HRM and work outcomes: the role of basic need satisfaction and age

Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of basic need satisfaction (autonomy, relatedness, and competence) in the relationship between HRM and work outcomes (work engagement and patient orientation) among age-diverse employees in hospitals. Drawing on life-span psychology literature, we hypothesize that age moderates the indirect effect of HRM on work outcomes through basic need satisfaction in such a way that for older employees the indirect effect via competence need satisfaction would be weaker and the indirect effect via autonomy and relatedness need satisfaction would be stronger. Findings of a field survey among 565 healthcare professionals reveal that basic needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction mediate the relationship between HRM and work engagement while competence satisfaction mediates the relationship between HRM and patient orientation. Our moderation hypothesis was partially supported: i.e. the conditional indirect effect of HRM on work engagement via competence need satisfaction is weaker for older employees while the conditional indirect effect of HRM on patient orientation via relatedness need satisfaction is stronger for older employees. We then discuss implications for theory and practice, note the limitations and suggest future research directions.