HR Intro

LINE AND STAFF ASPECTS OF HRM:
All managers are in a sense HR managers, since they all get involved in activities like recruiting,
interviewing, selecting and training. Yet most firms also have a human resource department with its own
top manager. How do the duties of this HR manager and his or her staff relate to line managers human
resource duties? Let’s answer this question, starting with a short definition of line versus staff authority.
LINE VERSUS STAFF AUTHORITY:

Authority is the right to make decision s, to direct the work of others , and to give orders. In management,
we usually distinguish between line authority and staff authority. Line managers are authorized to direct
the work of subordinates , they are always someone’s boss. In addition, line managers are in charge of
accomplishing the organization’s basic goals. Hotel managers and managers for production and sales are
generally line managers,
Staff managers on the on the other hand are authorized to assist and advise line managers in
accomplishing these basic goals . HR managers are generally staff managers. They are responsible for
assisting and advising line managers in areas like recruiting , hiring and compensation.
LINE MANAGER’S HRM RESPONSIBILITES:

According to one expert,” the direct handling of people is and always has been an integral part of every line managers
responsibility from president down to the lowest level supervisor.
For example, one major company outlines its line supervisors responsibilities for effective human resource
management under the following general headings.
1. Placing the right person on the right job
2. Starting new employees in the organization(orientation)
3. Training employees for jobs that are new to them
4. Improving the job performance of each person
5. Gaining creative cooperation and developing smooth working relationships
6. Interpreting the company’s policies and procedures
7. Controlling labor costs
8. Developing the abilities of each person
9. Creating and maintaining department morale
10. Protecting employees’ health and physical condition.
In small organizations, line managers may carry out all these personnel duties unassisted. But as the
organization prows, they need the assistance, specialized knowledge, and advice of a separate human
resource staff. The human resource department provides this specialized assistance. In doing so, the HR
manager carries out three distinct functions.
1. a line function: the HR manager directs the activities of the people in his or her own
department and in related services areas like the plant cafeteria. In other words, he or she exerts
line authority within the HR department . while they generally cant wield line wield authority
outside HR, they are likely to exert implied authority. This is because line managers know HR
has top management’s ear in areas like testing and affirmative action. As a result, HR managers’
suggestions are often seen as orders from top side . and as you might imagine this carries even
more weight with supervisors troubled by staffing problems.
2. a coordinative function: HR managers also coordinate personnel activities, a duty often referred
to as functional control. Here the HR manager and department act as the right arm of the top
executive to ensure that line managers are implementing the firm’s HR objectives , policies , and
procedures for example adhering to its sexual harassment policies.
3. Staff functions: assisting and advising line managers, is the bread and butter of the HR
manager’s job. For example, HR assists in the hiring , training, evaluating, rewarding ,
counseling , promoting and firing of employees. It also administers the various benefits programs
(health, and accident insurance , retirement, vacation and so on) . it helps line managers comply
with equal employment and occupational safety laws, and plays an important role in handling
grievances and labor relations. It carries out an innovator role by providing up to date
information on current trends and new methods of solving problems such as today’s interest in
instituting six sigma quality programs and creating learning organizations . and it plays an
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employee advocacy role. It helps define how management should be treating employees makes
sure employees can contest unfair practices, and represents the employees interest within the
framework of its main obligation to senior management . in most firms today HR plays a
strategic role, by helping the CEO craft and implement the firm’s strategy.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:
There are differences of opinion as far as the comparison between personnel management and human resource
management is concerned . a number of people from students to managers to academics, mistakenly think that PM and
HRM are synonymous concept. There are some other who treat the two concepts as different . according to Goss ,
HRM has three distinguishing features as compared to PM. These are
1. emphasis ,not just on rule and contract but beyond them.
2. focus on strategy
3. individualization of employee relation.
1, the assumption underlying PM concepts emphasize clearly defined rules, procedures and contracts. Adherence to
these rules and procedures governs the action of the management. The relationship between the workforce and the
management is governed by collective bargaining as well as employment contracts. Especially collective bargaining
becomes significant because the employees and management see and treat each other as having divergent interest.
Here, pluralism is respected as a social value and the role of unions in HR is considered legitimate. On the contrary
HRM emphasizes open ended contracts, the terms of which are linked to the exigencies of business, conflict is used as
something pathological , resulting from interpersonal relations rather than structural contradictions, management
assume responsibility to motivate employees and constantly inspire performance based on commonality of goals.
2, PM does not focus on strategic management. Its main goal is peaceful or good labor management relations. Its
function is mainly reactive. On the other hand ,HRM is a proactive function. It doesn’t view labor management relation
as an end in themselves. It is not only concerned with the present organizational needs but anticipates future needs and
then acts appropriately. HRM also seeks to release the inner potential and creativity of people .
3, the edifice of PM is built on the collective arrangement between the employees and the management. The employees
get strandadize reward based on job evaluation. But HRM leads to individualization of collective relations. Thus
performance related pay is given key strategic emphasis. Pay is linked with contribution made by an employee to the
realization of organizational goals. HRM seeks to develop the competencies o of the employees so as to derive
benefit from this formation and developments are recognized as the main hallmarks of HRD.
COMPARING HRM WITH PM
Dimensions PM HRM
Nature of relations Pluralist Unitarist or neo-unitarist

Perception of conflict Conflict is institutionalized Conflict is pathological
Contract Emphasis on compliance Beyond contract
commitment
Role of procedures Rules dominated Culture and values
dominated
Planning perspective Adhoc, Reactive Integrated, Proactive
Acceptability of unions Acceptable Not desirable
Level of trust Low High
Key relation Labour-management Customer
Management’s role Transactional Transformational
Basis of job design Division of labour Teams
Key people PM/IR specialists Line people and general
mangers
Skill acquisition Training and Development Learning organization
Reward management Standardized evaluation Performance related
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LINE AND STAFF ASPECTS OF HRM:

LINE VERSUS STAFF AUTHORITY:

LINE MANAGER’S HRM RESPONSIBILITES:

COMPARING HRM WITH PM

Nature of relations Pluralist Unitarist or neo-unitarist

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