Abstract/Summary

The field of strategic human resource (HR) management has shown an increasing focus on how employees perceive and react to their organization's HR practices. In this perspective, employees are not passive recipients of HR policies or mere observers of their managers' HR implementation strategies. Rather, their perceptions play a critical role in shaping organizational culture and fostering high‐performing workplaces. However, important questions remain regarding how line management roles shape not only employees' assessments of their work environment but also their perceptions of HR effectiveness. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, we argue that line managers' compliance‐ versus commitment‐focused orientations influence employee appraisals of threats and challenges in their jobs. These appraisals, in turn, shape how employees evaluate the effectiveness of their organization's HR practices (i.e., perceived HR effectiveness). Using qualitative data from focus groups and a multilevel quantitative research design, we find evidence supporting our hypotheses, showing that line managers' HR orientations significantly influence employees' cognitive appraisals and subsequent perceptions of HR effectiveness. We conclude by discussing the theoretical contributions and offering practical recommendations for improving the implementation of HR practices.