Search results

The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple perspectives on managerial coaching: why and how managers engage, employees and human resource development (HRD) professionals’ perspectives on the use and how HRD and managers can better support each other with it.

This study used secondary analysis of empirical data already collected through a transnational study from 20 different medium-size to large organisations in the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. For this study, 58 interviews referring to coaching were analysed from 18 of these organisations, from these 3 different countries and from 3 stakeholder groups: managers, employees and HRD professionals.

Findings show that managers perform a variety of “on the job” informal coaching roles and that HRD professionals lead the more formal aspects. Managers felt that HRD support was limited and hoped for more. A limited number of employees mentioned coaching, but those that did highlighted the different types of coaching they received in the workplace, referring to managers but with little recognition of HRD’s role. HRD professionals shared how they support managers through both informal and formal coaching approaches, but this was not fully acknowledged by neither managers nor employees.

The findings of this study contribute to the literature on devolved HRD practices, highlighting that managers are engaging more in managerial coaching with their teams, that potentially employees are not that aware of this and that managers and employees are not fully aware of HRD’s contribution to supporting coaching and feel they could do more. As a result, this study suggests that HRD professionals have a clear role to play in creating and leading the supportive organisational culture for coaching to thrive, not only in setting the “coaching scene” for managers to work within but also through offering support for long-term capacity building for all employees.

Through the diffusion of key HRD activities into managerial roles, and while internal coaching is gaining more momentum, managers now step up when coaching their teams. This study extends the limited prior research on managers’ and others’ (employees and HRD) beliefs about the coaching role in the workplace. This study highlights the changing role of the manager, the need for HRD to offer more support for the joint role that managers are taking (manager and coach) and the partnership potential for HRD professionals to include all stakeholders including employees.

This paper aims to explore the integration challenges during the early stages of implementation of value streams as team aggregation structures as a novel organizational construct in a modern organization.

We use an immersive ethnographic approach to follow the transition to value streams as team aggregation structures in a large organization during the first three years of implementation. We integrate systematic observations with interviews to get insights into the dynamics of change and the most important challenges faced by the organization during this transition.

We integrate systematic observations collected during the organizational change with insights from interviews carried out with managers to provide tentative answers to some key questions related to the implementation of multiteam systems. We reflect on their performance, entitativity, autonomy as well as on the satisfaction of their members.

We discuss some of the most important managerial challenges during the transition to value streams as novel organizational constructs and we derive some actionable insights for team and value stream managers leading such change processes.

Our study provides a rich account of the first stages of implementing an organizational design that brings together different teams in organizational structures that are focused on the value provided to customers.

There are different organizational contexts for projects. Here, the focus is on a balanced co-existence organization (BCO) where core activities combine project-based and non-project based work, a context that differs from both project-based organizations (PBOs) and project-supported organizations (PSOs). Through differentiating between the role of resource and project manager, and encompassing a specific combination of projects and ongoing, recurrent work, the authors extend the understanding of frontline managers and HRM in project settings.

This is a case study of a 1000+ department in a Norwegian firm with 38 interviews with the use of qualitative analysis.

The empirical study of one case of BCO reveals a HRM system with four different constellations of front line managers, each with their own perceived advantages and challenges. Based on the findings here, we have drawn implications for research on the BCO category, as well as comparative research on the three different contexts for projects. Issues that would benefit from comparative studies of polyadic HRM include constellations of front line manager roles, tensions involving projects, mechanisms for allocation of human resources, as well as the sources and mechanisms of stability and change.

The findings are limited to one organization.

This study provides a potential for further research on HRM issues in the BCO category.

The analysis develops the BCO category and introduces a category of three organizational contexts for projects. We provide better understanding of the three types and its HRM challenges.

Following the job demands-resources theory, this study aims to investigate the role of female managers in enhancing employee well-being in terms of psychological health via workplace resources.

Based on a large-scale job stress survey of approximately 96,000 employee-year observations ranging from 2017 to 2019, this study applies structural equation modeling to construct latent workplace resources at the task, group and worksite levels and then examines the impact of female managers on employee well-being, including occupational stress, job satisfaction, work engagement and workplace cohesiveness.

The findings provide supporting evidence for the transformational leadership behaviors of female managers. The presence of women in management is associated with improved workplace resources and employee well-being, particularly workplace cohesiveness, work engagement and reduced occupational stress. These relationships are significantly mediated by workplace resources, which elucidates the underlying mechanisms involved. Notably, the positive indirect effects via workplace resources could counteract the negative direct effects of female managers. Compared with top managers, female middle managers have more substantial impacts.

In practice, it is recommended to promote female representation at the management level and strengthen policies that support female middle managers to ensure favorable effects on workplace resources. In a gender-diverse management team, it is important to share female managers’ experiences in improving employee psychological well-being.

This study provides new empirical evidence to support the transformational leadership behaviors of female managers and elucidates the mechanism of female managers’ influence on employee well-being by introducing workplace resources as mediators.

Although organizations are investing heavily in digital transformation (DT) of the sales function, implementation and exploitation at the sales force level are ongoing challenges. As sales managers serve as conduits of influence between top management and the sales force, the success of strategic initiatives, such as DT, hinges heavily on leveraging their influence to promote change adoption at the sales force level. Accordingly, this research is guided by the research question: how can sales organizations secure the buy-in of sales managers and induce their championing behaviors directed toward the sales force?. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organizational and psychological resources influence sales managers' DT change champion through their change readiness.

Construing DT in sales as an organizational change that creates contextual job demands, the theoretical framework offers several hypotheses linking organizational and personal resources with sales managers’ change readiness and championing behaviors. The perceived impact of change is included as a moderating variable. Using data from a sample of 176 business-to-business sales managers, the hypotheses are tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

The authors demonstrate that two change-related organizational resources (change communication and change mobilization) and a personal psychological resource (psychological capital) facilitate sales managers’ emotional and cognitive change readiness, which, in turn, enhances their championing behaviors toward DT initiatives. Further, the authors find that perceived change impact augments the effects of organizational and psychological resources on change readiness, thus highlighting the importance of effective positioning of the outcomes of change.

This study provides practitioners with actionable guidance on securing the buy-in of sales managers for change initiatives such as DT. Specifically, communication and mobilization are critical inducements. Managers who score high on psychological capital can be targeted as change agents. Further, the impact of change needs to be framed positively, as the resultant perceptions magnify the effects of organizational resources.

While prior research has examined salespeople’s response to change, very little is known about the antecedents of change readiness and championing behavior among sales managers. Based on the results, the authors identify theoretical and managerial implications as well as future research directions.

Amidst calls for more research that combines the concepts of identity and strategy, particularly in a public sector context, this study explored the identity dynamics between two groups of managers within a multi-level perspective in a government department. The aim of this study is to provide a dynamic and holistic view of how middle manager identity is experienced and how best to utilise middle managers and their abilities.

Through a practice-based perspective, the study used a case study design, and 26 in-depth interviews were conducted with 2 groups, namely directors and middle managers.

Findings revealed that, whilst participating middle managers were viewed as critical strategists, there was a misalignment of expectations between directors and middle managers, and this reflected an ambiguous and complex environment where middle managers were situated. The findings also reflected tensions and power dynamics evident between middle managers and their direct supervisors, and these shaped the way in which middle managers responded to or were influenced by such tensions. Our research confirms the dynamic nature of identity at a multi-level perspective.

The findings of the current study may be useful in providing insight into how middle managers can be utilised to the best of their ability within a public sector department.

The study contributes to strategy-identity studies using a practice-oriented lens in an under-explored government context. We present a better understanding of the reciprocal tensions and inter-relationships between identity and strategy from the perspective of two levels and explore how this affects strategy practices and processes.

The retail investment landscape in the UK has drastically changed. Understanding owners’ responses to this structural change is critical to gain insight into protecting investment performance. This paper identifies and evaluates the tactics and strategies being adopted.

This paper employs a mixed methods research approach, using data collected from semi-structured interviews with professionals involved in the retail investment process. This is supplemented by secondary market data analysis.

The paper assesses the practical responses made by retail property owners/managers, structured around emerging sub-themes. Actions include mitigating short-term risks through greater use of temporary tenants/licensees and independent retailers, preparing generic “white box” retail space to capture remaining tenant demand, exploiting the tenant mix to provide “the retail experience,” and applying new technologies and processes in a sector where systematic risk remains high. A new framework for retail asset management has been developed.

This study contributes to the retail asset management literature and understanding of the way the contemporary retail landscape is shaping investment management behaviour.

The developed framework provides guidance to real estate managers developing a retail real estate management strategy and will help them recognise tactics to better support the evolving retailing market.

The new framework adds new insights to understanding the process for managing retail assets and the actions necessary for asset managers to address economic/functional obsolescence and sustain asset investment values.

This study aims to analyze the facilities managers’ involvement over the project life cycle phases (PLP), based on theoretical knowledge, consensus from empirical assessment of facilities managers and consultants’ practices.

A literature review was undertaken to determine the different tasks that facilities managers typically handle, identify project phases and their underlying activities in which facilities managers would be involved. This was followed by targeting a group of consultants to build a consensus, upon the identified involvement of facilities managers, over the PLP, while measuring the level of involvement from a representative group of facilities managers in Saudi Arabia. A matching between the perceptions and practice has been performed to serve as recommendations for future research on improving the practice in Saudi Arabia.

The involvement of facilities managers in the PLP is relatively low, according to the consultants’ perceptions. Consultants perceive that facilities managers should be involved in more professional activities, which would ultimately improve projects’ delivery to clients.

The involvement of facilities managers over the PLP ensures effective delivery of projects and reduces the multiplicity of challenges at the operation and maintenance phase. The viewing of facility managers’ involvement adds to the effectiveness of their role within the building industry.

This paper investigates the consultants’ perception of the involvement venues for facility managers to perform activities which are evaluated to be “mandatory,” “advantageous” or “not necessary.” The study reflects the state of facilities management practice, and the consensus of consultants toward the role of the facility managers through the PLP.

The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences and sense-making of middle managers in transitioning to and implementing hybrid work arrangements.

Using the lens and analytical procedures of interpretative phenomenological analysis, data were collected during the transition time at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic as many organizations were navigating the hybrid work setup. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 middle managers from various organizations in the Philippines that have been implementing a hybrid work arrangement for at least 3 months.

Findings illustrate the challenges experienced by the middle managers in facilitating a smooth transition to onsite work, managing adjustments on when and where to work and bridging the imperatives of top management as well as the preferences of team members (managing upward and downward). The results describe strategies used by middle managers to balance deliverables and employee needs while demonstrating compassionate leadership in relating with direct reports. The middle managers also engaged in self-care, used reframing and sought support from family and peers to cope with challenges.

The findings exemplified how the middle managers experience of transitioning to hybrid work reflect various contextual and cultural nuances. These external realities must be considered in providing support to these groups of employees particularly in developing leadership programs that addresses their social and emotional needs.

The paper contributes to the limited research on middle managers' experiences in a hybrid work setup despite their critical role as change agents responsible for leading teams (van Dam et al., 2021).

The purpose of this paper aimed primarily at the practitioner is to offer foundational information regarding reciprocal-reflective approach to learning (RRAL). Presentation and explanation include conceptual and theory grounding of the processes to be initiated by a manager for collaboration with an employee. A detailed model reflective of the approach is presented. Conceptual and practice-aimed information may be adapted for training and development.

Explanations of employee learning often place the manager in role(s) of teacher, guide, coach and/or expert. Proposed here is an approach in which manager and individual employee, jointly, make use of a learning approach which is representative of an experiential, action or problem-based form of learning from which they both can learn. The manager can initiate the process in which both participants collaborate to identify some specific, shared learning goals aimed at the matters under consideration. Other goals, likely more personal in the case of each participant, may also be identified and efforts made to help one another attain progress regarding such goals. The RRAL process as explained mirrors a bifurcation of instrumental behaviors (focus on learning activities) and emotional behaviors (caring and sharing resulting in a strengthened relationship and trust).

Relying on research that clearly identifies various supportive behaviors on the part of the manager, a detailed example of a plan is provided. The plan is driven by shared aims, focus, feedback and adjustment. In addition to individual learning goals, the manager has the opportunity to make her/his own role adjustments that lead to positive, supportive actions stimulating the quality of the relationship with the employee including the building of trust.

Using the example provided as a guide can be very helpful to a manager with limited experience in instigating employee learning and change. Initial use may be regarded as an experiment subject to much analysis and discussion by both participants as they contemplate how to work together in future reciprocal learning endeavors.

Currently, there is little research available that expresses how manager and employee can work as partners on some matter (change, problem, improvement) in a collaborative, reciprocal fashion. This paper, as an example, should demonstrate that skills and knowledge of both participants can improve and progress made regarding the issue at hand. The RRAL can be fashioned by the participants to yield progress and a more positive relationship.