How High‐Commitment HRM Relates to Engagement and Commitment: The Moderating Role of Task Proficiency

Abstract

In a multisource field study, we examine the relationship between employee perceptions of high‐commitment human resource management (HRM), task proficiency, work engagement, and organizational commitment. Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, we first propose that work engagement mediates the relationship between high‐commitment HRM and organizational commitment. Second, we propose a mediated moderation model in which employees’ task proficiency moderates the relationship between high‐commitment HRM and work engagement, which in turn affects organizational commitment. Results indicate that the relationship between high‐commitment HRM and organizational commitment was fully mediated by work engagement. Results also supported the mediated moderation model. A significant indirect effect was found from high‐commitment HRM to commitment via engagement for low task proficiency, but not for high task proficiency. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

High-performance HR practices, positive affect and employee outcomes

“…First, the study responds to calls for more research on the processes through which HPHRP affect employee outcomes (Boon and Kalshoven, 2014;Mostafa et al, 2015). The study adds to the literature as the findings suggest that HPHRP stimulate positive affective reactions which, in turn, result in increased job satisfaction and OCBs.…”

“…Given the evidence of their effectiveness, an important subsequent step in the study of HPHRP is to examine why they evoke positive outcomes (Boon and Kalshoven, 2014;Mostafa et al, 2015). In doing so, prior research has mainly focused on mechanisms such as employees perceptions of their organizations' culture and climate (e.g.…”

“…Moreover, perceptions of HPHRP by employees are more predictive of their outcomes than are the managerial reports (Kehoe and Wright (2013). Therefore, researchers have argued that, to achieve a better understanding of the relationship between HPHRP and employees attitudinal and behavioural outcomes, the focus should be on employee perceptions (Boon and Kalshoven, 2014;Kehoe and Wright, 2013;Nishii and Wright, 2008). This paper is structured as follows.…”

High-Performance HR Practices, Work Stress and Quit Intentions in the Public Health Sector: Does person–organization fit matter?

“…However, the mechanisms through which this relationship takes place have received far less attention (Alfes et al, 2013;Boon and Kalshoven, 2014). In other words, researchers are still unclear as to how HPHRP relate to employee outcomes (Boon and Kalshoven, 2014). The current study seeks to provide an answer to this question by examining the mediating effect of person-organization (P-O) fit, i.e.…”

“…Much research has examined the relationship between HPHRP and different employee outcomes (Boselie, 2010;Gould-Williams and Mohamed, 2010;Boon et al 2011;Kehoe and Wright, 2013). However, the mechanisms through which this relationship takes place have received far less attention (Alfes et al, 2013;Boon and Kalshoven, 2014). In other words, researchers are still unclear as to how HPHRP relate to employee outcomes (Boon and Kalshoven, 2014).…”