HR and Line Managers

Line and Staff
• Line function
– The function that is directly responsible for achieving organizational objectives

• Staff function
– The function that supports line in achieving organizational objectives

• HRM is a staff function, but line responsibility

Need for a Separate HR Department
• • • • Size of the organization Complexity of Manager’s Job Importance of Human Resources External Influences – Trade unions – Government • Need for consistency

Line and HR Relationship
• • • • Advisory Service Functional guidance Monitor/evaluate HR Practices

Status of HR Department
• • • • • Positioning of the Department Range of activities Qualifications & Experience of the staff Command by default Commend through competence

Line Managers’ Responsibility in HRM: An Empirical Study

Objectives
   To assess the extent of level of responsibility of line managers in various HRM activities To examine the variations in line managers’ involvement in various HRM activities, and To out the differences in their involvement based on • Nature of business, • Ownership of the organisations, and • Length of service of line managers

Questionnaire Design
• Procurement
– Human resource planning, recruitment, selection and placement

• Performance appraisal
– designing performance appraisal system, driving appraisal process, evaluating employee performance, and performance counseling

• Training
– New employee orientation, assessment of training needs, nominations to training programmes, and training evaluation

• Internal Mobility
– career planning, transfer decisions, and promotion

Questionnaire Design
• Compensation
– Salary decisions, incentive payment and employee benefits and services

• Employee Relations
– grievance handling, discipline management, managing absenteeism, managing attrition and employee