Do High-Performance-Work-Practices (HPWPs) really work?

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: High-performance-work-practices (HPWPs) are popular managerial strategies, in which employees are invited to participate in decision-making-process and contribute to the policy implementation, aiming to maximize employee potential. HPWPs sound ideal but their importance to employee engagement and performance in the service industry is still unclear. Method: To further understand the importance and influence of HPWPs, the current project adopts the AMO Model to review the knowledge gaps and develop research questions. Research data are collected from hotels in Nigeria, an emerging but little-known sector in the service industry. Employee’s experiences of HPWPs are collected through semi-structured interviews and then thematically analyzed. Findings: Engaged employees are keen to support the implementation of HPWPs, recognizing their imperativeness and behaving conscientiously in delivering hotel services. Managers’ positive attitudes (i.e., appreciation of employees’ effort & managers’ trust in employees’ capability) both facilitate the efficacy of HPWPs, leading to higher levels of engagement and more service-oriented citizenship behavior (S-OCB). However, when the level of employee engagement is low and managers’ positive attitudes are absent, HPWPs barely work. Originality: Unlike prior studies which link HPWPs to performance directly, we have proposed an alternative rationale to clarify the HPWPs-performance relationship. Specifically, research findings have helped clarify how HPWPs affect S-OCB by explaining the role of employee engagement and managers’ positive attitude as the underlying mechanism, Practical implications: Our research findings have clarified two important factors (i.e., employee engagement & managers’ positive attitudes) during the implementation of HPWPs, hence bringing new insights into the “HPWPs-Employee engagement” literature. Suggestions for implementing HPWPs in the service industry are also discussed.