Frontline Managers Research Articles

Determinants of employee psychological ownership and its impact on sustainable manufacturing performance

This study aims to examine the determinants of employee psychological ownership and its effect on sustainable manufacturing performance. The population in this study is employees of a cigarette company in Indonesia. The sample used is 100 respondents, consisting of workers, supervisors, front line managers, and senior managers of a large cigarette company in Indonesia who are involved in initiative programs to achieve sustainable manufacturing performance. The sampling technique used is purposive sampling. Data collection is carried out by distributing questionnaires directly to respondents and conducting focus group discussions (FGDs). The analytical tool used is Partial Least Squares with SmartPLS version 3. The results show that Servant Leadership has a significant effect on Growth Mindset and Capability Building; Growth Mindset and Capability Building have a significant effect on Employee Psychological Ownership; and Employee Psychological Ownership has a significant effect on Sustainable Manufacturing Performance. Therefore, to achieve sustainable manufacturing performance, it is necessary to have a strong employee psychological ownership by forming a mindset to always grow, accompanied by increasing individual capabilities through effective servant leadership.

Do New Policies Influence Practice? A Qualitative Study of Practice and Change in Relation to the New Welsh Child Sexual Exploitation Guidance

Abstract Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) is a relatively new term within policy and practice. Whilst policy responses have shifted from criminalisation to recognising CSE as child abuse, a review of the 2011 Child Sexual Exploitation Guidance commissioned by the Welsh Government found a growing, yet limited, understanding of CSE in professional contexts. In this article, we explore practitioners’ perceptions of how they work with young people experiencing, or at risk of, CSE and whether they believe the new Welsh CSE Guidance is effectively implemented in their practice. This small-scale qualitative study utilised small group interviews and semi-structured interviews to explore the perspectives of twelve participants in the initial phase of the guidance release. A thematic analysis of the data demonstrates a lack of professional awareness of the new Welsh CSE guidance, raising questions surrounding implementation efficacy. These findings highlight the complexity of implementation, illustrating a need for manageable caseloads and supportive cultures, which policymakers, senior management and front line managers need to be aware of. Clear and effective implementation strategies that consider these factors, pre- and post-release, are required to improve implementation efficacy in supporting best practice.

Contextual and individual barriers to providing practice leadership by frontline managers in community services for adults with intellectual disabilities: A qualitative study

AbstractBackgroundAs practice leaders, frontline managers observe staff working, provide feedback and use organisational structures to improve staff skills and focus on service‐user quality of life. This qualitative study explored the experiences and barriers for frontline managers providing practice leadership to staff in community services for adults with learning disabilities.MethodsAudio‐recorded data was collected during semi‐structured interviews with 14 frontline managers, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsThree themes emerged reflecting participants' experiences of barriers to their work as practice leaders, focusing on stable staff teams, ‘admin’ and paperwork, and developing staff, each with sub‐themes.ConclusionsResults reflect existing research and suggest new challenges relating to progress in personalisation. Frontline managers experience barriers to providing practice leadership due to contextual and individual factors described in the themes. Successful implementation of policy initiatives, for example, Transforming Care requires further research on the impact, development and provision of practice leadership for support staff. should recognise these factors influencing frontline managers and ensure suitable policies and training to support practice leadership.

Learning from intersectoral initiatives to respond to the needs of refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants without status in the context of COVID-19 in Quebec and Ontario: a qualitative multiple case study protocol

BackgroundRefugees, asylum seekers, and migrants without status experience precarious living and working conditions that disproportionately expose them to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the two most populous Canadian provinces (Quebec and Ontario), to reduce the vulnerability factors experienced by the most marginalized migrants, the public and community sectors engage in joint coordination efforts called intersectoral collaboration. This collaboration ensures holistic care provisioning, inclusive of psychosocial support, assistance to address food security, and educational and employment assistance. This research project explores how community and public sectors collaborated on intersectoral initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic to support refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants without status in the cities of Montreal, Sherbrooke, and Toronto, and generates lessons for a sustainable response to the heterogeneous needs of these migrants.MethodsThis theory-informed participatory research is co-created with socioculturally diverse research partners (refugees, asylum seekers and migrants without status, employees of community organizations, and employees of public organizations). We will utilize Mirzoev and Kane’s framework on health systems’ responsiveness to guide the four phases of a qualitative multiple case study (a case being an intersectoral initiative). These phases will include (1) building an inventory of intersectoral initiatives developed during the pandemic, (2) organizing a deliberative workshop with representatives of the study population, community, and public sector respondents to select and validate the intersectoral initiatives, (3) interviews (n = 80) with community and public sector frontline workers and managers, municipal/regional/provincial policymakers, and employees of philanthropic foundations, and (4) focus groups (n = 80) with refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants without status. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings will be used to develop discussion forums to spur cross-learning among service providers.DiscussionThis research will highlight the experiences of community and public organizations in their ability to offer responsive services for refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants without status in the context of a pandemic. We will draw lessons learnt from the promising practices developed in the context of COVID-19, to improve services beyond times of crisis. Lastly, we will reflect upon our participatory approach—particularly in relation to the engagement of refugees and asylum seekers in the governance of our research.

Transformational leadership and innovative work behavior: The role of identification, voice and innovation climate

Researchers and businesses are becoming more interested in encouraging employees to engage in innovative work behavior in a highly competitive environment. The current study explores the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that explain the association between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior of frontline employees, based on the social exchange theory (SET) and conservation of resource theory (COR theory). Data was collected from frontline employees and managers working in 145 hotels in four provinces along China’s southeast coast (Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong). The results indicated that (1) transformational leadership had a positive impact on innovative work behavior, (2) organizational identification/employee voice mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative work behavior, and (3) the indirect effect of transformational leadership on innovative work behavior (via organizational identification/employee voice) was stronger when the employee worked in a more innovation climate. This study provides hotel management insights regarding why and under what conditions employees behave as they do.

Leading Role of Big Data Analytic Capability in Innovation Performance: Role of Organizational Readiness and Digital Orientation

The advancement of technology offers various opportunities for business organizations to achieve sustainable growth. Through emerging technologies, business organizations are able to collect and analyze essential information vital for the acceleration of innovation. Therefore, this study investigated how big data contribute to the innovation activities of manufacturing entrepreneurs in terms of big data analytic capability (BDAC). The aim of this study was to relate BDAC to organizational readiness and innovation performance (IP). Moreover, we examined the mediating role of organizational readiness between BDAC and IP. We also examined the strengthening role of digital orientation. To collect the study data, we approached 494 frontline managers of the manufacturing sector of Saudi Arabia. The collected data were analyzed using statistical techniques such as descriptive, correlation, and hierarchical regression techniques. We found that BDAC plays a vital role in developing organizational readiness and IP. The findings also proved that organizational readiness has a significant effect on IP. The results revealed that organizational readiness mediates between BDAC and IP.

A study protocol outlining the development and evaluation of a training program for frontline managers on leading well-being and the psychosocial work environment in Danish hospital settings – a cluster randomized waitlist controlled trial

BackgroundHospital staff are often exposed to stressful psychosocial working conditions and report high levels of stress and burnout, which may negatively impact the safety of employees and patients. Managers hold unique knowledge of workplace conditions and needs of employees, but leadership interventions to improve the well-being of managers and employees in hospital settings are scarce. This study evaluates the effects of a leadership intervention based on a health-oriented leadership approach on the well-being and psychosocial work environment aspects of managers and employees.Methods/designThe study is designed as a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial with two groups (intervention and waitlist control group) and measurements at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. We aim to include 200 frontline managers in Danish hospital settings and their approximately 5,000 employees. The leadership training comprises five full day modules and four smaller group-training sessions over a period of 5 months. The main aim is to improve stress, burnout, self-care, and perceived level of staff-care among managers and employees. Sickness absence will also be assessed at both manager and employee level. In addition, several psychosocial factors will be assessed at the employee level. A quantitative and qualitative process evaluation will also be conducted.DiscussionAction towards supporting the mental health of hospital employees is important to maintain a strong healthcare system. There is increasing recognition that best practice in workplace mental health requires an integrated approach that prevents harm and promotes positive mental health. There is also increasing understanding of the key role managers play in maintaining well-being within the workplace, however they often report a lack of knowledge and skills to promote employee mental health. The current leadership training program has been developed for frontline managers working in a hospital setting. The aim is to increase managers’ application of strategies to facilitate a healthy psychosocial work environment to benefit well-being and mental health among staff and managers themselves.Trial RegistrationThe study was retrospectively registered on November 21, 2022 in Clinical Trial.gov with identifier: NCT05623371.

Organisational impact on the use of restrictive measures: The perspective of Swedish front-line managers.

Restrictive measures (RM) are prevalent in services for people with intellectual disabilities. This study investigates managerial awareness of RM and the nature of organisational supports required to reduce their use. A survey asked front-line managers and staff what (RM) were used, their purpose, impact and importance (10-item Likert scales) and what organisational changes were required (free text). Responses were analysed using descriptive methods and content analysis. Managers reported a lower use of RM, compared with staff. According to managers, RM were mainly used to keep service users from harm, their use having a significant impact. Opportunities to change practices were limited by a lack of resources and organisational support. Front-line managers seem to lack the capacity to address the use of RM due to organisational drift; limited manager time and opportunity to allocate resources; inadequate environments; and lack of skilled staff, knowledge and relevant professional input.

How Green Mindfulness and Green Shared Vision Interact to Influence Green Creative Behavior.

The study is based on the self-determination theory and aims to investigate the mediating role of green intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of green shared vision in the association between frontline managers' green mindfulness and green creative behavior to leverage their capacity to think creatively and act sustainably. The study employs a time-lagged, multi-source research methodology to collect data from frontline managers of service businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry. Data are analyzed using SmartPLS Structural Equation Model to evaluate the structural and measurement models. The authors evaluated the measurement model by employing the criteria of internal consistency: reliability and Cronbach's alpha, validity: convergent and discriminant validity; and the structural model using the path coefficient, coefficient of determination, predictive relevance, and goodness-of-fit metrics. Our findings indicate that green mindfulness significantly improves frontline managers' green creative behavior. Additionally, green intrinsic motivation mediates the connection between green mindfulness and green creative behavior. In addition, the direct effect of green mindfulness on green intrinsic motivation as well as the indirect effect of green mindfulness on green creative behavior through green intrinsic motivation, are both significantly moderated by green shared vision. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the few efforts that outstretch the boundary conditions of green mindfulness and green creative behavior through the mediating role of green intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of green shared vision.

Discussion Guide for the Rushton Article

Discussion Guide for the Rushton Article

Getting to what works: How frontline HRM relationality facilitates high‐performance work practice implementation

AbstractThe lack of an efficient support system for people with multiple, long‐term health conditions has increased costs, worsened health outcomes, and prompted policymakers to implement a boundary‐spanning role within healthcare settings. While scholars have demonstrated the benefits of coordination roles and other such high‐performance work practices (HPWPs) in this sector, the actual implementation of these practices is less clear. Based on a comparative case study approach, 153 interviews, and other qualitative data, this article explores frontline managers' HR philosophies and practices (‘frontline HRM relationality’) to explain possible variation in efforts to implement the boundary‐spanning role of care coordinators (CCs). Despite strong policy support for the role, coordination has improved unevenly because of varying degrees of HRM relationality: findings show that higher frontline HRM relationality was associated with lower inter‐occupational professionalization differences and higher boundary‐spanning coordination. The article contributes to a nascent literature on HPWP implementation by theorizing frontline HRM relationality as a continuum that moderates professionalization‐related coordination problems and highlights the importance of frontline HRM relationality for implementing HPWPs in professionalized settings.

Myth or Reality: Perception of Frontline Managers about Diversity in Pakistan

Workplace diversity is a broad notion that refers to the individual variances among those who work for a company. Managing diversity in an organization is top management agenda; however, it is ineffectual to get targeted results due to manager’s perception and definition towards the concept of diversity. Middle managers are responsible in translation and implementation of diversity programs therefore their perception about diversity effects implementation and outcomes of Diversity management (DM). Pakistan has been identified homogenous and irrelevant to diversity paradigm. Contrary to that, this study has explored the value and perception of managers about diversity, exclusively responsible for implementation of diversity management practices in MNCs. Researchers introduced this area of study raising two overarching challenges: to develop more context-specific definitions of diversity; to focus on belief and value of managers about diversity effectiveness and difference in gender perception of managers; within multinational corporations. Qualitative research method has been used and eight MNCs Managers mainly handling DM functions, involve in implementation have been interviewed. Findings of study have helped to provide context based definition of diversity and difference in gender perception of managers for effectiveness of diversity and its value for company growth. Human resource managers perceive diversity mainly surface level, as gender.

Impacts of a dispersed unit structure on allied health professionals' experiences in an Australian public hospital setting.

The limited published evidence relating to the experiences and outcomes of a unit dispersement model is generally more negative than positive from an allied health perspective. The perceptions of allied health managers and leaders after the transition to a unit dispersement structure were explored in this study. The objectives were to review the impacts of this type of structure and the factors for health care organizations to consider before incorporating allied health professions into a clinical matrix structure. A qualitative study was conducted in a large regional multisite public hospital and health service located in Australia. Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 30 allied health frontline managers and leaders. Four negative impacts on the work experience of allied health professionals in a dispersement structure were identified through data analysis as: a negative impact on service delivery to patients, a detrimental effect on professional identity, reduced ability of allied health managers and leaders to do their role effectively, and a negative impact on morale, culture, and emotional well-being. Several key factors for public hospitals to consider before embarking on an organizational structure that includes allied health professionals were identified. The impacts of the unit dispersement structure on allied health professionals working within the organization under study were generally negative and did not deliver on the desired objectives. The findings reinforce the unique requirements pertaining to allied health professionals for optimal functioning. The learnings have implications for administrators in health care organizations embarking on organizational change that incorporates allied health professions in certain settings. The findings recommend that health care organizations consider several important factors before they introduce any structural change that would affect the delivery of allied health services.

Staff experience of a new approach to family safeguarding in OxfordshireChildren's Social Care Services

AbstractThis paper presents the findings from a qualitative study that sought to understand the experiences of frontline staff working in Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) Children's Social Care Services and their views on a new family safeguarding model (Family Solutions Plus). Focus group interviews were conducted with 20 frontline staff and managers in different teams across OCC Children's Social Care Services using video conferencing software. Thematic analysis identified three overarching themes: Preparation for the implementation of Family Solutions Plus, staff views on the implemented model, and challenges to its implementation. Staff voiced strong support for the new model, which places a much greater emphasis than previous practice on supporting the whole family, developing parenting skills and keeping children safe with their families. The challenges associated with the transition to a new model were considerable in the short term, partly due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, but there was optimism that the new model could be sustained and stabilized over time.

Cultivating green workforce: The roles of green shared vision and green organizational identity.

The current study anchors on the social identity theory (SIT) and social exchange theory (SET) to investigate the association between green talent management (GTM) and employee retention (ER), mediated by green organizational identity (GOI). Further, the study projects the moderator effect of green shared vision (GSV) in the direct association between GTM and GOI, and the indirect link between GTM and ER through the mediator effect of GOI. We collected time-lagged (i.e., three-wave) data from 495 frontline managers in the tourism service firms in Pakistan. Data are analyzed using SmartPLS SEM (V 3.3) to evaluate the measurement and structural models. Our results support all the projected associations and confirm the direct relationships between GTM and ER (β = 0.480, CIs = 0.494, 0.578), GTM and GOI (β = 0.586, CIs = 0.517, 0.670), and GOI and ER (β = 0.492, CIs = 0.425, 0.566). The findings further reveal that GOI significantly mediates the relationship between GTM and ER (β = 0.257, CIs = 0.184, 0.312). In addition, the moderator effect of GSV significantly underpins the direct association between GTM and GOI (β = 0.512, CIs = 0.432, 0.587) and the indirect association between GTM and ER, mediated by GOI (β = 0.526, CIs = 0.441, 0.590). This is the first study that explores a moderated mediation model to explain when and how tourism service firms can promote ER through inculcating GTM strategies. The findings indicate that service firms in the tourism industry must develop and retain green talent to exploit pro-environmental strategies.

Does Green Mindfulness Promote Green Organizational Citizenship Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

The study aims to assess the impact of frontline managers’ green mindfulness on green organizational citizenship behavior (G-OCB). Moreover, the authors propose that the mediator effect of green intrinsic motivation and the moderator effect of green transformational leadership influence the direct relationship between green mindfulness and G-OCB. By employing a time-lagged, multisource research design, the authors analyze data collected from service firms’ frontline managers in the tourism and hospitality industry using SmartPLS SEM (v 4). Our findings indicate that green mindfulness significantly influences G-OCB through the mediator effect of green intrinsic motivation. Further, the study finds a significant intervening role of green transformational leadership in the underlying associations; the direct association between green mindfulness and green intrinsic motivation, and the indirect relationship between green mindfulness and G-OCB through green intrinsic motivation, are stronger(/weaker) at higher(/lower) levels of green transformational leadership. The study presents an essential framework that underpins the association between frontline managers’ green mindfulness and G-OCB by casting green intrinsic motivation as a mediator and green transformational leadership as a moderator. Service firms in the tourism and hospitality industry may benefit from our hypothesized framework by implementing the necessary interventions to foster employees’ G-OCB with the help of green transformational leadership as a contextual antecedent, and green mindfulness and green intrinsic motivation as individual-level antecedents.

How Can Critical Reflection Improve Social Work Practice with Children and Families?

Abstract The impacts of neoliberal managerialism mean that practitioners working in child protection programmes are often challenged to balance social work values, with formal compliance activities to reduce risk. Within this context, what are the possibilities for practitioners to creatively navigate complex practice environments to achieve better outcomes for children and families? And how might transformative research empower practitioners to improve practice by reconnecting their work with the emancipatory values of the profession? This article seeks to address these questions by showcasing key findings of a state-wide study focused on empowering children’s voices, through the presentation and analysis of a case study. The research used a pre-test/post-test design with critical reflection as a methodology to transform the practice of front line workers and managers who work with children and families in an Australian-based non-government organisation. The case study illustrates the conceptual and practical processes involved in achieving change in a way that can be replicated by others and transferred to other contexts. The findings of the research suggest that critical reflection can be effective to enable practitioners to improve practice with children and families. The article concludes by highlighting implications for organisations in supporting critically reflective practitioners.

Negotiating organisational and professional feeling rules: on digital documentation and emotions in child protection social work

This article explores the emotional challenges of digital documentation practices in child protection social work. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in Swedish social services, it explores how social workers negotiate organisational and professional feeling rules when performing child protection investigations using a digital documentation-based structure. Theoretically informed by Arlie Hochschild and other emotion sociologists’ discussions on the origins of feeling rules at work, the study concentrates on how organisational feeling rules challenge professional ideals and force situated negotiations. The documentation structure was introduced and framed as a guarantee that social workers would no longer be guided by emotions but by facts; at the same time, new emotional dilemmas arose when professionals worked according to these ideals. Negotiations between organisational and professional feeling rules were identified regarding traces of emotional work in the documentation, compliance with documentation-based routines in unpredictable client interactions, and professional (dis)satisfaction when documenting activities took time away from meeting with clients. Adding to the existing body of research, the study demonstrates that digital documentation practices deepen the increasingly ambivalent place for emotions in social work and that organisational-administrative emotional regimes are negotiated in situ with other ideals by social workers and frontline managers. By giving examples of social workers’ micro-resistance to organisational feeling rules, the study contributes theoretically with insights into the different origins of feeling rules in professional welfare work and the power (a)symmetry between them. Finally, by situating the tensions between competing ideals in everyday practice, the study adds to the understanding of technostress and emotional fatigue.

Role of Nursing Managers in Enhancing the Clinical Decision-Making Skills of Critical Care Nurses in Yaoundé-Cameroon: A Qualitative Study

Purpose: This study aims at exploring the role of nurse managers in decision-making in 4 referral hospitals in Yaoundé-Cameroon.
 Methodology: The study used a qualitative exploratory design using semi-structured interview guides as data collection instruments. The study population was made up of 15 nurse managers (frontline, middle-level, and top-level managers) from four referral hospitals in Yaoundé-Cameroon. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview guide from a purposeful sample of nurse managers. The saturation level determined the sample size for the study. Data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.
 Findings: There was a diversity in the role of nurse managers in developing the clinical decision-making skills of critical care nurses. Professional recognition, advocacy, and teamwork were the categories generated from the managers' views on nurses’ participation in institutional meetings. Nine managers viewed effective recognition and reward system as the main motivation system for empowering nurses in clinical decision-making. Administrative meetings and rounds, basic materials and skills, interdisciplinary collaboration and standardization of care were the main strategies used by nurse managers to support decision-making in critical care. Subordination of nurses, lack of qualified staff, and infrequent organization of seminars, and meetings involving nurses were the major challenges they faced.
 Unique contributions to theory, practice, and policy: Findings from the study proposed that hospital nurse managers should employ various strategies to motivate nurses in decision-making by installing an effective recognition and reward system, involving them in institutional meetings, and creating a collaborative environment that favors nurse’s autonomy in decision-making.

Facilitators for developing an interprofessional learning culture in nursing homes: a scoping review

BackgroundHealthcare professionals in nursing homes face complex care demands and nursing staff shortages. As a result, nursing homes are transforming into home-like personalised facilities that deliver person-centred care. These challenges and changes require an interprofessional learning culture in nursing homes, but there is little understanding of the facilitators that contribute to developing such a culture. This scoping review aims to identify those facilitators.MethodsA scoping review was performed in accordance with the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis (2020). The search was carried out in 2020–2021 in seven international databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science). Two researchers independently extracted reported facilitators that contribute to an interprofessional learning culture in nursing homes. Then the researchers inductively clustered the extracted facilitators into categories.ResultsIn total, 5,747 studies were identified. After removing duplicates and screening titles, abstracts and full texts, 13 studies that matched the inclusion criteria were included in this scoping review. We identified 40 facilitators and clustered them into eight categories: (1) shared language, (2) shared goals, (3) clear tasks and responsibilities, (4) learning and sharing knowledge, (5) work approaches, (6) facilitating and supporting change and creativity by the frontline manager, (7) an open attitude, and (8) a safe, respectful and transparent environment.ConclusionWe found facilitators that could be used to discuss the current interprofessional learning culture in nursing homes and identify where improvements are required. Further research is needed to discover how to operationalise facilitators that develop an interprofessional learning culture in nursing homes and to gain insights into what works, for whom, to what extent and in what context.