The effects of high performance work system on employee attitudes: A study of international organization

Abstract

In the last three decades, a growing body of research has suggested that using a mix or system of Human Resources Management (HRM) practices would lead to superior organizational performance. These practices (such as selective recruitment and hiring procedures, performance-based compensation systems, employee participation, and training and development) have been referred to as High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and originated from the study of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), where researchers have examined the effects of adopting HPWS on organizational performance. Although there is a growing body of evidence demonstrating the effects of HPWS on organizational performance, there is less evidence evaluating the effects of adopting HPWS in international organization and particularly Intergovernmental Organization (IGO). IGOs, such as United Nations (UN), World Bank (WB), and International Monetary Fund (IMF), are international bodies that serve different mandates and aim at maintaining global socioeconomic stability between member states' governments. Despite the increasing interest among IGOs' managers in adopting HPWS, research in this unique organizational context lags behind which reveals significant gap in HRM literature. This mixed methods-research study seeks to address this gap by reporting the results of a staff survey and follow-up interviews conducted on a cross-section of one of the largest IGOs in the region. The results have shown different effects of the bundles of HPWS practices on organizational performance. The results are discussed in light of HRM theory to explore the importance of organizational context on the link between human resource management and organizational performance. The results raise issues about the universal applicability of HRM-performance research and have implications for the standardization of HRM policies and practices within intergovernmental organization.