Presentation by Prof. Koen Dewettinck during the 8th editon of Vlerick HR-day 2011.

1. Performance management
Supporting line managers’ involvement
Prof. dr. Koen Dewettinck

2. Previous research
Study 1: HR perspective (2006)
PM-practices in Belgian organisations
N = 319
 Biggest PM challenge: Line management involvement
Study 2: Employee perspective (2008)
Experience with PM-practices and quality of leadership
N = 5778 (96 % white-collars)
 Low enthousiasm about managers’ people management skills
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3. Research questions
Line management and PM:
Do line managers find PM useful?
What about their actual involvement?
How do they rate PM effectiveness?
Support:
How do line managers rate the support they receive (from HR)?
How do they rate HR-partners’ competences?
Suggestions to make PM more powerful ?
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4. Respondents’ profile
721 managers
20% female
Average age: 41 Years
Average people management experience: 11 Years
Education: 40 % master degree
Industry: 58 % services; 51 % Belgian HQ; 42 % listed
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5. PM-enactment by line management
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6. Effectiveness of PM system
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7. Effectiveness of PM system
7| © Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School HR –sample N = 319 / employee-sample N = 5778

8. Formal PM-enactment
Conversation to Line Employee
Discuss objectives 2
Interm. Feedback 2 …
Appraise performance 1
Duration conversation 54 …
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9. Informal PM-enactment (empowering leadership)
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10. Informal PM-enactment (empowering leadership)
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11. Perceived HR Support
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12. Appraisal consequences
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13. HR Competencies
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14. HR meeting the line
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15. Suggestions for better HR Support
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16. HR Support could be improved by…
“acknowledging the importance of performance management”
“diminishing the administrative burden”
“starting a performance management system with clear
guidelines, procedures and additional support”
“not showing up at all”
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17. Conclusions
PM-enactment by line management
The line recognizes the value of PM
Line has confidence in their PM-enactment (formal and informal)
Mixed perceptions on their actual involvement
HR(-support): invisible and/or unappreciated ?
Overall low satisfaction
HR-competencies: not convincing
Limited contact between HR and line
General request for more communication, support and
formalization
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18. Two cases
Tri-Finance
Young organisation (operational since 2002)
500 employees
Explicit ambition to create a new generation of work environments
KBC
Not much older (since 1998) but long (CERA – Kredietbank) history
> 50.000 employees (15.000 in Belgium)
CSR  commitment towards employee engagement
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