Linking architectural leadership theory to structuring HRM processes: from leading people to leading organizational processes

This article aims to shift the ongoing debate from how leaders affect individuals through interpersonal influence at the micro-level to how they influence organizations through processes at the meso-level. We show how leaders, rather than solely relying on interpersonal influence or strategic management, can develop the human resource management (HRM) infrastructure needed for effective strategy implementation and organizational value creation. In so doing, we address the gap between micro- and macro-perspectives in the HRM and the leadership literature. We draw on an integration of the emerging theory of architectural leadership with research on structuring HRM processes. An integrative model is developed that illustrates how senior executives, as architectural leaders, can lead the structuring of HRM processes (at the meso-level) to harness people’s potential (at the micro-level) to enable effective implementation of the organization’s strategy (at the macro-level). We elaborate on the theoretical foundations of the seven dimensions of structuring, and outline the supra-process that underpins the influence of leadership employed by architectural leaders to structure HRM processes. The theoretical implications of this study are relevant not only to public sector organizations but also to any company aiming to improve HRM practices and align them with its strategic goals.