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CASS BUSINESS SCHOOL
CITY UNIVERSITY
Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management advocates the devolution of people management from the
Human Resource function to line management. However, research shows that this is
difficult to achieve in practice (Gratton et al, 1999.) Discuss why this is the case. Indicate
what can be done to ensure that line managers take responsibility for the implementation
of HR policies and practices.
Human Resource Management advocates the devolution of people management from the
Human Resource function to line management. However, research shows that this is
difficult to achieve in practice (Gratton et al, 1999.) Discuss why this is the case. Indicate
what can be done to ensure that line managers take responsibility for the implementation
of HR policies and practices.
Introduction
The devolution of people management from the Human Resource function to the line
management is a fact that fits in with the general change of the anatomy of the Human
Resource Management at organizational level (Morley J. M, Gunnigle P. and OSullivan M.
(2006)). Nowadays employers follow a more employee-centric strategy in order to meet
with the increasing demand on good quality products or services in an environment
characterized by Government deregulation in most of the industries and strong
competition.
According to Morley J. M, Gunnigle P. and OSullivan M. (2006) as organizations move to
leaner and flatter organization structures, it is clear that the founding of a fixed
personnel/HR function is no longer a seemingly inevitable consequence of increases in
organization scale. Furthermore, while examining the option to manage an organization
without using formal HR function there can be found two ways to carry on the principals
of human resource, firstly with internal devolution (line managers, middle managers) and
secondly with external devolution by assigning Human resource role to external
contractors. This report will mostly cover the first pathway.
First of all, we will define what the devolution of people management from the Human
Resource function to line management implies and address the questions why there is a
need for devolution from Human Resource function to linemanagement?. Secondly, we
shell mention the problems of such a devolution and the reasons that underpin them. And
finally, the attempt to find solutions to the aforesaid problems will be made. In that way we
shell try to answer the question what can be done to ensure that line managers take
responsibility for the implementation of HR policies and practices.
Devolution, causes and benefits.
Devolution of HRM occurs where organizations pass the responsibility for HRM activities
