HR Attributions Research Articles

Proactivity or withdrawal? The role of attributions in employee psychological and behavioral responses to leader high performance expectations

In today’s fiercely competitive market landscape, leader high performance expectations (LHPEs) are increasingly integrated into performance management practices in the workplace. However, this adoption may yield a performance management paradox: while some argue that high performance expectations prompt proactive employee engagement, others assert that such expectations induce withdrawal. Our study aims to unveil this paradox and its underlying mechanisms. Drawing upon insights from the HR attributions literature and the job demands-resources model, we propose that the impact of LHPE is contingent upon employees’ attributions for this practice. Specifically, employees attributing LHPE to prosocial motives experience a sense of thriving at work, leading to increased engagement in proactive behavior (the motivational pathway). Conversely, those attributing LHPE to self-interest motives experience distress at work and tend to withdraw (the strain pathway). Our hypotheses are supported by the results of a three-wave survey involving 321 employees. Overall, our findings underscore the crucial role of employee attributions in implementing LHPE as a performance management strategy, offering insights into its optimal utilization.

Enabling older employees' well‐being through HR attributions: The moderating role of management context

AbstractFusing the extant literature on successful aging at work (SAW) and HR attributions, we examined the confluence of employee‐oriented internal HR attributions and unit‐level employee management context on burnout for employees across the age spectrum. Time‐lagged, multi‐level survey data were collected from a sample of 1762 blue‐collar employees from 178 work units at the manufacturing plants of a large firm operating in the Turkish energy industry, which is characterized as a high‐risk safety environment. A cross‐level moderated mediation model was tested using multi‐level structural equation modeling (MSEM). Results supported study hypotheses such that the negative association between age and burnout was mediated by employee‐oriented positive HR attributions, and this indirect association was moderated by unit‐level perceptions of the employee management context. Development‐oriented contexts that emphasized personal development/growth—indicated by the degree of emphasis on innovation strategy, safety training, and active unit safety leadership—weakened the negative indirect (i.e., buffering) effect of age on burnout via less positive HR attributions. Conversely, a maintenance‐oriented context that emphasized maintaining the status quo—indicated by passive unit safety leadership—strengthened said effect through more positive HR attributions. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for fostering employee well‐being across the age spectrum are discussed.

The Relationships between Employees Perceptions of Organizational Justice, HR Attributions, and Affective Organizational Commitment

Purpose –The purpose of this study is to test Nishii et al.’s (2008) HR attributions theory with respect to explaining how individual variability in HR perceptions shapes work attitudes.Design/methodology/approach –Online surveys were sent to the organizational clients of a business consulting company operating in Turkey. Correspondents from organizations were asked to send the forms to a random group among their employees. Survey responses were received from 116 employees from 19 companies. The main and interactive effects of independent variables were tested using moderated multiple regression analyses conducted with SPSS Process macro (Hayes, 2012). Findings –The results supported the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between employees’ perceptions of organizational justice and affective commitment. Furthermore, as expected, employees’ well-being and service quality HR attributions were found to be positively related to commitment, whereas union compliance HR attribution was negatively related to commitment. Cost-cutting and exploitation HR attributions were not found to be significantly related to commitment. Lastly, it was found that the relationship between justice perceptions and organizational commitment was moderated by only one of the five types of HR attributions, namely employee exploitation attribution. Hence, the moderation hypothesis was partially supported. Discussion –This study explained and provided empirical support for the role of employees’ perceptions of causal HR attributions as an important antecedent and regulator of organizational commitment. This implies that organizations should pay attention to understanding, managing, and maintaining employees’ idiosyncratic perceptions about the rationale behind the adoption of HR practices. Future research is needed to investigate other potential antecedents and outcomes of these HR attributions.

Opportunity to Use New Ways of Working: Do Sectors and Organizational Characteristics Shape Employee Perceptions?

The diffusion of New Ways of Working (NWW) is an important trend in contemporary organizations. Many related empirical studies have been produced, but none have focused on differences in employees’ perceptions of the opportunity to use NWW according to organization sector (private, semi-public, public). This study, based on neo institutionalism and HR attributions theory, investigated these differences via a survey (n = 2693) of employees at private (n = 358), semi-public (n = 204), and public (n = 2131) organizations. Based on the use of the PLS-SEM method, as well as ANOVA tests and pairwise comparisons of marginal linear predictions, we uncover differences in perceptions between employees in different sectors regarding the possibility of using NWW. Indeed, the results show that public employees reported less opportunity to use NWW than their private and semi-public counterparts. Furthermore, private sector employees were more likely to attribute well-being and productivity benefits to NWW than their public sector and semi-public counterparts. We also show that institutional and organizational variables specific to the characteristics of organizations in the three sectors partially explain the degree of perceptions with respect to the opportunity to use NWW.

Employees' HR attributions count: the effects of high-performance work systems on employees' thriving at work and emotional exhaustion

PurposeAlthough prior research has documented substantive knowledge of the benefits of high-performance work systems (HPWS), results regarding both sides of HPWS are inconsistent. To reconcile these inconsistencies, the authors identified two specific HR attributions—employee well-being HR attribution and performance HR attribution, and examined their roles in the relationship between team-level HPWS and employees' thriving at work and emotional exhaustion.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected multi-source data from 36 team leaders and 181 individuals. Given the nested nature of the data, the authors used Mplus 7.4 to conduct multilevel structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing.FindingsThe results showed that team-level HPWS and employee well-being HR attribution interact to affect psychological availability, which subsequently promotes thriving at work. However, team-level HPWS and employee performance HR attribution do not interact to influence role overload/psychological availability; team-level HPWS and employee well-being HR attribution do not interact to affect role overload.Originality/valueCurrent literature has overlooked identifying key contingencies for both sides of HPWS effects on employee outcomes. Therefore, this study developed a mediated moderation model and incorporated HR attributions to explore two distinct pathways by which HPWS affects employees' thriving at work and emotional exhaustion. The present study helps to reconcile the inconsistent findings regarding the HPWS double-edged sword nature. In addition, the authors focused on HPWS at the team level, which is also underexplored in the existing HPWS research.

Socially responsible human resource management and employee performance: The roles of perceived external prestige and employee human resource attributions

AbstractDrawing on social information processing theory, this study examines the pathway by which socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM), which links HR management practices to the corporate social responsibility activities of firms, affects job performance. Two‐wave multi‐source data supports the indirect effect of SRHRM on employee job performance through perceived external prestige and organizational identification. In addition, various types of employee HR attributions (i.e., employee well‐being, employee exploitation, and industry HR attribution) significantly moderates the relationship between SRHRM and perceived external prestige in different ways. These findings expand our understanding of the relationship between SRHRM and employee job performance and the role of employee HR attributions in complementing or supplementing such relationships.

Wellness programs and employee outcomes: the role of HR attributions

Drawing on the tenets of job demands‐resources and conservation of resources theories, it is suggested that HR attributions about wellness programs hold ‘job resource potential’, irrespective of actual participation. It is proposed positive (commitment, compliance) and negative (control, image) attributions about the organization's motivation for offering a wellness program predict employee outcomes. In addition, it is proposed wellness program attributions influence how employees cope with role overload. A sample of 524 Australian employees with access to a wellness program completed a questionnaire. Commitment and compliance buffered the negative effects of role overload on job dissatisfaction. However, commitment created a stress‐exacerbating effect of role overload on days impaired due to poor health. Employees with control attributions were buffered from the negative effects of role overload on job dissatisfaction. Overall, results highlight that the underlying theoretical distinction between positive and negative HR attributions across different types of employee outcomes should not be assumed.

Exploring the Antecedents of Legal Compliance HR Attribution and the Consequences for Engagement

Employee HR attributions have received considerable attention in the field of HRM. However, external HR attributions have not been thoroughly studied, especially in a non-western context. This paper examines the antecedents (in terms of employee perceptions of organizational justice and the implementation of performance appraisals by team leaders) and consequence (in terms of employee engagement) of external HR attributions (in terms of legal compliance HR attributions) in firms in China. Our hypotheses were tested using survey of 354 team members and 61 matched team leaders in 18 Chinese companies. The results from multilevel analyses revealed a curvilinear relationship between employee perceptions of organizational justice and their HR attributions concerning legal compliance. The relationship was positive and weak when organizational justice was at low and medium levels but became substantially more positive and stronger when perceived organizational justice was at high levels. In addition, this nonlinear effect was more pronounced when the implementation of performance appraisal was strong rather than weak. Regarding the consequences, the results confirmed that HR attributions to legal compliance mediated the relationship between the two antecedents and employee engagement. We finally discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of our study.

Successful Aging at Work: The Role of Development/Maintenance Context and HR Attributions in Burnout

Fusing the lifespan perspective on age with organisational psychology theory on HR attributions, we examine the confluence of HR attributions, burnout, and the employee management context with regard to the study of work and ageing. Time-lagged, multi-level survey data were collected from a sample of N = 1,165 blue-collar employees working at the manufacturing plants of a large-scale firm operating in the Turkish energy industry. A cross-level moderated mediation model was tested using multi-level structural equation modelling (SEM). The results supported study hypotheses such that the positive association between age and burnout was mediated by well-being HR attributions, and this mediated association was moderated by the employee management context surrounding employee safety. At the organisational units level, development-oriented contexts—indicated by the degree of innovation strategy, safety training, and active unit safety leadership—weakened the positive association between age and well-being HR attributions, whereas a maintenance-oriented context indicated by passive unit safety leadership strengthened this association. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for successful ageing at work are discussed.

Implementing HR Practices: Line Manager’s Cost Reduction HR Attribution and Extrinsic Motivation

Although substantive research has devoted increasing attention to effectiveness of HRM practices, the critical role of line managers’ attribution and motivation has been overlooked. Drawing from social information processing theory, we investigate the content and process of HRM implementation and explore how employee attitudes and behavior are affected through perception. HRM content refers to the practices implemented by line managers. The process of HRM implementation entails line managers’ cost reduction attribution and extrinsic motivation. This study further propose that line managers’ cost reduction HR attribution and extrinsic motivation weaken the associations between implemented and perceived HR practices. Analyzing the matched data from 151 department managers and 996 employees, we found that employees who perceive high levels of implemented HR practices are more likely to commit to the organization and engage to work. Further, when line managers’ cost reduction attribution and extrinsic motivation is higher, employees will perceive lower levels of implemented HR practices. These findings contribute to the strategic HRM literature by demonstrating the significant role of line managers’ attribution and motivation in HRM implementation and explain why HR practices implemented may not achieve the expected effectiveness. Implications, limitations and future directions are discussed.

Differing Impacts of HR Attribution on Commitment: The Moderating Role of Self-Perceived Status

Service organizations pursue two goals of employee well-being and organizational performance as primary for their human resource management. Research has suggested that these two goals draw ambivalence attributions (i.e., HR well-being attribution and HR performance attribution) which have opposite impacts on employee attitudes. However, research has yet considered how to relieve the tension from the attributions. We attempt to elucidate the process of how a high-performance work system (HPWS) elicits employee affective commitment through HR well-being and HR performance attributions and to suggest how to attenuate the contrary effects. Specifically, drawing from theory on the psychological experience of status, we argue that employees’ self-perceived status moderates the relationship between HR performance attribution and affective commitment. With data from 475 nurses in 82 work units, we found that an HPWS exerts HR well-being and HR performance attribution simultaneously, but only HR well-being attribution, not HR performance attribution, was significantly related to affective commitment. We also found the moderating effect of self-perceived status such that HR performance attribution is positively related to affective commitment when self-perceived status is high. These findings offer critical theoretical insights with equally important practical implications.

Creatures of a lesser god! Gender-based differences in HR attributions mediated by person-job fit: a poly-contextual analysis

PurposeUsing social information processing and sense-making theory, the current study examines how the poly-contextual factors and social environment of employees provide unique cues and shape an employee's person-job (PJ) fit perceptions in ways that enable males to perceive a better PJ fit than their female counterparts at work. These perceptions of PJ fit act as mediating processes between gender-based differences in HR commitment or HR control attributions.Design/methodology/approachAfter collecting two waves of data over a six-month period from a sample of 498 banking sector professionals in Pakistan, the hypothesized relationships were tested using hierarchical multiple regression.FindingsIt was found that gender (female) was positively related to HR control attributions and negatively related to PJ fit perceptions and HR commitment attributions. The mean differences between males and females concerning these study variables were significant. Also, PJ fit mediated the relationship between gender and HR attributions.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the advancement and understanding of the predictors of HR attributions by examining the poly-contextual factors that shape unique experiences, knowledge structures and social information processing, thus forming distinct PJ fit perceptions and subsequent HR commitment or control attributions for males and females.

The Effects of Service-oriented Human Resource Management Systems on Employee Service Performance and Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Moderating Effects of HR Attribution

본 연구는 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리 시스템(service-oriented human resource management system)이 조직원들의 서비스 성과와 조직시민행동에 미치는 영향을 고찰하고, 그 영향이 인사제도를 도입하고 실행하는 배경을 구성원들이 어떻게 인식하는가를 반영하는 인사제도 귀인(HR attribution)에 따라 조절될 것이라고 제시한다. 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리 시스템은 서비스 질 향상을 위한 인적자원관리 제도들의 묶음으로 해당목적을 위한 교육훈련, 참여기회, 평가, 보상, 배려 제도 등을 포함한다. 본 연구에서는 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리 시스템이 구성원들의 고객지향성을 매개로 서비스 성과를 향상시키며, 정서적 몰입을 통해 조직시민행동을 높인다고 제시하였다. 또한, 구성원들이 인적자원관리를 어떻게 바라보느냐에 따라 영향력이 달라질 수 있으므로 개인이 인적자원관리 제도를 인식하고 해석하는 바를 나타내는 인사제도 귀인의 조절효과에 주목하였다. 인사제도 귀인 중, 구성원을 존중하고 지원하기 위하여 인사제도를 도입하였다고 인식하는 HR 웰빙 귀인(HR well-being attribution)과 구성원들의 노동력을 최대로 활용하여 성과를 이끌어내려는 목적으로 인사제도를 도입하였다고 인식하는 HR 성과귀인(HR performance attribution)을 연구에 포함하였다. 국내 28개 병원에 근무하는 629명의 간호사들을 대상으로 얻은 자료를 분석한 결과, 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리시스템과 구성원 서비스 성과의 관계에서 고객지향성의 매개효과와, 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리와 조직시민행동 사이의 관계에서 정서적 몰입의 매개효과는 유의하였다. 한편, HR 웰빙 귀인은 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리 시스템이 정서적 몰입을 통해 조직시민행동을 높이는 매개관계를 정적으로 유의하게 조절하였으며, HR 성과 귀인은 서비스 지향적 인적자원관리 시스템이 고객지향성을 통해 서비스 성과를 높이는 매개관계를 부적으로 유의하게 조절하였다. 이러한 결과를 바탕으로 이론적․실무적 시사점을 논의하고 향후 연구 방향을 제시하였다.

Impact of HR System on Employee Engagement through Employee’s HR Attributions

The study aims to investigate the association between HR system and employee engagement through HR positive attributions. Data collection is done through a survey-based questionnaire from 230 employees of telecom firms of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The data is analyzed through PROCESS Macros along with other statistical tests. The results of the study show full mediation of employee HR employee attributions between HR system and employee engagement. These findings highlight that not only the investments and efforts made by management on the HR system but communication and clear signals regarding those efforts play an important part in the development of attributions and resultant positive outcomes. It insisted on the importance of communicating policies, intentions, and motivations clearly to the employees. This study has added into the literature by identifying the HR system as one of the most important antecedents of employee HR attributions. Along with this, it explores the HR attribution’s role as a mediator in the relationship of HR and employee outcomes. It has been added into the literature by using information processing theory as a theoretical lens to study the phenomenon of HR attributions. Therefore, the present study opens new endeavors for researchers by allowing them to explain the phenomenon of HR attributions from the lens of information processing theory and in a local context, culture, and in different organizational settings and to explore more factors that may have a role in discussed model to achieve organizational outcomes

Algorithms in Personnel Selection, Applicants’ Attributions and Organizational Attractiveness

Machine-learning algorithms used in personnel selection procedures seem to be a promising avenue for companies for several reasons. In our manuscript, we investigate the reasons (prospective) employees attribute regarding why an organization uses algorithms in the employee selection process. Based on the HR attributions framework, signaling theory, and the scant literature that exists on the perceptions of algorithmic and human decision-makers, we theorize that using algorithms affects the four different internal HR attributions of intent and, in turn, organizational attractiveness. In two experimental studies, we test our hypotheses in the initial applicant screening stage. The results of our experimental studies indicate that control-focused attributions such as cost saving and applicant exploitation are stronger when algorithms are used, whereas commitment-focused attributions such as quality enhancement and applicant well-being are stronger when human experts make selection decisions in the applicant screening process. We also find that algorithms have a negative effect on organizational attractiveness that can be partly explained by these attributions. Our findings have far reaching implications for practitioners and academics.

The role of HR attributions in the HRM – Outcome relationship: Introduction to the special issue

AbstractHuman resource (HR) process research seeks to explain the relationship between HR practices and employee outcomes and organisational performance. This body of research examines the HR implementation process, particularly the role of line managers, and the employees' HR sense‐making process. Among these processes, one promising line of research explores the antecedents and consequences of employees' HR attributions or beliefs about why their organisation implements specific HR practices. However, research on these HR attributions has been rather limited leading to this special issue to advance our knowledge of this field. In this Introduction to the special issue we review the current ‘state‐of‐the‐art’ and highlight the research questions which we invited contributors to address. We outline how the articles advance our knowledge and help to promote a future research agenda.

Looking at both sides of high-performance work systems and individual performance: a job demands−resources model

AbstractIn this study, we show how high-performance work systems (HPWS) in an organization can significantly affect employees' creative performance and burnout. To do this, we propose and test a dual-process framework that is based on HR attribution theory, ability−motivation−opportunity theory, micro- and macro-theoretical perspectives, and the job demands−resources (JD-R) model. Using data from a multisource field study with a sample of 311 participants, we found that HPWS benefited employee creative performance and did not lead to employee burnout. However, HPWS affected both job demands and job resources when employees adopted self-protection and self-enhancement strategies. Also, we found that HPWS had unique indirect effects on employee creative performance via job resources whereas job demands fully mediated the relationship between HPWS and employee burnout. The findings shed light on key aspects of HR attribution theory. We discuss accompanying theoretical and practical implications.

Signalling theory as a framework for analysing human resource management processes and integrating human resource attribution theories: A conceptual analysis and empirical exploration

AbstractSignalling theory is presented as an approach to advance the study of human resource management (HRM) processes highlighting line managers as signallers of HR messages and employees as receivers. Signalling theory is also offered as a framework to integrate the two attributional approaches to HRM focusing on HRM strength and HR attributions. A study of employees in 83 bank branches confirms that strong HR signals, reflected in implementation of a coherent set of high‐commitment HR practices and consensus about their implementation have a positive association with the HR attributions and attitudes of employees as signal receivers. We found no link with branch performance. The study confirms the utility of signalling theory as a framework for advancing our understanding of HR processes.

Line manager implementation and employee HR attributions mediating mechanisms in the HRM system—Organizational performance relationship: A multilevel and multipath study

AbstractDrawing on the attribution and social exchange theories, this study by proposing an integrated multilevel and multipath framework examines the impact of HRM content on organizational performance, through the serially mediating mechanisms of HR strength, line manager HR implementation, and employee HR attributions. Using a sample of 158 Greek private organizations and having data from senior managers, line managers, and employees, we conducted a multilevel path analyses via Mplus. We found that between organizations (a) HR strength fully mediates the relationship between HRM content and line manager HR implementation, (b) line manager HR implementation fully mediates the relationship between HR strength and employee HR attributions, and (c) employee HR attributions fully mediate the relationship between line manager HR implementation and organizational performance. Accordingly, this study advances prior knowledge by examining an integrated research pathways framework that has largely been investigated in isolation.

HR Attribution Research in Context

HR attributions are defined as the explanations that employees make regarding their organization’s intentions in implementing HR practices. Previous studies have mainly focused on the importance of HR attributions to employee outcomes, such as commitment, engagement, and performance. The contextual issues around the relationships between antecedents, HR attributions, and employee outcomes have not been fully explored yet. Contexts are important in understanding employee HR attributions because HR attributions do not occur in a vacuum and employees need contextual clues to make sense of HR practices. This symposium aims to address this neglect by highlighting the contextual issues under which employees make sense of HR practices. The first three studies of this symposium add much more nuance to our understanding of the HR attributions proposed in Nishii, Lepak and Schneider’s (2008) work, while the fourth study provides a more concrete and meaningful understanding of how employees make sense of specific HR practices. Overall this symposium provides a forum for information exchange and collective learning to advance our knowledge of HR attributions. HR Attributions, Ethical Leadership, and Thriving at Work: A Multi Actor, Multi Level Model Presenter: Wei Wu; Renmin U. of China Presenter: Karin Sanders; UNSW Business School, Australia Presenter: Yucheng Zhang; Southwestern U. of Finance and Economics Presenter: Wansi Chen; East China U. of Science and Technology High Performance Work System Implementation and Transformational Leadership on Employee Wellbeing Presenter: Chunyu Xiu; HR attribution research in context Presenter: Huadong Yang; U. of Liverpool Presenter: Mariella Miraglia; U. of Liverpool External HR Attributions: The Role of Union Influence Presenter: David E. Guest; King's College London Presenter: Ricardo Rodrigues; King's College London Does One Size Fit All? HR Attributions of Employee Volunteering from a Non-Profit Perspective Presenter: Kiera Dempsey-Brench; Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin - U. of Dublin Presenter: Amanda Shantz; Trinity College Dublin Presenter: Kerstin Alfes; ESCP Business School