Title Exploring how and why the front line manager impacts employee attitudes and behaviours in ...

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Exploring how and why the front line manager impacts
Title employee attitudes and behaviours in the context of a high
performance work system
Author(s) McDermott, Jennifer
Publication
2016-10-10
Date
Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6055
Downloaded 2018-12-12T04:04:22Z

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Exploring how and why the front line manager
impacts employee attitudes and behaviours in the
context of a high performance work system

PhD Candidate
Jennifer McDermott B.Comm, MBS

June, 2016
Exploring how and why the front line manager
impacts employee attitudes and behaviours in the
context of a high performance work system

Volume I of I

PhD Candidate

Jennifer McDermott B.Comm, MBS

PhD Supervisor
Professor Tony Dundon
J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics
National University of Galway, Ireland

June, 2016
Abstract

ABSTRACT

The study evaluates the role of the front line manager in both the how and why of HRM
and performance. Through the lens of social exchange theory, the study queries the
mediating effect of supervisory and organisational support on front line manager and
employee relationships. The study uses a single case study organisation, Medco, to test
the research model using both an employee survey (n=613) and semi-structured
interviews (n=22) with employees and front line managers. Findings show the front line
manager displays influential behaviours relating to policy enactment, coaching,
leadership and organisational agency styles. The study finds support for an association
between perceptions of how a front line manager behaves in the workplace and
employee attitudes and behaviours. The study also finds evidence that the front line
manager may themselves be a victim of the HPWS environment displaying uncertainty,
workplace pressure, a reliance on personal power (charisma), and a lack of institutional
(HR department) support. The study, firstly, contributes to theory by furthering the
applicability of social exchange theory, while also advancing understanding of the front
line manager role within the context of HPWS. Secondly, new avenues of methodogical
investigation are advanced and discussed to understand the FLM impact at workgroup
level. The study demonstrates the application of advanced mediation analysis, namely
a bootstrapping technique, including the development of a macro for Minitab statistical
software. Finally, the practical implications of this study are considered for HPWS and
organisational management.
Acknowledgments
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I wish to recognise the following people for their support during the PhD:

 Professor Tony Dundon for his outstanding and irreplaceable contribution to my
academic and personal development.

 My husband, Kevin Kilroy, for creating the space and time in our family life for
the PhD to develop.

 The management and staff of Medco in Galway and Tijuana for supporting and
facilitating empirical research, especially to Patty, Dorothy, Catherine, Padraig
and Vanessa.

 My own manager, Martin, for professional support in time and financial aid.

 My friends for motivation and periodic input, especially Lisa who generously
gave of her time. Also, Tommy, Padraig and Manolo for providing feedback.

 The part-time PhD support group Maureen, Denise and Natalie who were a
great source of motivation and learning.

 The staff of the department of management at NUI, Galway for their advice at
critical milestones of the PhD, especially the GRC meeting.

 The academic support for PhD submission, especially Dr. Keith Townsend and
Dr. Alma McCarthy as willing examiners.

 My parents, Mary and Tony, my sister Mairead, my daughter Pippa, and all
other family members and friends who expressed interest in, and bore the
burden of, the PhD progress over the past six years.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... 3
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ 4
TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................. 5
LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... 9
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................... 10
LIST OF APPENDICES ................................................................................................. 12
PhD DECLARATION .................................................................................................... 13
INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 14
1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 14
1.2 The Research Question ......................................................................................... 14
1.3 Thesis Summary .................................................................................................... 17
1.4 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 20
UNCOVERING THE FLM ROLE IN THE HRM-PERFORMANCE LINK ............... 21
2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 21
2.2 HRM-Performance Relationship ........................................................................... 21
2.3 Typical HRM Practices enacted by the FLM in HPWS ....................................... 24
2.4 Locating the FLM in the HRM-Performance Debate ........................................... 26
2.5 FLM behavioural type and Employee Outcomes.................................................. 31
2.6 A Process Model for ‘FLM behavioural type’ and HPWS-Performance
Relationship ................................................................................................................ 38
2.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 39
EXAMINING THE FLM ROLE WITH THE LENS OF RECIPROCITY AND SOCIAL
EXCHANGE IN HPWS ................................................................................................. 41
3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 41
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3.2 Discretionary Behaviour ....................................................................................... 41
3.3 Explaining changes in Discretionary Behaviour ................................................... 44
3.4 Social Exchange Theory as a lens for the research question ................................ 52
3.5 Zone of Reciprocity Construct .............................................................................. 58
3.6 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 60
RESEARCH METHODS ............................................................................................... 62
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 62
4.2 Research Methods Approach ................................................................................ 63
4.3 Challenges with the current methods approach in this field ................................. 66
4.4 A Two-Stage Mixed-Methods Research Strategy................................................. 72
4.5 Research Methods – Stage One ............................................................................ 73
4.5 Research Methods – Stage Two ............................................................................ 95
4.6 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................... 98
4.7 Further Limitations ............................................................................................... 99
4.8 Integrated Conceptual Model for Stage One and Stage Two .............................. 100
4.9 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 104
PRELIMINARY DATA DESCRIPTION AND EXAMINATION ............................. 105
5.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 105
5.2 Biographical Summary for Survey Respondents ................................................ 105
5.3 Scale Validity ...................................................................................................... 109
5.4 Stage Two: Biographical Summary and Preliminary Findings ........................... 117
5.5 Correlations among variables.............................................................................. 118
5.6 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 123
FLM BEHAVIOURAL TYPOLOGY FINDINGS ...................................................... 124
6.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 124
6.2 FLM Policy Enactment Behavioural Type– Empirical Findings ........................ 125
6.3 FLM Agency Behavioural Type – Empirical Findings ....................................... 132
6.4 FLM Leadership Behavioural Type – Empirical Findings ................................. 135
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6.5 FLM Coaching Behavioural Types – Empirical Findings .................................. 137
6.6 Hypothesis Testing – Empirical Findings ........................................................... 140
6.7 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 151
RECIPROCITY IN FLM-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIP .......................................... 153
7.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 153
7.2 Perceived Organisational Support Empirical Findings ....................................... 154
7.3 Perceived Supervisory Support Empirical Findings ........................................... 157
7.4 Mediation Analysis for PSS and POS ................................................................. 160
7.5 Exploratory Reciprocity Items: Perceived State of Indebtedness ....................... 167
7.6 Zone of Reciprocity Summary ............................................................................ 168
7.7 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 172
EXPLORATORY FINDINGS: WHO IS THE FLM? .................................................. 174
8.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 174
8.2 Exploring the FLM Group Level relationships ................................................... 174
8.3 Who is the FLM, and what are their experiences of the role? ............................ 177
8.4 Summary ............................................................................................................. 192
8.5 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 194
DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................... 195
9.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 195
9.2 Contributing to ‘how’ FLMs may impact employee attitudes and behaviours in
the context of HPWS ................................................................................................ 196
9.3 Contributing to ‘why’ FLMs may impact employee attitudes and behaviours in
the context of HPWS ................................................................................................ 208
9.4 Conclusion .......................................................................................................... 213
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................. 214
10.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 214
10.2 Key Conclusions ............................................................................................... 214
10.3 Summary Findings ............................................................................................ 215
10.4 Contribution to Theory ..................................................................................... 219
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10.5 Contribution to Research Methods ................................................................... 221
10.6 Contribution to Practice .................................................................................... 223
10.7 Limitations of Research .................................................................................... 225
10.8 Recommendations for future research .............................................................. 226
10.9 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 227
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 229
APPENDICES .............................................................................................................. 246

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List of Figures
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.4.1: Primary Research Question ....................................................................... 20
Figure 2.6.1: FLM Behaviour Process Model (Adapted from Purcell and Hutchinson,
2007) ............................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 3.4.1 Updated people management causal chain (Adapted from Purcell and
Hutchinson, 2007) ........................................................................................................... 56
Figure 3.5.1: Why and How FLM Impacts HRM-Performance Relationship? .............. 59
Figure 4.5.6.1: Hypotheses testing in Stage One Analysis ............................................. 90
Figure 4.8.1: Summary Multi-Level Exploratory Research Model .............................. 100
Figure 5.3.1: Relative Factor Loading for Each Question ............................................ 111
Figure 5.3.2: Rotational Varimax Loading Plot for Coaching behavioural type
(excluding item Q23) .................................................................................................... 114
Figure 6.1.1: Foundational Hypotheses Tests in Stage One Analysis (H1a-H4d) ........ 125
Figure 7.1.1: Summary Multi-Level Exploratory Model .............................................. 153
Figure 7.6.1: H1a (i) and H1a (ii) Mediation Effect Size Estimates ............................ 169
Figure 7.6.2: H2a (i) and H2a (ii) Mediation Effect Size Estimates ............................ 170
Figure 7.6.3: H3a (i) and H3a (ii) Mediation Effect Size Estimates ............................ 171
Figure 7.6.4: H4a (i) and H4a (ii) Mediation Effect Size Estimates ............................ 171
Figure 8.2.1: Summary Research Model: Multi-Level Exploratory ............................. 175
Figure 8.3.1 Mean employee responses by FLM Work-group for the sample of
interviewed FLMs. ........................................................................................................ 178
Figure 9.1.1: Primary Research Question .................................................................... 196
Figure 9.2.1: Dichotomy of the FLM Role in HPWS .................................................. 200

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