The influence of the HR Shared Service centre model on first line managers’ implementation of HR Practices

Abstract

The implementation of HR practices has received increasing attention in recent years with researchers examining the many factors which influence effective implementation, yet the importance of the HR delivery model in supporting effective implementation of HR practices has not been considered in the literature to date. HR shared service centres are ubiquitous in many countries and have been established in many cases with efficiency and cost saving in mind. First line managers are the key communicators of HR practices in many organisations today, translating key messages for their team members. The implementation literature has overlooked the effect which the HR shared service centre model of supporting these managers may be having on how they subsequently implement HR practices with their teams.
This thesis sets out to explore the impact of the HR shared service model on managers attitudes and behaviours when implementing HR practices. The study examined data collected from two case study organisations, chosen from different industry sectors, each with different HR delivery structures in place -one with a HR shared service team based offshore and the other with a HR services team based onshore. A mixed method research approach was used to firstly understand whether there were significant differences between the two organisations and then to explore these differences using interviews with both managers and HR professionals in both organisations. The findings highlighted the effects which the HR delivery model can have on the complexity of communication between the HR department and the first line manager, the need for additional skills both for the first line manager and HR department, and the effect which deficits in HR support have on others around the first line manager, such as their peers, their teams, and their own manager.
This study makes a theoretical contribution to the implementation literature by highlighting the importance of the HR delivery model in supporting effective implementation and its effect on the wellbeing of managers and by proposing an empirically based model which researchers can use in understanding the effects of the HR delivery structure on implementation. The study also provides a practical contribution by underlining key factors which are affected by the establishment of a HR shared service centre model and offers recommendations for ways in which practitioners can support managers to allow HR practices to be more effectively applied throughout organisations and ultimately lead to more effective organisational performance.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Malcolm Higgs: orcid.org/0000-0002-9032-0416

ORCID for Melanie Ashleigh: orcid.org/0000-0002-0583-0922

Catalogue record

Export record