Unraveling the Relationship Between High Performance Work Systems and Team Performance

Abstract

This study develops a moderated mediation model examining the relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and team performance. Adopting a dialectical view on the effects of HPWS, it posits for a dual -positive and negative- path between HPWS and team performance that is jointly mediated by team coordination and team relationship conflict. Further, it theorizes that a supportive and a competitive team climate can significantly shape these relationships. The proposed research model was tested using multisource data from a sample of 403 team members and 96 team managers from a total of 56 different firms. Results revealed that HPWS are positively associated with both team coordination and team relationship conflict and that both these relationships are moderated by supportive and competitive team climate. This paper contributes to the strategic human resource management (SHRM) literature by revealing that HPWS can be associated with team performance both through a positive and through a negative intermediary mechanism and that team climate constitutes an important boundary condition that can both amplify and inhibit the effect of HPWS on team performance.