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No Place Like the Frontline: A Qualitative Study on What Participant CEOs Learned From Undercover Boss
Author(s) -
Cumberland Denise M.,
Alagaraja Meera
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
human resource development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1532-1096
pISSN - 1044-8004
DOI - 10.1002/hrdq.21252
Subject(s) - boss , psychological intervention , public relations , qualitative research , psychology , business , political science , sociology , engineering , mechanical engineering , social science , psychiatry
Through an inductive study of 13 CEOs participating in the reality television program Undercover Boss, we unravel senior leaders’ interactions with frontline employees focusing on what CEOs learned about their employees, themselves, and the direct effects of these interactions on HRD policies and practices. These vertical interactions helped CEOs institute more responsive HRD policies and practices, and address operational deficiencies on the frontline. A core contribution of this study is the identification of vertical interactions between senior leadership and frontline employees as a meaningful concept for HRD professionals to pursue. We encourage vertical interactions between CEO and frontline employees as an important mechanism for improving communication and information exchange, as well as a learning opportunity for the CEO . HRD professionals can play an important role in developing such interventions that can facilitate high‐quality exchanges between senior leaders and lower echelon employees. These interventions can help foster a positive climate and enhance employee morale, as well as improve the efficacy of HRD policies and practices.