Juggling on the line

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Evans
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
High Level

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between the role of front line managers (FLMs) and their contribution to the reported gap between intended and actual human resource management (HRM). Design/methodology/approach – The findings draw on case study research using 51 semi-structured interviews with managers across two UK retail organisations between 2012 and 2013. Findings – This paper argues that FLMs are key agents in people management and play a critical role in the gap between intended and actual employee relations (ER) and HRM. The research found that these managers held a high level of responsibility for people management, but experienced a lack of institutional support, monitoring or incentives to implement according to central policy. This provided an opportunity for them to modify or resist intended policy and the tensions inherent in their role were a critical factor in this manipulation of their people management responsibilities. Research limitations/implications – The data were collected from only one industry and two organisations so the conclusions need to be considered within these limitations. Practical implications – Efforts to address the gap between intended and actual ER/HRM within organisations will need to consider the role tensions of both front line and middle managers. Originality/value – This research provides a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between FLMs and the gap between intended and actual HRM within organisations. It addresses the issue of FLMs receiving less attention in the HRM-line management literature and the call to research their role in the translation of policy into practice.

scholarly journals Hollowing out national agreements in the NHS? The case of “Improving Working Lives” under a “Turnaround” plan

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-159
Author(s):  
Ian Roper ◽  
David Etherington ◽  
Suzan Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Working Lives ◽  
The Face

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the resilience of a national-level initiative (Improving Working Lives (IWL)) in the face of local-level initiative (Turnaround) in an NHS hospital and compare to Bach and Kessler’s (2012) model of public service employment relations. Design/methodology/approach Case study research consisting of 23 in-depth semi-structured interviews from a range of participants. Findings The principles behind IWL were almost entirely sacrificed in order to meet the financial objectives of Turnaround. This indicates the primacy of localised upstream performance management initiatives over the national-level downstream employee relations initiatives that form the basis of the NHS’ claim to model employer aspiration. Research limitations/implications The case study was conducted between 2007 and 2009. While the case study falls under previous government regime, the dualised system of national-level agreements combined with localised performance management – and the continued existence of both Turnaround and IWL – makes the results relevant at the time of writing. Originality/value Some studies (e.g. Skinner et al., 2004) indicated a perception that IWL was not trusted by NHS staff. The present study offers reasons as to why this may be the case.

Skill-based pay in practice

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 628-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Léné
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Justice ◽  
Design Method ◽  
Employee Attitudes ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Plan Implementation ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore how the employees and managers experienced skill-based pay (SBP) plans through the lens of the organizational justice perspective. The article investigates SBP plans and highlights the difficulties encountered in implementing them. SBP plans take a number of different forms that may diverge from the declared model. Design/methodology/approach – This study investigates the SBP plan implementation in situ. Following Yin’s case study design method, documents were collected, semi-structured interviews were conducted and observations were recorded in two different companies in France. Findings – The organizational justice concepts allow the authors to shed light on the mechanisms through which SBP implementation may lead to negative outcomes. First, the authors argue that injustice perceptions are a critical element in the SBP implementation. Second, they argue that the way SBP plans are implemented by front-line managers influence employee attitudes and behaviours. When employees consider that the decisions are established on the basis of criteria that lack legitimacy, they adopt withdrawal behaviour. Research limitations/implications – The majority of studies on SBP are largely atheoretical in nature. It is suggested that the organizational justice framework should be utilized to improve the authors’ understanding of what shapes the reaction of workers towards such plans. The authors consider that justice and trust are a particularly useful duo of lenses through which to examine the motivation of workers to be engaged in such plans. Practical implications – The implications for the practice of management surround the issue of unanticipated results of actions. It is not simply a question of designing the most appropriate SBP plans. The key issue is how they are actually implemented by front-line managers. Specifically, the findings highlight the pivotal role front-line managers play in building trust towards employees. Training in procedural justice should accompany SBP implementation. Originality/value – This paper highlights the complexity of implementation of SBP. By examining SBP implementation through the lenses of the organizational justice concepts, it sheds light on the under-theorized reactions to SBP implementation, and advances understanding of the mechanisms through which it affects employee attitudes and behaviours.

scholarly journals Line managers' perceptions of diversity management: insights from a social exchange theory perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanos Nachmias ◽  
Fotios Mitsakis ◽  
Eleni Aravopoulou ◽  
Christopher J. Rees ◽  
Amairisa Kouki
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Exchange Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Line Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Influence Line

PurposeDrawing on the social exchange theory, this study aims to explore line managers' perceptions of diversity management, as well as their perceptions of their role and responsibilities in shaping and implementing diversity practices. The senior management's leadership support, as it is perceived by line managers, in assisting them to manage diversity successfully is also examined.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews with 51 line managers across different sectors in the UK were conducted to address the following three research questions. First, how do line managers perceive diversity management? Second, what are the actual roles and responsibilities of line managers in shaping diversity practices' implementation? Third, how do leadership interactions within the organisation influence line managers' perceptions of diversity practices?FindingsLine managers present high levels of personal determination and commitment towards diversity supplemented by a consensus on the strategic role of leadership in relation to diversity management. In addition, poor levels of organisational support, leadership values and style are identified; all highly related to their ability to deliver results and, most importantly, to form effective relationships in the workplace.Research limitations/implicationsData included line managers' views but not senior managers' perspectives, thus limiting the study in identifying the holistic impact of social exchanges in shaping effective relations. In addition, quantitative research could test and enhance the generalisability of existing findings.Practical implicationsInvesting in social relationships can positively influence line managers' ability to deliver results. Action is required at the organisational level by senior management to support and recognise line managers' critical roles to enable them to apply and promote diversity management.Originality/valueThese findings address a theoretical gap relating to the evaluation of the critical role played by line managers in the delivery of diversity practices. The study further demonstrates how social exchange relationships can influence line managers' perceptions of diversity management, an unexplored area within the diversity literature.

Mixed embeddedness of Brazilian entrepreneurs in Toronto

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Pessoa de Queiroz Falcão ◽  
Michel Mott Machado ◽  
Eduardo Picanço Cruz ◽  
Caroline Shenaz Hossein
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immigrant Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
High Level ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate how social integration, immigrant networks and barriers to ventureing affect the entrepreneurial activities of Brazilians in Canada, indicating how mixed embeddedness takes place in that context.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in Toronto, through the application of a survey with 74 Brazilian entrepreneur respondents and 42 semi-structured interviews with selected subjects, thus representing a multi-method approach. The analysis included descriptive statistics from the survey data and a qualitative analysis of the trajectories and life stories of Brazilian immigrants.FindingsOur sample comprises respondents with a high level of education and proficiency in English, coming predominantly from the southeast of Brazil, white, aged from 30 to 49. The majority of businesses are small and related to the service sector. The article contributes to the literature by discussing the elements related to mixed embeddedness, including the need for cultural adaptation and for the creation of networks as a crucial element for business venturing.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on entrepreneurs regardless of their businesses sector or formality/informality status. It could be used as an instrument to support Canadian public policies for welcoming Brazilians and for the Brazilian government to prevent the evasion of potential entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe article contributes to the body of knowledge of immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada and of Brazilian entrepreneurship overseas. The results suggest factors that may be relevant to the expansion of their business, such as social networking, cultural embeddedness and adaptation of the products/services to a wider range of target customers.

Comparative CSR decision-making in the Middle East: an exploratory study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre El Haddad ◽  
Alexandre Anatolievich Bachkirov ◽  
Olga Grishina
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nodal Model ◽  
Comparative Csr ◽  
High Level ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This study aims to explore the commonalities and differences of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions among business leaders in Oman and Lebanon, two Middle Eastern countries forming a comparative dyad with a high level of cultural variance within the Arab cluster. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were used to elicit qualitative data that were analyzed by means of multilevel analysis. Findings The findings provide empirical evidence that CSR is a powerful factor in managerial decision-making in the Middle East with the national cultures of Oman and Lebanon exerting partially differing effects on CSR decision-making. Practical implications The study enlightens practicing managers and policymakers in terms of the salience of multiple actors’ influence on CSR decision-making processes and the responses they may receive when developing and implementing CSR initiatives in the Middle East. Originality/value The study proposes a seven nodal model, which captures the flow of CSR decision-making in the research contexts.

Youth high unemployment/unemployability in South Africa: the unemployed graduates' perspectives

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zethembe Mseleku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cooperative Effort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Skills Mismatch ◽  
Graduate Unemployment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore youth graduate unemployment and unemployability as a development problem in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory study applied a qualitative research method to elicit the perspectives of youth graduates regarding their unemployment and unemployability. A total of 30 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with unemployed youth who recently graduated from five South African universities.FindingsThe results indicate that, as youth graduate unemployment increases in South Africa, graduates become hopeless in terms of securing employment. The participants attributed their unemployment to multidimensional factors that include limited demand in the labour market, skills mismatch and lack of work experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis research exclusively focused on graduates from five South African universities; hence, the results of this small qualitative study cannot be generalised to the entire South African population. However, this paper offers important insights that may form the foundation for a nationwide study on a related topic.Originality/valueThis paper presents important insights that influence policy makers, government and other relevant stakeholders to develop alternative solutions to youth graduate unemployment. This paper recommends that government should play a critical role in bridging the gap between higher education and industry in order to address youth graduate unemployment. It also calls for a more cooperative effort between government, higher learning institutions and employers in order to create job opportunities for youth graduates in South Africa.

Relational influence on entrepreneurial orientation: an exploratory study of small religious enterprises in Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Silva Corrêa ◽  
Julio Araújo Carneiro-da-Cunha ◽  
Vânia Maria Jorge Nassif ◽  
Ernesto Michelangelo Giglio
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pentecostal Churches ◽  
Competitive Aggressiveness ◽  
Belo Horizonte ◽  
Restricted Use

Purpose Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is highly emerging in the management literature. However, recent studies highlight the necessity to associate with reflections on this theme, usually approached from an economic perspective, propositions also derived from relational approaches. This paper aims to investigate associations between EO and social networks, specifically about the still little explored relational coupling/decoupling theme. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides an empirical and qualitative study of religious entrepreneurs. A total of 18 pastors responsible for creating and leading independent neo-Pentecostal churches located in Belo Horizonte/Brazil, selected using the snowball technique, participated in this qualitative, case-study research. Two analysis categories guided data collection: pastors’ EO (behaviors suggestive of their innovativeness, proactivity, competitive aggressiveness, risk-taking and autonomy) and churches’ social framework (the resources and attributes that pastors obtain from their institutional structure). Findings The study concludes that pastors combine attributes representing their EO and their social structure in developing their religious endeavors. Research limitations/implications Among the limitations are the restricted use of semi-structured interviews as a data collection source and the absence of data proving the churches’ performance. Originality/value The paper contributes by showing that entrepreneurs can influence the structure of their networks by using EO; proving that networks influence pastors’ EO; revealing recursivity between EO and networks; emphasizing a relational dimension of the EO construct and presenting new theoretical propositions that can be explored and tested in future investigations.

Knowledge management practices and systems in county governments in developing countries

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Rumo Arongo Ndiege ◽  
Patrick Kanyi Wamuyu
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Resource ◽  
County Governments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Management Practices

Purpose While several studies have indicated the critical role played by the ability of countries to exploit knowledge as an economic resource, it would appear that there have been very few studies conducted on understanding the practices adopted by governments in relation to exploring knowledge, particularly in Africa. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevailing knowledge management practices and technological solutions used by governments to support knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach To address the research objective of this study, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used. The interviews were conducted with both senior and junior county officials from five counties in Kenya, with a total of 31 county officials participating. Further, various county documents were analysed both to seek convergence and corroborate the interview findings. Findings The study findings revealed that no systematic knowledge management practices existed in the county governments in Kenya, which were investigated. On the few occasions that the study did find evidence of knowledge management practices, these practices were isolated, informal, uncoordinated and rarely documented and/or communicated. Furthermore, the study found that there were inadequate policy frameworks in place to support knowledge management practices. The study also revealed a scarcity of relevant technological solutions tailored to support knowledge management practices. Research limitations/implications It was, thus, hoped that this research would promote an understanding of the prevailing local circumstances that hinder the effective utilisation of knowledge management practices and systems. The study recommends that county governments develop the capabilities required for creating and sustaining an enabling knowledge management environment through frameworks and policies that foster knowledge management practices and systems. The findings have practical implications for the way in which county governments in Kenya and other developing countries may improve their knowledge management practices and adopt appropriate technological solutions to support such practices. Originality/value Much of the existing literature on knowledge management is focussed on exploring such practices in large businesses. Studies centred specifically on the analysis of knowledge management practices in county governments in Africa, and how technological solutions may be used to build such practices are conspicuously lacking in the relevant literature.

HRM policies play critical role workers in reducing staff turnover in Chinese hotels

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 29-30
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Retention Rates ◽  
Staff Turnover ◽  
Staff Retention ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The authors wanted to study hotels because of the alarmingly high turnover of staff, which varies between 22% and 80% across countries. They said previous studies of the importance of HRM had addressed other different sectors in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach The authors carried out semi-structured interviews with eight males and seven females aged between 23 and 52 years old. They were all at junior, or mid-management, level. They had experience of working in a lot of different departments, including marketing, HRM, front office, public relations and finance. The interviews of between 45 minutes and an hour were carried out in cafes. All names were changed in the paper. Findings The in-depth interviews revealed that the way in which HR departments implement policies makes all the difference to staff retention rates. The authors said their study demonstrated the powerful role of HR departments in hotels and that hotel employees expected them to play proactive roles in promoting their wellbeing at work. Originality/value Studies of the impact of HRM on staff turnover in the hotel sector in China have been rare.

scholarly journals Preventing identity theft

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1184-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Maitlo ◽  
Nisreen Ameen ◽  
Hamid Reza Peikari ◽  
Mahmood Shah
Keyword(s):  
Case Study Research ◽  
Identity Theft ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Technology Infrastructure ◽  
Job Rotation ◽  
Online Retail ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Support ◽  
The Uk

PurposeKnowledge-sharing (KS) for preventing identity theft has become a major challenge for organisations. The purpose of this paper is to fill a gap in the literature by investigating barriers to effective KS in preventing identity theft in online retail organisations.Design/methodology/approachA framework was proposed based on a reconceptualisation and extension of the KS enablers framework (Chong et al., 2011). A qualitative case study research method was used for the data collection. In total, 34 semi-structured interviews were conducted in three online retail organisations in the UK.FindingsThe findings suggest that the major barriers to effective KS for preventing identify theft in online retail organisations are: lack of leadership support; lack of employee willingness to share knowledge; lack of employee awareness of KS; inadequate learning opportunities; lack of trust in colleagues; insufficient information-sourcing opportunities and information and communications technology infrastructure; a weak KS culture; lack of feedback on performance; and lack of job rotation.Practical implicationsThe research provides solutions for removing existing barriers to KS in preventing identity theft. This is important to reduce the number of cases of identity theft in the UK.Originality/valueThis research extends knowledge of KS in a new context: preventing identity theft in online retail organisations. The proposed framework extends the KS enablers framework by identifying major barriers to KS in the context of preventing identity theft.

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