A qualitative exploration of line managers’ perceived implementation effectiveness of their devolved HR responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from an Irish Higher Education Institution

Reddy, Roslyn (2022) A qualitative exploration of line managers’ perceived implementation effectiveness of their devolved HR responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from an Irish Higher Education Institution. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

The sudden pivot to remote work in March 2020 arising from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges for organisations (Geary and Belizon, 2022). Line managers have been established in the literature as central to the implementation of devolved HR responsibilities (Op de Beeck, Wynen and Hondeghem, 2018). However, it is frequently argued in the HR Devolution literature that line managers are ineffective in implementing their devolved HR responsibilities (Torrington & Hall, 1996) due to five factors that have been identified as constraining effective HR implementation: i) Desire; ii) Capacity; iii) Competences; iv) HR Support and v) Policy & Practices (Bos-Nehles, 2010).

As such, in the context of enforced remote working arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, this dissertation aims to explore line managers’ perceived implementation effectiveness of their devolved HR responsibilities in an Irish Higher Education Institution during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting on Bos-Nehles’ (2010) five factors that constrain implementation of devolved HR responsibilities and the potential challenges associated with working from home. A qualitative approach was adopted, undertaking semi-structured interviews with participants with line management responsibilities who had worked from home for a large Irish HEI during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings illustrate not only the challenges associated with the implementation of devolved HR responsibilities, but also the additional challenges of doing so in an enforced remote working context.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management > Human Resource Management
Divisions:	School of Business > Master of Arts in Human Resource Management
Depositing User:	Clara Chan
Date Deposited:	21 Nov 2022 13:54
Last Modified:	21 Nov 2022 13:54
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/5908

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