Human Resource Development and the Role of Senior Managers, Line Managers and Employees.

Human Resource Development (HRD) effectiveness is conceived as the extent to which HRD goals and objectives are achieved. Optimal HRD policies and practices should take place at the strategic, tactical and operational levels of an organisation (Wognum 2001). In order to align HRD programs strategically to the company HRD initiatives should take place at these three levels and in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders (Wognum 2001). The primary stakeholders at these three levels are senior managers, line managers and employees respectively. This essay seeks to explore the roles of these key HRD stakeholders and the significance of each stakeholder’s perspective.

At a strategic level of HRD, senior managers are the primary stakeholders. There focus is on ensuring that HRD programs are supporting the strategic objectives of the company. Therefore HRD programs are viewed by senior management as a strategic leverage for accomplishing organisational objectives and a means of facilitating the implementation of organisational strategies (Garavan 1995). It is therefore the responsibility of senior managers to ensure that the appropriate levels of resources are provided to HRD programs and that a high level of commitment is portrayed towards aligning the objectives of HRD in ways that clearly support current and future organisational objectives of the organisation (Joy-Matthews, Megginson & Sturtees 2004). However, senior managers need to espouse commitment in terms of active leadership of HRD opposed to passive compliance in order for HRD initiatives to be successful (McCracken & Wallace 2000).

At the tactical level, line managers are the primary stakeholders. Their perspective reflects a relatively narrow focus, emphasising training and development activities to be skill-based and centred on the current job (Garavan 1995). Line managers are concerned with their department in the relatively short-term, reacting to the needs of the current workforce. This indicates that their perspective may focus more on short-term problem solving activities rather than on long-term human resource strategies (Heraty & Morely 1995). Line management responsibility and participation is largely confined to the operational aspects of training. Therefore, activities such as the identification of training and development needs, deciding who is to be trained, and undertaking direct training are largely the domain of line mangers (Heraty & Morely 1995). Additionally, ensuring that the policy framework and detailed proposals reflect operational requirements, and to actively support staff’s learning, with particular emphasis given to its application and utilisation of training are also roles of line managers (Joy-Matthews, Megginson & Sturtees 2004).