Line Management's View of the HR Function in the Electricity Generation Industry In Australia

The literature states that if many HR functions are devolved to the line managers in organisations, those managers, due to the operational needs of their organisation, will relegate the HR aspect to a minor role. Many of the urgent HR functions will not be done or will be done on an ad hoc basis. This research paper, based on original research in the Electricity Generation industry in Australia, has found the contrary view. The line managers surveyed, both through interview and questionnaire, are aware of the importance of the HR function to the efficient running of an organisation, and tend to place great importance on that area of management. In fact, in a number of the interviews, many of the managers considered that they required more training in the area to more effectively perform their management functions, one of the major areas being HR. However, due to the nature of the industry, operational needs will take priority over the HR needs