High-performance HR practices, positive affect and employee outcomes

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the affective or emotional mechanisms that underlie the relationship between high-performance HR practices (HPHRP) and employee attitudes and behaviours. Drawing on affective events theory, this paper examines a mediation model in which HPHRP influence positive affect which in turn affects job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCBs).

Design/methodology/approach: Two-wave data were collected from a sample of local government workers in Wales (n=362). HPHRP were measured together with job satisfaction and OCBs at Time 1 and six months later, job satisfaction and OCBs were measured again together with positive affect. Structural equation modeling was used to test the study hypotheses.

Findings: The results revealed that HPHRP induced positive affect which, in turn, led to increased job satisfaction and OCBs. Furthermore, positive affect fully mediated the relationships between HPHRP and both job satisfaction and OCBs.

Research limitations/implications: All data were collected from public sector employees in the Government of Wales, which makes the generalizability of the findings unknown. More work is needed using different samples to determine whether the study results are replicable.

Practical implications: Managers should endeavour to ensure that enough resources are assigned to the implementation of HPHRP and other work features that help evoke affective reactions, as these reactions are an important determinant of employees’ attitudes and behaviours.

Originality/value: This is one of the first studies to empirically examine the mediating role of positive affect on the relationship between HPHRP and employee attitudes and behaviours.