadership after a Merger and Acquisition in some Greek companies that operate in manufacturing business. Findings indicate that in many cases the change that occurs as a result of a merger is imposed on the leaders who have the critical role not only to communicate effectively the company strategy but also to find the correct ways to apply the requested performance management strategies, such as recognition, innovation and others in the new company employees.


Enterprises require focusing on managing relationships in internal markets because internal marketing activities play a critical role in creating an organizational climate that supports customer relationship management strategies. The main objective of this chapter is to identify requirements for creating customer-centric culture in organizations. Customer service can cause the success or failure of a company; hence, the role of internal market in service profit chain cannot be ignored. After explaining the significance of the service profit chain for the company, the chapter continues with clarifying the role of customer experience management in creating customer retention. In this chapter, creating customer-keeping culture, getting 360 degrees of customer insight, using big data and predictive analysis, engaging customers through social media, and managing experience across multi-channels are explained as requirements for achieving excellence in customer service experience. This chapter ends up with discussing the characteristics of customer service in the digital era and key business trends about the future of customer service.


2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kilroy ◽  
Tony Dundon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present exploratory research on the potential variation of front line manager (FLM) types and attendant causal links between FLM style and employee outcomes. It challenges the value of a homogenous FLM construct and tests for variation in FLM styles which may affect behaviours and employee outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A set of discreet FLM types is defined from extant theory and literature (named here as Policy Enactor; Organizational Leader; and Employee Coach). Each type and its relationship to employee outcomes is explored empirically using survey data and qualitative interviews with a small sample of employees (n=46 employees across eight FLM groups) within a multi-national manufacturing plant. Findings – The findings provide preliminary support for an FLM “type” construct. Employees reported a significant dominance of the “Organizational Leader” type for one FLM, while across a broader set of FLM’s the proportions showed measurable variation. The qualitative data provides context examples that help explain FLM typologies and link to employee outcomes. Originality/value – Much of current literature explores the FLM construct as a singular construct, relying on its contextual relevance for definition within a certain discipline. This paper focuses on combining these contextual experiences to present a multi-faceted construct for the role of FLMs within the employment relations literatures. By moving from the implicit to the explicit, the paper offers a conceptual lens for quantitative and qualitative exploration of the role of FLM types. As a result, attendant and subsequent FLM and employee behaviours may be better examined and possibly better specified. To add value to this contribution longitudinal and more extensive data sets could be examined and tested in the future.


BMJ Leader ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-35
Author(s):  
Amit Nigam ◽  
Minjie Gao

While people usually associate leadership with people with formal authority over organisations, front-line doctors play critical leadership roles today. We survey empirical studies in top management journals that speak to the role of front-line doctors in the implementation of service improvement initiatives. Front-line doctors can both drive and block change from within their organisations. In addition, doctors play critical roles in leading across professional groups, coordinating the input and work of different professionals. The leadership roles of front-line doctors can impact whether and how health systems improve and learn and how they perform. Harnessing the productive leadership potential of front-line doctors today is critical to creating a high-performing, sustainable healthcare system.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095001702110430
Author(s):  
Ödül Bozkurt ◽  
Mirela Xheneti ◽  
Vicky

This article traces the experiences of Vicky, a female entrepreneur who runs a circular business that produces swim and activewear from regenerated fishing nets. The idea of a circular economy, which moves away from the linear economic model based on a make-use-dispose logic towards the elimination of waste and a sustainable use of the world’s resources, has rapidly gained popularity. Vicky’s story highlights the often overlooked but critical role of small businesses and their owners in this systemic change. Vicky performs three intertwined but distinct forms of work – entrepreneurial work on the business, identity work on the self and institutional work on the wider world – that all contribute to the circular transition. At the same time, Vicky exemplifies an alternative approach to entrepreneurship through a relational interpretation of circularity. Her case draws attention to how the labour of actors in the grassroots propels large-scale transitions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 06020
Author(s):  
Sheila J. Hayter ◽  
Sherry Stout

Countries, states, and cities around the world are seeking to enhance power sector resilience through a combination of policy and technology. However, few of these efforts fully incorporate the built environment into power sector planning. Buildings account for more than a third of the global annual energy consumption and more than 60% of the annual electricity consumption. As such, buildings play a critical role in enhancing resilience in the power sector. Buildings can aid in power sector resilience by increasing power system flexibility, shaving and shifting demand, and providing on-site energy generation. All of these strategies require incentives to encourage participation. This paper presents an overview of energy management strategies to better incorporate building design and operation in power sector resilience planning.


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