The Sociopolitical Dynamics of Front-Line Managers’ HRM Implementation at an Earlier Stage

Abstract

This conceptual paper discusses how the implementation of HRM practices leads to variation in the HRM delivery process. Whereas existing research focuses on FLMs’ proactive position in making implementation decisions, the current study portrays a dynamic relationship between different HR roles enacted by different HR actors involved in the implementation process. I draw on the political lens, social constructionism, and role identity perspectives to develop propositions specifying that implementation variation depends on the relative power of the enforcers (HR managers) and the endorsers (senior managers). I suggest that their dynamic interactions with FLMs should be central to developing any theory about how FLMs’ implementation behaviors unfold. I further situate my theoretical analysis by updating and extending the approach to relational dynamics in this area of scholarship to introduce an integrative framework into an earlier phase of HRM implementation. Overall, this study offers novel abstractions about the effects of sociopolitical dynamics on HRM implementation, contributing to the current debates on the relational perspective and HRM execution process.