Linking human resource management strategy to organizational performance: a better understanding of high-performance work practices in higher education

A model of Human Resource Management (HRM) was presented by Guest (1987) as a new approach to management of personnel matters in which HRM strategy informs HRM practices, and both result in beneficial Human Resources (HR) outcomes, such as employee engagement. The notion underlying this model is that strategic HRM and related practices influence behavioral outcomes that positively impact performance outcomes for an organization. However, research to date has been inconclusive regarding how HRM systems or specific HRM practices are contributing to organizational performance (Paauwe, 2009). The intent of this study was to further examine the relationship between HRM practices and organizational performance by investigating complementary HRM practices that may have a relationship with employees’ abilities to contribute to organizational outcomes within a higher education setting. Specifically, this study aimed to address the role of high performance work practices (HPWPs) in promoting positive organizational outcomes through the role of the employee-level outcome of Work Engagement, utilizing the ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) model (Ogbonnaya & Valizade, 2018). Results indicated fair to good correlational associations between HPWPs and Work Engagement for nearly all bundled practices, providing further support for the AMO framework serving as a model of fit for identifying practices to bundle and how those practices may indeed be successful because of their association with impacting the ability, motivation, and opportunities of organizational employees.