Middle Managers' Networks and Sensemaking of HRM Practices
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This document discusses how middle managers' social networks influence the interpretation and effectiveness of human resource practices designed to instill organizational values. It presents three propositions: 1) Middle managers connected to company leaders through strong, reciprocal ties will develop interpretations aligned with leadership; 2) Middle managers with more prestige and centrality will have more influence over shared interpretations; 3) Interpretations are more likely to be shared when middle manager networks are cohesive. Future research is suggested to empirically validate the propositions and examine their implications for organizational leadership.
Middle Managers' Networks and Sensemaking of HRM Practices
- 1. HowMiddle Managers’ Networks InfluencetheInterpretation and Effectiveness of HRM PracticesDesignedtoInstillValues in anOrganizationSantiago GarciaUniversitatPolitècnica de CatalunyaJoan MundetUniversitatPolitècnica de CatalunyaElisabet GarrigaEADA Business SchoolEBEN AnnualConference 2010, TRENTO (Italy)08 September 2010
- 2. Thispaperisabout: Theprocess of translatingvaluesintoconsistentbehavioramongorganizationalactors(Driscoll and Hoffman, 1999; Cameron and Quinn, 1999; Elliott, 2004)HRM practices as a primarymechanismtoembedvalues in anorganization(Wilkins, 1984; Schein, 1985; Ulrich, 2005)Theinfluence of Middle Managers in theprocess of instillingvalues in anorganization(Valentino, 2004; Nielsen, 2009)02
- 3. MIDDLE MANAGERS’ SENSEMAKINGBalogun and Johnson, 2005:Theinterpretationsmiddle managers make of changes – such are theintroduction of new HRM practices- ariseprimarilyfrom lateral, informal, social interactionsbetweenthemselves.Onequestionremainsunexplored:How do those social interactionsshapemiddle managers’ interpretations of HRM practicesdesignedtoinstillvalues in anorganization?03
- 4. SOCIAL NETWORKSWasserman and Faust, 1994: Networks of informal social interactionsamonggroupmembersimpactthefunctioning of thegroup and can beanalyzed as a separaterealityGalaskiewicz and Wasserman, 1994: Thebehavior of organizationalactorsisstronglyinfluencedbythestructure, content, and the position theyoccupywithintheir social networks.04
- 5. Thereisscientificliteratureonhow social networksinfluence:Generation of strategicinitiatives(Wooldridge and Floyd, 1999)Organizationalcapabilities(Pappas and Wooldridge, 2002)Companyinnovativess(Rodan and Galunic, 2004)Howworkisactually done(Cross et al., 2002)05
- 6. Ourpurpose:Toexplainhowcertaincharacteristics of middle managers’ social networksinfluencetheirinterpretation (sensemaking), and thustheeffectiveness, of HumanResourcespracticesdesignedtoinstillvalues in anorganization.From a practicalstandpointwearguethatfirm’sleadersmay use social networksanalysis (SNA) to monitor and influencethedevelopment of analigned, sharedinterpretation of thosepracticesamongmiddle managers.06
- 7. Key concepts in social networkstheory:- Tiestrength- Tiedirection and reciprocity- Centrality and prestige- Network cohesiveness07
- 8. Informal relationsbetweenmiddlemanagement and companyleaders.Valentino, 2004:Isolationfromsenior managers, notbeingheardorinformed, and lack of communicationsystemsamongthekeybarrierstothetransmission of values.Kijkuit and Van den Ende, 2007:Networks thatincludedecisionmakers and relyonrepeatedcommunication reduce uncertainty and ambiguity.08
- 9. Proposition #1:Those middle managers who are linked to company leaders through multiple, strong, reciprocal ties will more likely develop an interpretation of corporate initiatives aimed at instilling values in the organization aligned to top management intentions.09
- 10. Middle managers’ centrality and prestige.Huy, 2001:If top managers are abletoidentify and getonboardthosewho are highlysoughtafterbypeoplearoundthem, and knowhowto “pulltherightstrings”, they can becomeeffectiveambassadors of change.10
- 11. Proposition #2:Those middle managers with the most prestige and centrality within their networks are likely to have more influence in the development of a shared interpretation of HRM practices among the middle ranks of the organization.11
- 12. Network cohesiveness.Rowley, 1997:As thenumber of tieslinkinggroupmembersgrows, communicationsbecome more efficient, and thelikelihoodthatsharedbehavioralexpectations are establishedincreases.Oliver, 1991:In fragmentednetworksactorshave more discretionovertheirinterpretations and actions, so behavioralnorms are lesslikelytoform.12
- 13. Proposition #3:Middle managers are more likely to develop shared interpretations of changes in HRM practices when the characteristics of their lateral informal social relations define a cohesive network.13
- 14. Futureresearch:Empiricalvalidation. Transformpropositionsintotestablehypotheses.Select HRM practices, takingintoconsiderationunevencentralization.Measuring and comparinginterpretations of behavioralexpectations.Extensions: - Relativeimportance of differentnetwork’sattributes.- Relationswith and amongthe base of theorganization.Impact of companysize, middle managers’ backgrounds and other variables.
- 15. Middle managers interpretations of othervalueinstillinginitiatives.14
- 16. Conclusions:Middle managers play a key role in theprocess of instillingvalues in anorganization.Thestructure and content of middle managers’ networksinfluencethedevelopment of analigned, sharedinterpretation, and thustheeffectiveness, of HRM practicesdesignedtoinstillvalues in anorganization.Firms’ leadersmayinfluencethedevelopment of suchinterpretationby:Strengtheningtheir social tieswithmiddle managers, particularlywiththosewiththemostprestige and central positions withintheirnetworksFosteringthedevelopment of cohesivenetworksamongmiddlemanagement.15