Going the extra mile: front line manager’s role in people management

The study investigates the role of front line managers in people management1 to explore how the way people are managed is expected to impact on employee attitudes and outcomes. Research on the link between HRM and organizational performance has overlooked the vital role of front line managers, however it is these managers who are increasingly charged with the enactment of many HR practices. This study seeks to address this gap through examining particularly how the employee attitudes seen in affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction are influenced by the front line managers’ leadership behavior, trustworthy behavior and by satisfaction with HR practices as they have a powerful impact on them. This paper draws on a case study based research which employs both quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques. Data for this study was collected among 306 employees working in an Egyptian governmental entity. Data analysis and OLS regression showed that employees’ perceptions of front line managers’ leadership behavior, trustworthiness and satisfaction with HR practices have significant correlations with their affective organizational commitment and job satisfaction.