According to Hall and Torrington (1998), there are limited fields in which the Human Resources (HR) now makes a decision on its own, but that typically front-line managers make decisions in conjunction with HR specialists. Front-line manager is a key position in present day organizational workforce. Roger Cartwright, Michel Collins, George Green and Anita Candy (1993) states that the front Line manager is a "vital" element in the communication channel between the senior managers and the workforce. They are responsible for ensuring that information about the changes and the implications are passed down from the managers to the workforce and vice versa.
The John Lewis Partnership case study also revealed that front line managers are increasingly assuming an important role in Human Resource Development (Hutchinson and Purcell, 2003). Various aspects of Front-Line managers are discussed in this essay. Firstly, it would begin by discussing the relation between Front-Line managers and Human Resource Development. Secondly, an impression on the main significance of the Front-Line managers will be established. Thirdly, the position of Front-Line managers within the Human Resource Development and the impacts they have in different aspects will be reviewed. Fourthly, the negative impacts of front line managers will be considered. It will be concluded with an overall view of front-Line Management and their implications. Throughout this piece of writing Front-Line managers will be referred as FLMs and Human Resource Development as HRD.
FLM and HRD
The CIPD (CPID, 2006) and IRS surveys (Crail 2007, 2008) suggests that coordination between HR and the line is more common in resourcing, training and development but more likely to be done primarily by HR experts in terms of employee relations and reward management. FLMs are able exercise limited powers when it comes to decision making as a result of which there are often long delays in the proceedings.
Mick Marchington and Adrian Wilkinson (2005) states that the front line manager denounce the HRD experts in four different aspects. To begin with, the FLMs believe that the HR specialists are "out of touch with commercial reality". They are unaware of how the business operates or its consumer demands. Secondarily, through HR decision making is based on the interests of the business they normally decide among themselves rather than consulting with the FLMs for business insights. Furthermore, HR managers often want to analyze all the option before coming to a solution, this delays the process and the action is generally slow (Cunningham and Hyman, 1999). Finally HR managers are often implementing theoretical policies into action which is irrelevant for the workforce. The factor such as these prevents the FLMs from fully utilizing their position and capabilities to perform various additional activities. According to Lowe (1992), these criticisms lead the FLMs into taking more responsibility for HR tasks. Line managers also consider their decisions more suitable with "business realities" and contribute more openly to improve performances. This in turn increases their commitment to integrating HR with other objectives (Ulrich, 1998).
Successive surveys have shown that line managers now have far greater responsibility for HR issues, typically in conjunction with HR practitioners where they are employed. Storey (1992) found that line managers were at the forefront of various changes initiatives in the early 1990s, as well as communicating with their staff through team briefings, appraising them for pay purposes and dealing directly with employees rather than channeling issues through trade union representatives.
Significance of FLM
ACAS (2009) states in their booklet that FLMs are not just supervisors, they have responsibility for many important part of HRD such as welfare, disciplinary issues and communication. FLMs are also responsible for counseling, attendance issues and providing linkage between organizational structures. Therefore organizations need to regard FLM position with utter importance and guidance. Organizations need to adapt a more flexible hierarchy to reduce the span of control. The number of people a single person can control is limited and effective supervision cannot be possible. Effective Supervision can only be possible the controls lie with the FLMs. Urwick (1947) believed a single person can only supervise 5 or 6 direct subordinates. FLMs need perform their tasks efficiently and effectively consequently they need to monitor the right number of people.
The role of a FLM is also very significant in a service based company. FLMs are the ones in contact with the customers and hence they to be empowered to showcase a good reflection of the company. Roger Cartwright, Michel Collins, George Green and Anita Candy (1993) suggest that front line managers have many "accessible powers" such as physical, positional, expert, resource and personal. These powers need to be closely observed to be utilized in proper manner.
Impact of FLM in different aspects of HRD
FLMs are required to contribute to the training, coaching and evaluating of staff. IRS (IRS Employment Review 795a 2004) found that FLMs and HRD work alongside to deal with issues such as industrial relations, staffing and performance assessment. Another IRS survey (IRS Employment Review 793a 2004) revealed that FLMs are responsible for team briefing, absence, induction and ongoing training, discipline, quality circles, performance pay, recruitment, promotions, welfare, team and staff development. Maxwell and Watson's (2006) research at Hilton International's UK Hotels included health and safety as another important responsibility held by FLMs.
Similar conclusions were generated by Hutchinson and Purcell (2003) while doing a study for the CIPD. After conducting over 600 interviews, they established six most influential activities executed by the FLMs. They were performance appraisal, training, coaching, guidance, involvement, communication, availability, work life balance and acknowledgement.
Negative effects of FLM
The effects of poor frontline management may be particularly damaging specially to the service based companies, where researchers have uniformly established a causal relationship between the attitudes and behaviour of customer-facing employees and the customer's impression of service quality. In service industries the factors that drive performance are the work climate, team working capabilities, engagement, commitment and satisfaction of employees. These are key tasks carried out by the FLMs, hence making this position even more important in the service industry.
FLM hold an important position when it comes to dealing with customers. Any sort of error in his/her part can seriously damage the image and regulation of the company. Mick Marchington and Adrian Wilkinson (2005) states that organizations with a poor public relations profile can suffer costs at the recruitment stage through a lack of high quality applicants or because staff leaves since the organization has not met their expectations.
Various factors also have negative impacts on FLM such as lack of time to deal with personal issues and staff reporting, too much paperwork as a result of the rise in the number of organizational policies and procedures, the need for self-awareness. Many FLMs do not appreciate how important their jobs are, the high level of interpersonal skills needed to deal with their staff and senior management. The qualification and the skills required by FLMs while fulfilling the tasks are the primary concerns of the organizations.
Conclusion
The world is growing into a more and more competitive place, organization need to aware and watchful of way and methods of progress and sustainability of their association. Purcell, Kinnie, Hutchinson, Rayton and Swart (2003) states that CPID surveyed 650 people working at Selfridges' store near, Trafford Park near Manchester. The survey yield a negative result, and it was stated the result was negative because of the gap between intended policies and implemented practices, with about half the same reporting poor leadership behaviour by their team leaders. Selfridges were given feedback of the results and were asked to focus on the improvements to the team leading role. A second survey was conducted the following year; it showed marked improvements in "employee attitudes, organizational commitment, worker satisfaction and job influence". The researchers felt that the way the front line managers played the key role in contributing to this transformation.
The main aspects that needs to examined in terms of FLMs are Recruited and selected process to ensure they have the right people qualities to motivate staff and deal with difficult problems, Trained so that they can carry out their duties effectively and develop their own careers, Given a balanced workload that recognizes the need to allocate time for performance management duties, Coached by senior managers so that they openly discuss problems and actively participate in decision-making.
Mckinsey Quarterly (2009) states that the key is a shift to FLMs who have the time and the ability to address the unique circumstances of their specific stores, plants or mines, to foresee trouble and stem it before it begins and to encourage workers to seek out opportunities for self-improvement.
Research has shown that it is managers at the first tier of line management who have the greatest influence on the way people behave and their attitude to their organization. This behaviour can be critical for to business success (Sue Hutchinson and John Purcell, 2003)
