Exploring the SHRM Black Box: Investigating the Role of Community Experiences

Abstract

Recent calls in the management literature, and burgeoning empirical work, suggest that experiencing community at work is important for employee and organizational outcomes. However, we do not yet know if community experiences play a role in the strategic human resource management (SHRM) black box. This study seeks to better understand the role of community experiences among other social variables that potentially mediate the relationship between high involvement work practices and organizational citizenship behaviors. Specifically, this study tests hypotheses regarding the relationship between high-involvement work practices, community experiences, and organizational citizenship behaviors, and the potential mediators of psychological needs fulfillment and organizational identification. Data from employees across multiple organizations were analyzed using primary least squares structural equation modeling. Results indicated that these social mediators played various roles between high-involvement work practices and organizational citizenship behaviors, and that community experiences play an important role in the SHRM black box. Implications for theory development and guidelines for leadership and management practice are discussed.