High Performance Work Systems in the Intellectual Disability Care Sector in Ireland; an Exploratory Study at Organisational Level

The debate about the effects of new work systems - the so-called High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) - in terms of improving economic performance and productivity of the enterprise is rich in contributions and a substantial convergence is recorded in saying that, in the presence of a well thought-out and properly implemented system, the effects are positive. More neglected and controversial are the effects that these practices have for the well-being of workers. Through a review of theoretical and empirical literature on the topic, this paper analyses the traditional opposition between supporters of the "empowerment view" and supporters of the "intensification view". The former consider the HPWS such as win-win solutions for enterprises and workers, while the latter believe that the HPWS are a managerial expedient that aims to intensify the pace of work and the efforts required to workers. The results show that both positions are sustainable and attach to internal tensions related to HPWS (i.e. control/ discretion, responsibility/stress, etc.) the uncertainty of the results found from the literature. This interpretation finds in the intermediate "sceptical view" the more careful position to adopt and suggests to pay greater attention to the measurement adopted to analyze these relationships and to the characteristics of the employees and of the context in which HPWS are introduced. Finally, some directions for the development of future researches in this area are drawn.

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Why don't high-performance work systems always achieve superior service in hospitality? The key is servant leadership

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management ◽

10.1016/j.jhtm.2021.09.007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 ◽

pp. 152-163

Author(s):

Irene Huertas-Valdivia ◽

Araceli Rojo Gallego-Burín ◽

Ana Castillo ◽

Laura Ruiz

Keyword(s):

Servant Leadership ◽

High Performance ◽

Work Systems ◽

High Performance Work Systems

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Indian study shows high-performance work systems (HPWS) mediate the relationship between business strategy and employees’ intention to leave

Human Resource Management International Digest ◽

10.1108/hrmid-11-2021-0234 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Keyword(s):

Business Strategy ◽

Cost Reduction ◽

High Performance ◽

Intention To Leave ◽

Business Strategies ◽

Work Systems ◽

Content Type ◽

High Performance Work Systems ◽

Mediating Role ◽

The Relationship

Purpose This paper examines the relationship between business strategies and employees’ intention to leave (ITL), through the mediating role of high-performance work system (HPWS). Design/methodology/approach To test their hypotheses, the authors used self-administered questionnaires. They drew up a list of 600 organizations of different nature and structure operating in India that were listed by the Federation of Indian Chambers and Industry. They approved 192 organizations and sent the surveys to 960 executives. They aimed to receive a minimum of one response from an HR executive and two from non-HR executives from each one. In the end, they received 572 useable responses. Findings The study found that high-performance work systems (HPWS) mediate the relationship between business strategy and employees’ intention to leave (ITL). The two effective approaches were “quality management” and “innovation strategy”, both of which reinforced the adoption of HPWS. But a third approach, a “cost-reduction strategy”, was not shown to be positively correlated with HPWS. Another important finding was that the influence on ITL did not vary across the types, or ownership structures, of the firms. Originality/value The data has lessons for HR departments. First, it shows it is advantageous for firms hoping to retain more employees to invest in HPWS that are consistent with the values of their organizations. A second practical finding is that firms need to take into account the Indian context. A third lesson is HR practitioners should make strong efforts to communicate the goals of the HPWS to employees The study also shows firms adopting cost-reduction strategies should focus more on treating employees as resources.

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