High-performance Human Resource Management Practices Research Articles

The perspective of managers on integrating HR practices to increase organizational performance in SME firms: An analysis of the interaction effect

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to clarify the human resource management (HRM) literature in small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by empirically identifying possible combinations of HRM practices from the perspective of managers, and analyzing the relationships among them and with organizational performance in order to identify which combinations are most effective.Design/Methodology/Approach: Using the AMO (Ability- Motivation-Opportunity) framework, we ask whether there are significant interactions between AMO-based HRM bundles and, if so, to what degree and by what means they influence organizational performance. To explore this question, we tested a theoretical model using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques and compared the interaction and main effects. The research sample comprises SMEs operating in the Basque Region of Spain.Findings: The study confirms the existence of hierarchies among bundles. The practices most strongly related to the SMEs’ performance lie in the bundle of motivation-enhancing practices. The results indicate that motivation-enhancing practices have a positive effect on organizational performance and when they are combined with ability-enhancing practices this effect grows.Research limitations/implications: The cross-sectional nature of the data means that it is not possible to establish clear causal relationships among the variables studied. It would therefore be beneficial in the future to use longitudinal designs and examine cause-effect over time, as well as use samples from other geographic locations.Practical Implications: High-performance HRM practices in the three Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) dimensions should not automatically be assumed to be complementary in an SME context, as many managers believe. Our results suggest that managers would be well advised to adopt motivational practices, combining them with training, to improve SMEs’ performance.Originality / value: This is one of the few studies to focus on testing the interaction effects among dimensions of Ability-Motivation-Opportunity-enhancing-practices on SMEs’ organizational performance, as observed by managers. It will encourage SME managers to consider more carefully the possible combinations of AMO dimensions and to focus on those combinations most likely to have positive effects.

Does a High-Performance Human Resource Practice Stimulate Employee Creativity: A Moderated Mediation Model

This study explores entrepreneurial leadership as a moderator between employee work engagement and perceptions of high-performance human resource management (HRM) practices. Additionally, it delves into the mediating role of employee work engagement between employee creativity and these perceptions. Utilizing a quantitative research strategy, the study includes a sample of 396 members from the banking sector in Pakistan. The study employs PLS-SEM to test hypotheses. Findings indicate that employee work engagement serves as a mediator between employees’ perceptions of high-performance HRM practices and creativity, while entrepreneurial leadership moderates this association. Entrepreneurial leadership enhances the employee–organization relationship and strengthens the impact of high-performance HRM practices on positive work-related behaviours. The study contributes to the body of knowledge by examining the strong role of employee work engagement in the relationship between employee perceptions of high-performance HRM practices and creativity as mediator, as well as the significance of entrepreneurial leadership as a moderator in that relationship to optimize the working of organization stimulating through the demand resource theory.

The mediating role of innovation in the relationship between high-performance human resource management practices and firm performance

The study aims to evaluate the impacts of high-performance human resource management practices on firm performance through the mediating variable of innovation. The research model was developed and integrated from high-performance human resource management theory, innovation, and firm performance. The analysis results from 312 enterprises in industrial and service sectors indicated that high–performance human resource management practices had an indirect impact on firm performance and a direct effect on innovation. Furthermore, innovation plays a mediating role in the relationship between high-performance human resource management practices and firm performance. In addition, organizational size is also a characteristic variable that impacts firm performance. Finally, the study provides some theoretical and practical implications for managers to improve enterprises' human resource management systems.

High-performance human resource management practices and readiness for change: An integrative model including affective commitment, employees’ performance, and the moderating role of hierarchy culture

Nowadays, employees’ readiness for change plays a key role to implement many organizational change initiatives.Using a sample of 510 bank employees in Jordan, this study seeks to analyze how high-performance human resource management practices and affective commitment impact employees’ readiness for change. We also seek to study the role of readiness for change in improving employee performance.The results obtained through statistical analysis demonstrate a positive association between some high-performance human resource management practices with both affective commitment and readiness for change. Results also show a positive relationship between affective commitment and readiness for change.We have also found that readiness for change is positively related to employees’ individual performance. Finally, our findings show that hierarchy culture positively moderates the relation of high-performance human resource management practices with affective commitment.

Occupational identity, work, and burnout among managers: Do high performance human resource management practices play a moderator role?

This study seeks to examine the association between managers’ occupational identity, high performance management practices, and managers’ burnout. We propose a theoretical model that integrates identity theory into stress and human resource management research. We investigate the proposition that a weak verification of manager’s identity will be associated with a higher level of burnout, and that high-performance human resource management practices (HPHRMPs) moderate this association. Data came from SALVEO, a cross-sectional study conducted in the province of Quebec (Canada). Data were obtained from 314 managers nested in 56 workplaces. The results show a significant association between a low level of verification of some standards of the manager’s identity and burnout, mainly work demands and recognition. Thus, a low level of identity verification regarding work demands is associated with a low level of burnout. While a low level of identity verification regarding recognition is associated with a high level of burnout. HPHRMPs do not moderate the relation between managers’ verification of occupational identity and burnout. Seldom are studies that have analyzed the link between managers’ occupational identity, burnout, and HPHRMPs. By integrating the theory of identity, the theoretical model developed in this research offers a new perspective to explain managers’ burnout.

Enhancing supply chain learning and innovation performance through human resource management

PurposeDespite the importance, no study exists which investigates the role of human resource (HR) in supply chain (SC) learning. This study aims to investigate the effects of high-performance human resource management (HRM) practices on different types of the SC learning (i.e. supplier, customer and internal learning) and innovation performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies structural equation modeling to test the conceptual model based on data collected from 213 manufacturing firms in China.FindingsThe findings indicate that empowerment improves all three dimensions of SC learning, whereas training improves supplier and internal learning and teamwork is not related to any dimension of SC learning. These HRM practices also interactively influence SC learning dimensions. Moreover, customer and internal learning are directly related to innovation performance, while supplier leaning has a complementary effect with internal leaning but a substitutional effect with customer learning to innovation performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study only selects training, teamwork and empowerment to manifest high-performance HRM practices. The impacts of high-performance HRM practices on different dimensions of SC learning and innovation performance are tested empirically with cross sectional-data collected only from manufacturing firms in China.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that managers can promote SC learning through the empowerment and training of their employees. Moreover, managers should place more emphasis on customer and internal learning to improve innovation performance.Originality/valueCombining HRM and supply chain management (SCM) fields, this study offers a new framework to understand linkages between high-performance HRM practices, SC learning and innovation performance by using an empirical method.

Do organisational culture and national culture mediate the relationship between high-performance human resource management practices and organisational citizenship behaviour?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of high-performance human resource management practices (HPHRMPs) on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and the influences of national culture (NC) and organisational culture (OC) on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachUsing a self-administered survey, data were collected from a sample of 420 public sector employees. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe findings of this study offer new insights into the ability to improve OCB through greater consideration of NC and OC in the design of HPHRMP. The results indicated that NC fully mediates the relationship between HPHRMP and OCB, whilst OC has a partial mediating influence.Research limitations/implicationsHPHRMP includes a wide variety of functional areas; however, this study has only examined three (reward management, performance appraisal and promotion practices) and contributes to understanding the importance of institutional theory in HRM.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the need for HR professionals to ensure that they consider the impact of cultural differences (national and organisational) on how these HR practices will be perceived by employees.Originality/valueThe present study seeks to extend research into the link between cultural context and HPHRMP and posits that culture plays a crucial role in this relationship.

Firm performance: is organizational learning capability the magic wand?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on human resource practices contribution to retail SMEs performance through its role in developing organizational learning capability (OLC).Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional design was adopted, where data were collected from a sample of 214 managers of retail SMEs, utilizing a survey questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results indicate that incentive reward has the strongest significance on firm performance with a stronger influence on economic performance. Performance appraisal has the greatest effect on system perspective, followed by the impact of employee selection on managerial commitment (MC). MC strongly affects firm performance while openness and experimentation influences satisfaction performance. Additionally, OLC fully mediates the relationship between high-performance human resource management (HRM) practices and firm performance.Research limitations/implicationsIt did not include large organizations nor consider other SME contextual variables which may otherwise exert significant impact on OLC.Practical implicationsA profound understanding of distinctive high-performance HRM practices effect on firm performance and the needed employee capabilities that would assist organizations to implement strategies to attain sustainable competitive advantage.Originality/valueThe study advances knowledge on HRM practices among SMEs by proposing that distinctive high-performance HRM practices can leverage OLC to enhance firm performance.

HRM and product innovation: does innovative work behaviour mediate that relationship?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse the mediator effect of innovative work behaviour (IWB) between the firm’s human resource management system and product innovation.Design/methodology/approachData are collected from 225 Spanish manufacture companies. Hypotheses are tested using structured equation modelling. The structural model is estimated through partial least squares modelling.FindingsThe results provide strong evidence about the effect of the system of human resource management practices on both, employee’s IWB and product innovation. Furthermore, findings support the idea that employee’s IWB mediates the relationship between human resource management and product innovation.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the study counts with the limitations of cross-sectional studies, its findings suggest that employees’ IWB fosters product innovation and that the adoption of a high-performance work system is positively associated to such behaviour.Practical implicationsThis paper shows that companies seeking to foster product innovation should pay attention to their employees’ behaviour. In particular, they should promote that employees engage in innovative behaviours, and that adopting high-performance human resource management practices can help in this line.Originality/valueAlthough a number of studies suggest that IWB is a key determinant of innovation and a mediator in the link between human resource management and innovation, there is no empirical research examining these relationships. This paper covers this gap detected in the literature and provides evidence supporting them.

High performance HRM and establishment performance in Pakistan: an empirical analysis

Purpose– Despite a growing literature on human resource management (HRM) in emerging economies, evidence from Pakistan is limited. There is scant information on both the human resource (HR) practices that indigenous workplaces adopt and their associations with HR-related outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to fill that gap by examining whether universalistic assumptions about the applicability of “high-performance” HR practices are valid in Pakistan, a country with religious values and organizational traditions that differ to those in the west.Design/methodology/approach– This study draws on the, to date, most comprehensive survey of indigenous establishments in Pakistan. The authors use logistic regressions to analyze the data.Findings– Workplaces, in general, adopt several “high-performance” HR practices, such as extensive training, career breaks, rigorous pre-employment candidate assessment, and the sharing of strategic information with employees. Attitude surveys and the provision of training in a variety of jobs to non-managerial employees are consistently associated with better HR-related outcomes (absenteeism, quit rates, and labour productivity). Overall, the paper finds some limited support for the applicability and efficacy of high-performance HRM practices in Pakistan. Such practices conform to Islamic principles. The results also indicate, however, that cultural traits play a role in how those practices are implemented.Social implications– Increased adoption of certain HR practices by establishments in Pakistan may help to improve the working conditions and employment prospects of employees and may also ameliorate the country’s sluggish economic growth rates.Originality/value– HRM in Pakistani establishments has received relatively scant attention. Existing research either focuses on a relatively small number of firms, assesses HR in MNC subsidiaries, or examines a limited range of HR practices. Understanding the HR practices that are (and are not) adopted and their associations with performance outcomes will not just enhance the knowledge of HR in emerging economies, but will also provide insights into how to improve establishment performance and economic growth rates.

HRM practices for human and social capital development: effects on innovation capabilities

This paper analyzes the effect of systems of human resource management (HRM) practices on a company's innovation capabilities. To date, few studies have analyzed the way a firm may be more innovative by using specific sets of high-performance HRM practices from an intellectual capital-based view of the firm. From an extensive literature review, a model was established and tested through structural equation modelling, using the statistical technique of partial least squares. The study was applied to a sample of technological firms in Spain and the results show that high-profile personal HRM practices positively influence human capital while collaborative HRM practices influence social capital, which, in turn, affect innovation capabilities by means of, respectively, total and partial mediating effects. Managerial and HRM implications of these results are drawn by the authors, highlighting the idea of paying increased attention to managing firms with a focus on strategic intangible assets in order to gain competitive advantages based on innovation.

Do We Practice What We Preach?

Using Pfeffer's typology of high-performance human resource management practices, this study examined faculty perceptions of how U.S. schools of business utilize such practices. Results show that faculty believe that most high-performance human resource management practices are used by their schools, particularly employment security, empowerment/self-management, and information sharing. Faculty perceive less attention being devoted to the use of training and development practices, competitive pay, and reward systems. Implications for business school management are presented, which include ensuring that deans and department chairs are trained in effectively managing faculty for achievement of business school missions and goals.

Double play: creating the sport customer experience using an interdisciplinary framework for managing service employees

This study investigated high-performance Human Resource Management (HPHRM) practices and social identification processes among part-time frontline service staff of five professional sport clubs. Significant effects of HPHRM practices and employees' identification with club and with customers emerged, influencing employees' customer orientation. We discuss managerial tactics to enhance identification and HPHRM practices as well as future research directions directed at developing techniques for enhancing customer orientation.

An empirical study of high performance HRM practices in Chinese SMEs

This paper explores the performance effects of human resource management (HRM) practices in 74 Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Four high performance HRM practices are identified: performance-based pay, participatory decision-making, free market selection, and performance evaluation. Regression analysis results support the conventional idea that the adoption of HRM practices generates better HRM outcomes and, in turn, better HRM outcomes contribute positively to firm performance. However, not all HRM practices, and their effects, led to improved SME performance. Among the Chinese SMEs investigated, a high level of employee commitment was identified as being the key HRM outcome for enhancing performance.