Building Loyalty Among Public Employees: The Impact of High-Performance Work Practices

This study investigates the impact of High-Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) on public employees’ organizational affective commitment and turnover intentions, focusing on the mediating role of HR attributions. Drawing on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework and attribution theory, the research adopts a mixed-method design combining Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Based on data collected from a mid-sized Swiss municipality, the findings reveal that HPWPs foster employee loyalty both directly and indirectly, especially when these practices are perceived as supporting employee well-being and aligned with public service values. The study contributes to the strategic HRM literature by validating the relevance of core theoretical frameworks in a public administration context and demonstrating the added value of a configurational perspective. It also provides actionable insights for HR professionals seeking to design integrated HRM systems that enhance commitment and reduce turnover in the public sector.