Implications for practice
From our results, it seems that if line managers engage themselves to take on their HRM role,
they can be a powerful partner of the HR department in enhancing commitment, and
eventually individual and firm performance. However, as expected, the HR department also
has an important HRM role towards employees. Based on our results, we encourage the HR
department to maintain direct contact with the employees. In an urge to play a more important
strategic role in the organization, the HR department may be tempted to transfer all peopleoriented
HR responsibilities to line managers. However, the alienation of the HR department
from the employees prevents the HR department to build up trust relationships with
employees, which may have a negative impact on employee commitment. Furthermore, since
the line manager’s enactment of HR practices and relations-oriented leadership behaviour turn
out to have a substantial influence on employee commitment, another important role for the 23
HR department may be to support, advise, and motivate line managers in their HR work.
Since line managers are no HR specialists, knowledge of HR practices and procedures, or
leadership skills, may be lacking (Nehles, van Riemsdijk, Kok & Looise, 2006). In order to
optimize the positive effects on employee commitment, it may be useful to develop and train
HR and leadership skills. However, HR competence alone might not be enough. By means of
institutional incentives (e.g. enactment of HR tasks is taken into account in the performance
appraisal of the line manager) and practical advice and support (e.g. giving understandable
information on HR policies, backing up the line manager in case of a difficult situation), the
HR department can also motivate line managers to perform their HR tasks.