Unpacking the Role of Line Manager Involvement in Human Resource Management Effectiveness

Line manager involvement in human resource management is an important linchpin in the causal chain of people management and organizational performance. In this study, we first discussed the theoretical basis and contemporary development of research on line manager involvement in HRM. Then we conducted an exploratory qualitative study on the behavioral manifestation of line managers' HRM activities. The result of critical incident interview from 22 HR managers and line managers showed that line managers' HRM behavior could be categorized into implementation of HRM practice and leadership behavior, and there are three sub-categories of implementation of HRM practice and five sub-categories of leadership behavior. Future research directions were discussed in the end.