Are we on the same page? Understanding shared perceptions of people management: a multilevel multimethod study in schools

Abstract

More often than not, employees and supervisors are not on the same page when it comes to their perceptions of supervisors’ people management. This doctoral dissertation examines the antecedents and consequences of horizontal (between employees) and vertical (between employees and their supervisor) shared perceptions of people management. In short, people management refers to the implementation of human resource (HR) practices by supervisors and their supportive leadership behavior. The findings of this dissertation are based on empirical studies conducted in schools, using various methods (qualitative interviews, surveys, experiments) and various sources of data (teachers and supervisors). Overall, this dissertation shows that horizontal and vertical shared perceptions contribute to teachers’ job satisfaction and team performance. Therefore, it is important for supervisors and employees to ask the question: are we on the same page about people management? Findings from this dissertation illustrate that several factors on the supervisor-level (e.g. supervisors’ ability), the employee-level (e.g. employees’ expectations), and the interpersonal-level (e.g. psychological safety) contribute to the emergence of shared perceptions. Based on these insights, the answer to the earlier question may change from “no” into “yes, we are on the same page!”.