Frontline managers’ contribution to mission achievement: A study of how people management affects thoughtful care

Abstract

This study addresses the question to what extent frontline managers' people management activities contribute to mission achievement through frontline workers' behaviors. Drawing on the case of elderly care, we contribute to the literature by: (1) providing a compact measure of mission achievement in elderly care and specifying the requisite employee behaviors; and (2) showing that frontline managers' people management activities impact on employees' behaviors, and ultimately on mission achievement. In doing so, we also contribute to more knowledge about elderly care, which is an under-researched sector, and about the role of line managers (instead of top managers) in HRM implementation.

“I Expected More From You”: The Effect of Expectation-Disconfirmation on Employees’ Satisfaction With Supervisory Support

“…This type of supervisory behavior is relevant to study in public organizations, since public frontline supervisors generally have limited monetary resources to incentivize employees and therefore must rely more on encouragements such as supportive behavior to shape employee actions (Favero et al, 2016; Jensen et al, 2019). However, in the public management and human resource management (HRM) literature, less attention is paid to frontline supervisors, particularly their responsibility for motivating and supporting employees (Boselie et al, 2021; Knies et al, 2018). Considering that processes of decentralization have led to an increased degree of personnel responsibilities for frontline supervisors in public organizations (Bainbridge, 2015; Boselie et al, 2021; Brewer, 2005), studying frontline supervisors’ support for employees is increasingly relevant in a public sector context.…”

“…First, even though the management of human capital has been considered one of the most important aspects of public management (O’Toole & Meier, 2009), it has gained generally less attention in a public sector context than other aspects of public management (Favero et al, 2016). Also, less attention is paid to frontline supervisors than public managers on a higher level (Knies et al, 2018). Because frontline managers are gaining a more important role in public organizations and are increasingly charged with the supervisory responsibilities (Brewster et al, 2015), it is relevant to examine supportive leadership by supervisors in public organizations more extensively.…”

Leadership in Canadian and French high security prisons expectations and perceptions

“…Overall, when LJ-PJ principles are observed by managers, frontline staff tend to deliver better quality service to users (Knies et al, 2018). Bacha and Walker (2013) found a partial relationship between employees’ perceptions of fairness and TL and that procedural and interactional fairness were strongly associated with TL.…”

HR managers stereotyping frontline managers

“…Further, they found that part of FLMs effectiveness relies on their relationship with HR. Knies et al (2018) explored how FLMs and HR practices impact mission achievement in human services organizations. When FLMs and HR practices were well-aligned and FLMs were trained in the practices, mission fulfilment improved.…”