This study investigates the role of first-line managers (FLMs) in implementing direct
employee voice in the private sector, focusing on how FLMs encourage and manage
both formal and informal forms of employee participation. Direct voice is defined as
a two-way communication between management and individual employees without
the mediation of a third party, such as unions or collective bargaining processes.
The study is situated in a private sector organisation, where employee voice is
progressively recognised as crucial for improving workplace efficiency, productivity,
and general involvement. It examines the interactions between FLMs, human
resources (HR) managers, and employees to shed light on how employees are
encouraged to express ideas, suggestions, and concerns, and how these
contributions affect individual and organisational performance.
The study’s key findings reflect a variety of organisational dynamics. While some
FLMs successfully implement HR policies regarding employee voice, others struggle
due to lacking resources, training, and managerial skills. A noticeable finding is that
employee participation and suggestion result in enhanced engagement, satisfaction,
and productivity. However, variations in managerial approaches to employee
suggestions can have a negative impact on employee attitudes and satisfaction. The
study also recognises challenges among FLMs, such as role ambiguity and
insufficient people management skills, which impede effective HR implementation.
This study improves the understanding of employee voice by applying ability,
motivation, and opportunity theory to the roles of FLMs and their employees. It
demonstrates that, for FLMs to effectively manage employee voice, they must have
the necessary abilities and motivation, and the right opportunities to facilitate it. The findings add to the expanding literature on employee voice by emphasising FLMs’
vital role as key facilitators of employee voice. Furthermore, this study finds that,
while FLMs are supported by their managers or department heads, they frequently
lack support from HR, highlighting critical areas for improvement in HR practices and
training.
Additionally, this thesis adopted a qualitative single case study design to investigate
how FLMs implement direct employee voice processes. Exploring multiple
viewpoints allows the researcher to grasp a greater understanding of the subject,
and therefore qualitative data was gathering from all three levels (HR managers,
FLMs, and employees) from different occupational groups at one of the leading
banks in Oman. In this study, manual thematic analysis is adopted to analyse the
responses presented by interviewees. Moreover, a combined discussion of the
empirical findings of all parties is utilised to obtain an overview of the emerging
themes from the interview questions at the three levels described.
Furthermore, the theoretical background associated with qualitative data analyses
and the adoption of the manual thematic analysis is explained. Following this, the
process of generating the initial themes is detailed. The findings derived from the
open-ended questions of the semi-structured interviews are reported. Finally, in the
conclusion of this study, the contributions to academic knowledge, suggested
actions for organisations to pursue to better facilitate their business model and
practice, and ideas for future research are provided.
| Date of Award | 27 Mar 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Awarding Institution | - University Of Strathclyde
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| Sponsors | University of Strathclyde |
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| Supervisor | Patricia Findlay (Supervisor) & Ian Cunningham (Supervisor) |
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