Purpose – Explores strategic and first‐line managers' perspectives on their role in human‐resource management and human …‐administered questionnaires to strategic and first‐line managers. Findings – Reveals that a higher proportion of strategic managers than first …‐line managers reported involvement in HR activities, despite the operational and teamwork emphasis of first‐line managers' jobs in …

success. Design/methodology/approach – Warns managers against abdicating responsibility for leading their people, and HR … specialists against empire building. Highlights how HR should support managers and people to sustain the right business culture …

practices are often ignored, as HR issues seem either insignificant or in conflict with other agendas. In some cases, managers … managers representing workers and management and mentions factors that affect this important responsibility. Social …