The role of devolution in HR‐line manager collaboration and HRM effectiveness relationship: A study of private commercial banks in Bangladesh

Abstract

What impact does the relationship between human resource managers and line managers have on the effectiveness of an organization's human resource management (HRM) efforts? A study of 365 line managers in 25 private commercial banks in Bangladesh found that HR-line collaboration is pivotal to achieving synergy between HRM strategy and business strategy. It also revealed that devolution-the delegation of power to a lower level-further enhances effectiveness. The findings suggest that both human resource managers and line managers play a critical role in executing an organization's HRM policies. More broadly, the study provides insights into how both agents can contribute to the overarching alignment needed to improve service quality.

HR Line Manager’s Reflections on HRM Effectiveness through HR Roles and Role Stressors

“…The aim of this study is to verify whether the adopted HR model application, the "HR roles" typology (Ulrich, 1997), can be adapted for the proposed theoretical research framework through studying the relationships between HR roles (Choi et al, 2011;De Guzman et al, 2011;De Stefano, Bagdadli, & Camuffo, 2018;Kohont, & Brewster, 2014;Srimannarayana, 2012;Yau & Han, 2010;Yusliza, 2010;Yusliza et al, 2012), HR Role stressors (Evans, 2017;Gilboa, Shirom, Fried, & Cooper, 2008;Gilbert, De Winne, & Sels, 2011a, 2011b, and HRM effectiveness (Bainbridge, 2015;Chew & Basu, 2005;Collins, 2007;Guest & Conway, 2011;Huselid, Jackson & Schuler, 1997;Malik & Aminu, 2011;Nik Mat, Zabidi, & Salleh, 2015;Obeidat, 2016;Ordonez de Pablos & Lytras, 2008;Rimi, Yusliza, Walters, & Rubel,. 2017;Osman, Theresa, & Galang, 2011;Wang & Shyu, 2008).…”

Reallocation of HR Functions: A Study of HR Effectiveness in Banking Sector

“…Today many organizations have adopted the strategy of reallocation, that is, imparting the line managers the power and authority to implement strategies formulated by the HR managers in collaboration with the top management (Perry & Kulik, 2008; Rimi et al, 2017) which has a positive impact on the performance of an organization (Azmi & Mushtaq, 2015). Effective localized HR decisions by the line managers are positive indicators of effective devolution (Gilbert, De Winne, & Sels, 2011).…”

“…Thus it focuses on the new role of line and HR managers (Gottardello & Valverde, 2018; Hassan et al, 2015; Mutlu, 2014). Further, the ways to strengthen the relation between HR and line managers have also been elaborated (Bos-Nehles & Bondarouk, 2017; Papalexandris & Panayotopoulou, 2005; Rimi et al, 2017; Ruel & Gbur, 2017).…”

“…Every organization depends on their manpower, core competencies, and their organizational capabilities to face their new business challenges (Ulrich & Brockbank, 2005). The line managers’ implement HR functions and in doing so they also influence their team and generate response from them (Rimi, Yusliza, Walters, & Basher Rubel, 2017; Townsend, Wilkinson, Allan, & Bamber, 2012; Valverde et al, 2001) but reallocation of HR functions becomes a very tricky matter if there is lack of interpersonal trust between line managers and employees (Agrawal, 2010; Feierabend & Sender, 2017; Intindola, Weisinger, Benson, & Pittz, 2017; Küper, 2015).…”

Strategic Human Resource Management in the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum: A Network Perspective

“…That is, under the SHRM paradigm, the HR department does not work independently, but rather interacts and cooperates with other departments in the organization as well as with stakeholders outside of the organization to understand their goals and to create strategies aligned with those objectives and those of the organization [5,16]. Scholars agree that organizations must value the collaboration between HR and other departments and external stakeholders, and well-coordinated HRM can improve organizational effectiveness [17,18]. Additionally, HR managers are occasionally involved in developing SHRM plans and policies together with senior line and top management officials for the execution of policies and procedures [19].…”