英国人力资源管理essay范文

介绍——Introduction

 

在客人（1987 年）的整合人力资源管理概念的四个组成部分，直属经理被认为他们必须通过利用被评论为在经营管理方面成功关键的专家们的支持，从而来承担关于人力资源工作方面的责任。事实上，直属经理在组织战略中扮演着重要的角色，将人力资源管理转换性能，并且通过个别反应将它们连接起来。（Boaden et al，2008年）。在 Purcell and Hutchinson (2007年) 的价值链理论，直属经理也被定义一个被赋予欲将人力资源理论实践为事实的角色。虽然是假定在实施意义上的关键地位，但是直属经理仍在人力资源管理实践的过程中发现的一个薄弱环节。

 

这篇文章分为两部分： 首先，回顾前人的研究和实证分析出来的直属经理的缺点在 Marchington 和 Wilkinson 的 (2008) 视图的理论基础。第二，试图解决在第一部分提出的问题的方法，从而增强直属经理在机构里的贡献。

 

文献分析——Literature Review

 

大量的文献证实了直属经理是实施发展人力资源目的中的薄弱环节。在 Marchington 和 Wilkinson 的 (2008年) 视图中的直属经理的弱点可以主要划分为四个组成部分： 缺乏有关的 HR 技能、 不屑为 HR 工作、 竞争优先权和工作量的增加，在应用中人力资源职能的不一致。

 

Strengthen the weaknesses of line managers in HR system

 

 

In Guest's (1987) four components of concept of integration in HRM, line managers were argued that they must undertake their responsibilities in terms of HR work by using supports from specialists, which was commented as critical for succeeding in business management. Indeed, line managers play a significant role in organisational strategy, converting HRM to performance and connecting them by individual response (Boaden et al, 2008). In Purcell and Hutchinson's (2007) casual chain theory, line managers were also defined as a role devolving intended HR practices into actuality. Although positing a crucial status in implemental sense, line managers were found a weak link in the devolvement of HR practices.

 

This essay is divided into two parts: Firstly, reviewing previous literatures and empirically analysing the weakness of line managers on the theoretical basis of Marchington and Wilkinson's (2008) view. Secondly, exemplifying ways of strengthening line management's contribution in organisations, by trying to address the problems presented in the first part.

 

文献分析——Literature Review

 

A large number of previous literatures argue that line managers are the weak link in devolving HR intention into implementation. In Marchington and Wilkinson's (2008) view the weaknesses of line managers can be primarily put into four components: lack of relevant HR skills, disdain for HR work, competing priorities and increased workload, inconsistencies in application of HR functions. In the past, these four weaknesses were also discovered and demonstrated by many researches.

 

From McGovern et al's (1997) case study of seven organisations from different sectors, in which semi-structured interviews were conducted after the collection of empirical materials, the fact the low educational and technical skills severely constrained the conversion of HR to line management was exposed in a single case study. According to Maxwell and Watson's (2006) survey in UK Hilton hotels on the level of both line managers and HR specialists, some barriers to line managers involving in HR was examined and the results showed that opinions from HR specialists majorly reckoned lacking of skills in terms of time management, delegation, supporting learning and communication constrained HR to be devolved to line management. While the result also indicated that line managers did not agree with their counterparts in HR departments. Different from McGovern et al's (1997) study, the employees' views, which were more likely to be objective and reliant, were not collecting in Maxwell and Watson's (2006) survey. Nonetheless, in the deep interviews with 40 line managers, the involved interviewees did not see themselves as HR experts and thought doing HR work was difficult for them (Renwick, 2003). Also, in Whittaker and Marchington's (2003) study, it was also argued less skilled and competent line managers were less likely to perform effectively in HR aspects without support from personnel practitioners.

 

In a pilot case study in NHS Trust conducted by Renwick (2000), one clinical director from the line held an 'old view' of HR that they were 'slow inefficient and made mistakes', surprisingly, a strong hostile description was made as 'they were awful, just absolutely awful'. Regretfully, in this study there was only one case, and, evidence of line managers' disdain for HR work was merely from one individual. However, in his research two years later, in all the negative aspects found though interviewing 40 line managers from 3 organisations, line managers admitted that they 'sometimes slack in completing HR work' (Renwick, 2003). Also, an interesting phenomenon in Maxwell and Watson's (2006) survey was the response rate of questionnaire from HR was notably higher than line managers, which more or less indicated line managers were less interested and enthusiastic in HR issues.

 

Many line managers also reckon that the converting too many HR work on them might prevent them from undertaking their own duties (Whittaker and Marchington, 2003). From the investigation in non-clinical managers in NHS Trust the conflicting work priorities exposed that HRM concerns were low on the list of priorities (Boaden et al, 2008). Generally, the competing priorities on the line managers' side means they concern more on capturing immediate outcomes. From three groups of 'organisational constraints' in McGovern et al's (1997) study, a 'short-termism' was discovered in line management and line managers were less interested in using their time to do activities without an immediate return. Consequently, the greater workload and pressure was generated if line managers were devolved HR functions (Cunningham and Hyman, 1995; Maxwell and Watson, 2006).

 

In Bowen's (2004) study, consistency was regarded as a strength of HRM system. However, in practice inconsistencies such as role ambiguity, low efficiency and conflict between line managers and HR specialists often happened. Interesting findings can be extracted in Cunningham and Hyman's (1999) research, in which semi-structured interviews and postal questionnaires were conducted in four cases from different industries. The line managers on the one hand were satisfied with the 'general background' suggestions about administrative issues from HR counterparts; on the other hand they commented the HR functional supports from HR specialists in terms of leadership, training and development were poor and even unnecessary. Obviously, due to the inconsistencies, the line managers preferred to be less involved in HR works.

 

加强人力资源部直属管理-Strengthen line management in HR sense

 

As the devolvement of HR functions to line managers is becoming increasingly recognised as important for the raising organisational performance (Guest, 1987; Purcell and Hutchinson, 2007; Boaden et al, 2008), it is essential to strengthen the weaknesses of line managers in HR system mentioned above, which can be regarded as 'suit the remedy to the case', while the remedy is not particular designed to single weakness but comprehensive as the weaknesses themselves are interacting.

 

From my personal perspective, the central core of strengthening line management in HR sense is to make line managers realise they are responsible for HR and their duties are important. If line managers cannot realise their responsibilities or even disdain for HR work, the direct result might be that they are not inclined to get involved, and therefore difficult to gain their participation (Boaden et al, 2008). However, in many circumstances we found a reason that line managers neglecting such responsibilities as a result of their bad impression on HR work as well as supports HR specialists, which can be categorised as a kind of inconsistency in Marchington and Wilkinson's (2008) classification of line managers' weaknesses. Actually, sometimes it is not line managers do not want supports from HR specialists but the supports are poor in their opinions (Cunningham and Hyman, 1999). Therefore, the ways of strengthening the contribution of line managers in HR system, which will be exemplified in terms of recruitment and selection, performance management and employee involvement and participation (EIP) in the following paragraphs, can be discussed with HR specialists involved as well.

 

As for recruitment and selection, on the one hand, the internal recruitment for line management roles might be an effective and efficient way to strengthen the contribution of line managers in HR sense. Nowadays, although the ideal situation is that HR functions can be consistently devolved in line management, it seems not so practical for line managers to spend too much time in doing these. The phase 'time-consuming' was used by clinical director from the line to describe new system introduced by HR (Renwick, 2000). The line manager involved in Boaden et al's (2008) research might represent a usual notion, 'I am realistic enough to know where the priority is going to lie at the end of the day'. Actually, not only line managers are confronted with 'short-termism' (McGovern et al, 1997) problem, but HR specialists also facing difficulties needing to be addressed soon. In Legge's (2005) 'vicious circle' theory, problems happened without getting HR involved, and HR was asked to assist in tackling them and give instantly effective supports, which might lead to potential negative impacts in the future. After this process, HR specialists were more likely to be blamed and given less trust in making important decisions. Therefore, the feasible approach introduced here is recruiting and selecting people within the organisations. Specifically, selecting those who have HR working experience or HR special knowledge and skills beforehand, and moving them to the line management work. By doing this, two difficulties may be eased to a large extent in a short time: the disdain for HR work and the deficiency of HR skills. On the other hand, line managers' contribution can be enlarged in the conducting recruitment and selection of employees for organisations. That is, clear division of work and responsibilities between line managers and HR specialists. What is more, line managers should be allocated with components related to operational work and special skills of candidates, avoiding specialised HR functions that they are difficult to drive.