Beyond ethics: How perceived organizational support amplifies the impact of ethical HRM on employee commitment and performance

Abstract

This study explores the dynamic relationship between ethical human resources management (HRM) strategies, the level of commitment an employee feels towards their organization, and their job performance, paying particular attention to how employees’ perceptions of the support they receive from their organization can influence these interactions, especially during challenging times. Drawing on a sample of full-time non-executive Indonesian employees, the research employs descriptive statistics for initial data analysis, followed by structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses rigorously. The investigation reveals a positive relationship between ethical HRM and employee performance (EP) and organizational commitment (OC). Additionally, OC emerges as a pivotal mediator in the ethical HRM-EP link. Notably, employees’ organizational support perception (EOSP), often assumed to enhance positive organizational outcomes, displays a surprising negative moderating effect when combined with OC, suggesting a more intricate relationship than traditionally posited. These findings enhance our comprehension of how ethical HRM practices function in times of crisis, questioning conventional beliefs regarding the influence of organizational support. The study’s methodological approach, combining descriptive and advanced statistical analyses, provides a robust framework for understanding these complex relationships. This research holds significant implications for HRM practices, particularly in crisis response and management, indicating a need for nuanced support strategies that reflect the complexity of employee-organization dynamics.