The Roles of HR Managers versus Line Managers Essay

The Roles of HR Managers versus Line Managers - Essay ExampleFor years, management professionals have argued whether treating workers well is good for business as well as being virtuous (Plimmer, 2005 9). In essence, this debate suggests that many business leaders continue to consider whether the needs of the business should be the primary goal of management or whether the employee, as a competent organisational resource, should be most important. The concept of human resources is a relatively new idea, as the establishment of a management system which actively engages and praises employees as valuable resources to organisational success is a contemporary idea much different than the historical, rigid management approach. However, many organisations still maintain a centralised leading hierarchy, built on decision-making that is created by senior-level leadership. In this type of system, mid-level line managers are expected to coerce employees to comply with a rigid set of guideline s in the hobbyhorse of sustaining strategic organisational goals. In such an environment, the employee is often overlooked as human capital and viewed more as merely a labourer. However, it appears that businesses are turning by from rigid controls and establishing a system of managerial professionals which act as employee champions or those managers who actively pursue methods to establish stronger employee/business relationships and build on positive employee attributes to pressurize organisational performance. This might well be termed as the philosophy behind the establishment of HR policies.