An Empirical Quest for Linkages between HPWS and Employee Behaviors – a Perspective from the Non Managerial Employees in Japanese Organizations

Authors: Kaushik Chaudhuri

Abstract:

High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) generally give rise to positive impacts on employees by increasing their commitments in workplaces. While some argued this actually have considerable negative impacts on employees with increasing possibilities of imposing strains caused by stress and intensity of such work places. Do stressful workplaces hamper employee commitment? The author has tried to find the answer by exploring linkages between HPWS practices and its impact on employees in Japanese organizations. How negative outcomes like job intensity and workplaces and job stressors can influence different forms of employees- commitments which can be a hindrance to their performance. Design: A close ended questionnaire survey was conducted amongst 16 large, medium and small sized Japanese companies from diverse industries around Chiba, Saitama, and Ibaraki Prefectures and in Tokyo from the month of October 2008 to February 2009. Questionnaires were aimed to the non managerial employees- perceptions of HPWS practices, their behavior, working life experiences in their work places. A total of 227 samples are used for analysis in the study. Methods: Correlations, MANCOVA, SEM Path analysis using AMOS software are used for data analysis in this study. Findings: Average non-managerial perception of HPWS adoption is significantly but negatively correlated to both work place Stressors and Continuous commitment, but positively correlated to job Intensity, Affective, Occupational and Normative commitments in different workplaces at Japan. The path analysis by SEM shows significant indirect relationship between Stressors and employee Affective organizational commitment and Normative organizational commitments. Intensity also has a significant indirect effect on Occupational commitments. HPWS has an additive effect on all the outcomes variables. Limitations: The sample size in this study cannot be a representative to the entire population of non-managerial employees in Japan. There were no respondents from automobile, pharmaceuticals, finance industries. The duration of the survey coincided in a period when Japan as most of the other countries is under going recession. Biases could not be ruled out completely. We must take cautions in interpreting the results of studies as they cannot be generalized. And the path analysis cannot provide the complete causality of the inter linkages between the variables used in the study. Originality: There have been limited studies on linkages in HPWS adoptions and their impacts on employees- behaviors and commitments in Japanese workplaces. This study may provide some ingredients for further research in the fields of HRM policies and practices and their linkages on different forms of employees- commitments.

Keywords: HPWS, Job Intensity, Job and workplace Stressors, Continuous commitment, Affective commitment, Occupational commitment, Japan.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1057161

References:

[1] Appelbaum, E., Bailey, T., Berg, P. and Kalleberg, A., Manufacturing advantage: why high performance work systems pay off, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY. ILR Press ( an imprint of Cornell University Press), 2000.
[2] Arthur, J, "Effects of human resource systems on manufacturing performance and turnover", Academy of Management Journal, 376, 1994, pp 670-687.
[3] Wright, P. M., Gardner, T. M., & Moynihan, L. M., "The impact of HR practices on the performance of business units," Human Resource Management Journal, 13, 2003, pp 21-36.
[4] Wood, S. J., & de Menezes, L. "High commitment management in the U.K.: Evidence from the Workplace Industrial Relations Survey and Employers- Manpower and Skills Practices Survey", Human Relations, 51, 1998, pp 485-515.
[5] McDuffie, J.P. "Human Resource bundles and manufacturing performance: organisational logic and flexible production systems in the world auto industry.", Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 48,1995, pp 197-221.
[6] Chang, E. "Employees- overall perception of HRM effectiveness", Human Relations, 58, 2005, pp 523-544.
[7] Chaudhuri,K. "A critical view on HPWS and Employee Commitment- Forms of commitments matters", in (ed) Mehran Nejati, Azadeh Shafaei, & Mostafa Nejati in Issues in Global Business and Management Research: Proceedings of the 2008 International Online Conference on Business and Management (IOCBM 2008) Universal Publishers Boca Raton, Florida USA(2008) pp 217 -245.
[8] Beer, M., Spector, B., Lawrence, P.R., Quinn-Mills, D. and Walton, R.E Managing human assets, Free Press, New York.(1984)
[9] Guest, D, "Human resource management - the workers- verdict." Human Resource Management Journal, 9:4, 1999, pp 5-25.
[10] Huselid, M. A. "The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity and financial performance." Academy of Management Journal, 38, 1995, pp 635-672.
[11] Pfeffer, J., The human equation: building profits by putting people first. Harvard Business School Press, Boston, Mass, 1998.
[12] Zacharatos, A., Barling, J., & Iverson, R. D. "High-performance work systems and occupational safety," Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 2005, pp 77-84.
[13] Truss C, "Complexities and Controversies in Linking HRM with rganizational Outcomes," Journal of Management Studies, 38, 2001, pp 1121-1149.
[14] Snell, S.A. & Dean, J.W. "Integrated manufacturing and human resource management: A human capital perspective", Academy of Management Journal, 35(3): 1992, pp 467-504.
[15] Guthrie, J., "High involvement work practices, turnover, and productivity: Evidence from New Zealand",. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 2001, pp 180-192
[16] Pil, F.K. and McDuffie, J.P. "The adoption of high involvement work practices." Industrial Relations, 35, 1996, pp 423-455.
[17] Wood,S "High Commitment management and Payment systems," Journal of Management Studies, 33(1), 1996, pp 53-77
[18] Whitener, E. M., "Do ÔÇÿÔÇÿhigh commitment-- human resource practices affect employee commitment? A cross-level analysis using hierarchical linear modeling," Journal of Management, 27, 2001, pp 515-535.
[19] Becker, B.E. and Huselid, M.A., "High performance work systems and firm performance: a synthesis of research and managerial implications", Personnel and Human Resources Management, 16: 1998, pp 53-101.
[20] Gospel, H. "Quality of working life: A review on changes in work organization, conditions of employment and work-life arrangements", Conditions of Work and Employment Series No. 1, ILO - GENEVA,2003.
[21] Walton, R.E "From control to commitment in the workplace.", Harvard Business Review, 63:2, 1985, pp 77-84.
[22] Osterman, P "Skill, training and work organization in American establishments," Industrial Relations, 34:2, 1995, pp125-146.
[23] Berg, P, Kalleberg, A.L. and Appelbaum, E ,"Balancing Work and Family: The Role of High-Commitment Environments," Industrial and Labor Relations, 42, 2003, pp168 -188.
[24] Heywood John S., W.S. Siebert, Xiangdong Wei "High performance Workplaces and Family Friendly Practices: Promises Made and Promises Kept," IZA Discussion Paper No. 1812 IZA Bonn, Germany,2005.http://www.uwm.edu/~heywood/dp1812.pdf downloaded on 13.4.2007.
[25] Ramsay, H., Scholarios, D.and Harley, B. "Employees and high-performance work systems: testing inside the black box." British Journal of Industrial Relations, 38:4, 2000, pp 501-531.
[26] Kalmi Panu, Kauhanen Antti, "Work place innovations and employee outcomes: evidence from a representative employee survey", Helsinki School of Economics Working papers: W-395, 2005, http://hsepubl.lib.hse.fi/pdf/wp/w395.pdf Downloaded on 2.10.2007
[27] Lazarus, R., & Folkman, S. Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York, NY: Springer Publications, 1984, pp 19.
[28] Beehr, T. A., & Newman, J. E. "Job stress, employee health, and organizational effectiveness: A factor analysis, model and literature review," Personnel Psychology, 31,(1978)
[29] Cross, L., & Billingsley, B. "Testing a model of special educators' intent to stay in teaching", Exceptional Children, 60, 1994, pp 411-421.
[30] Gersten, R., Keating, T., Yovanoff, P., & Harniss, M. "Working in special education: Factors that enhance special educators' intent to stay". Exceptional Children, 67, 2001, pp 549-567.
[31] Quick, J. C. and Quick J. D. Organizational Stress and Preventive Management, 1989, New York.
[32] Gross, N., Mason, W. and McEachern, A. Explorations in Role Analysis, New York: Wiley, 1985.
[33] Moorhead, G. and Griffin, R. W. Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations, 1995, Boston
[34] Van Sell, M., Brief, A. P. and Schuler, R. S., "Role conflict and role ambiguity: integration of the literature and directions for future research," Human Relations, 34(1), 1981, pp 43-72.
[35] Alluisi, E. A., "Stress and stressors, commonplace and otherwise," In Alluisi, E. A. and Fleishman, E. A (ed.), Stress and Performance Effectiveness, Illsdale (1982).
[36] Buller, P. F. and Schuler, S. "Managing Organizations and People: Cases in Management," Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management, Cincinnati.(2000)
[37] Abramis, D, "All work and no play isn-t even goof for work", Psychology Today, March, c, 1989, pp 34-38.
[38] McGhee, P. "The key to stress management, retention, and profitability? More workplace fun", HR Focus, 77(9),2000, pp 5-6.
[39] Miller, J. "Humour: an empowerment tool for the 1990s", Management Development Review. 9(6), 1996, pp 36- 40.
[40] Mariotti, J. "A company that plays together, stays together" Industry Week, 248 (6), 63, 1999.
[41] Zbar, J. "Are we having fun yet?" Computerworld, 33 (38), 1999, pp 70.
[42] Beehr, T. A. (1985). The role of social support in coping with organizational stress. In T. A. Beehr & R. S. Bhagat (Eds.), Human stress and cognition in organizations: An integrated perspective (pp. 375-398). New York: Wiley.
[43] Beehr, T. A., King, L. A., & King, D. W. "Social support and occupational stress: Talking to supervisors", Journal of Vocational Behavior, 36, 1990, pp 61-81.
[44] Isen, A. M., & Levin, P. F. "The effect of feeling good on helping: Cookies and kindness." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 21, 1972, pp 384-388.
[45] Organ, D. W., & Ryan, K. "A meta-analytic review of attitudinal and dispositional predictors of organizational citizenship behavior." Personnel Psychology, 48, 1995, pp 775-802.
[46] Liu, Y "The Antecedents and Consequences of Emotion Regulation at Work," The Florida State University College of Business, 2006, Unpublished PhD Thesis.
[47] Witt, L. A., "This job is too much: Emotional labor on the job", Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Atlanta, GA.1999.
[48] Bailey, T., Berg, P., & Sandy, C. " The effect of high-performance work practices on employee earnings in the steel, apparel and medical electronics and imaging industries", Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 54(2A),2001, pp 525-543.
[49] Berg, P and Kalleberg, A. "The effect of High Performance Work Practices on Job Stress: evidence from a survey of U.S. workers", paper presented at Conference on Work Intensification, Paris, France, November, 21-22, 2002.
[50] Chen, Z. X., & Francesco, A. M. ,"The relationship between the three components of commitment and employee performance in China", Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 62, No. 3, 2003, pp. 490-510.
[51] Cheng, Y., & Stockdale, M. S., "The validity of the three-component model of organizational commitment in a Chinese context", Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 62, No. 3,2003, pp. 465-489.
[52] Lee, K., Allen, N. J., Meyer, J. P., & Rhee, K. Y., "The three-component model of organisational commitment: An application to South Korea", Applied Psychology: An International Review, Vol. 50, No. 4,2001, pp. 596-614.
[53] Gautam, T., Dick, R., & Wagner, U., "Organizational commitment in Nepalese settings", Asian Journal of Social Psychology, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2001, pp. 239-248.
[54] Tayyeb, S., & Riaz, M. N., "Validation of the three-component model of organizational commitment in Pakistan", Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, Vol. 19, 2004, pp. 123-149.
[55] Cetin, M. O. "The relationship between job satisfaction, occupational and organizational commitment of academics", Journal of American Academy of Business, Vol. 8, No. 1,2006, pp. 78-88
[56] Wasti, S. A. "Organizational commitment, turnover intentions and the influence of cultural values", Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 76, No. 3, 2003, pp. 303-321.
[57] Yousef, D. A., "Organizational commitment as a mediator of the relationship between Islamic work ethic and attitudes toward organizational change", Human Relations, Vol. 53, No. 4, 2000, pp. 513-537.
[58] Kuehn, K. W., & Al-Busaidi, Y., "A comparison of organizational commitment between national and expatriate employees in public and private sector organizations", Journal of International Business Research, Vol. 1, 2002, pp. 21-34.
[59] Suliman, A. M., & Iles, P. A., "The multi-dimensional nature of organisational commitment in a non western context", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 19, No. 1, 2000, pp. 71-82.
[60] Parisa, R, "The Three-Component Model of Organizational Commitment in Thailand", TMC Academic Journal, 2(2), 2007, pp 55-70
[61] Takeuchi N, Takeuchi T, Toshima Y, "Fitting with Organizations or Jobs? A Multilevel Investigation of HR Effects on Employee Behaviors," Discussion paper series no-2 JAASDP2007-2E, The Japanese Association Of Administrative Science. April (2007), pp 1- 35.
[62] Kuratani, N. and Kido, Y. (2006) "Organizational Commitment in the Public-administration Organization: An Empirical Study on the Antecedents and Consequences of Organizational Commitment", Sanno University Bulletin Vol.26 No.2 February 2006
[63] Blau, G., Paul, A. & St. John, N. "On developing a general index of work commitment," Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42, 1993, pp 298-314.
[64] Takeuchi R, David P. Lepak, Heli Wang, Takeuchi K, "An Empirical Examination of the Mechanisms Mediating Between High- Performance Work Systems and the Performance of Japanese Organizations," Journal of Applied Psychology Vol. 92, No. 4, 2007, pp1069-1083
[65] Lepak, D. P., & Snell, S. A., "Examining the human resource architecture: The relationships among human capital, employment, and human resource configurations." Journal of Management, 28, 2002, pp 517-543.
[66] Kerr, J.L, "Diversification strategies and managerial rewards: An empirical study". Academy of Management Journal, 28:1985, pp 155-179.
[67] Clarke, K.F. "What businesses are doing to attract and retain employee -becoming an employer of choice", Employee Benefits Journal, 3, 2001,pp 34-37.
[68] Messmer, M. "Performance reviews", Strategic Finance, Vol. 82No. 6, December, 2000, pp. 10-12.
[69] Yoshikawa Toru, Phillip H. Phan, Parthiban David, "The Impact of Ownership Structure on Wage Intensity in Japanese Corporations", Journal of Management, Vol. 31 No. 2, April, 2005 pp 278-300.
[70] Cascio, W. F. "Downsizing: What do we know? What have we learned?" Academy of Management Executive, 7(1), 1993, pp 95-104.
[71] Mroczkowski, T., & Hanaoka, M. "Effective rightsizing activities in Japan and America: Is there a convergence of employment practices?" Academy of Management Executive, 11(2), 1997, pp 57-67.
[72] Aoki, M, Jackson, G and Miyajima, H, "The diversity and change of corporate governance in Japan," in Aoki, M, Jackson, G and Miyajima, H, ed., Institutional Change and Organizational Diversity, Oxford University Press.(2007)
[73] Ahmadjian, C. L., & Robinson, P., "Safety in numbers: Downsizing and deinstitutionalization of permanent employment in Japan", Administrative Science Quarterly, 46:2001, pp 622-654.
[74] Japan Institute of Labor Policy and Training (JILPT) Research Report No.33 dated 2006.
[75] Japan Labor Bulletin "Working Condition and the Labor Market", No. Vol 42: No:2, Feb, 2003, issued by The Japan Institute of Labour, pp 2-3.,9.
[76] Genda Yuji "Dangers Facing Businessmen in their 20s and 30s Who Work for Large Companies", Japan Labor Bulletin issued by the Japan Institute of Labour Vol-42. No-2, 2003, pp 7-11.
[77] Weather Charles, "Japan's Fading Labor Movement" JPRI Working Paper No. 35, 1997
[78] Kiyokawa,Y and Oba,H , " Nihonteki keiei banare wa jakunenso no kojinshugika ga shuin ka",( Which generation is Least Receptive to the Japanese Style of Management? an examination based on a Job-consciousness Survey)The Economic Review ( Keizai Kenkyu) Vol 54,No.4( October),2003, pp 336-352.
[79] Hofstede, G, Cultures and organizations: software of the mind, London: McGraw Hill, 1991.
[80] Hall, E.T. Beyond Culture, New York, Doubleday, 1976
[81] Brislin, R. W., Lonner, W. J., & Thorndike, R. M. Cross-cultural research methods. New York: Wiley, 1973.
[82] Brislin, R.W. "Applied cross-cultural psychology: An introduction", in R.W. Brislin (ed) Applied cross-cultural psychology, Newbury Park, CA: Sage (1990), pp 9 - 33.
[83] Macky, K & Boxall, P, "The Relationship between High Performance Work Practices and Employee Attitudes: An Investigation of Additive and Interaction Effects," International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18:4, 2007, pp 537-567
[84] Kunii, I "Sony-s shakeup", Business Week, March 22, 1999, pp 24-25.
[85] Glick, W. H. "Conceptualizing and measuring organizational and psychological climate: Pitfalls in multilevel research.", Academy of management Review, 10:1985, pp 601-616.
[86] Leung, M-y and Ngo, S T and Skitmore, R M , "Critical stressors influencing construction estimators in Hong Kong," Construction Management and Economics 23(1), 2005, pp. 33-43.
[87] Podsakoff, P. M., Ahearne, M., & MacKenzie, S. B. "Organizational citizenship behavior and the quantity and quality of work group performance." Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 1997, pp 262-270.
[88] Haydee (2003) ,downloaded from www.rform.com on 20.06.2007
[89] Katherine A. Karl Joy V. Peluchette, "Does Workplace Fun Buffer the Impact of Emotional Exhaustion on Job Dissatisfaction?: A Study of Health Care Workers, The Journal of Behavioral and Applied Management, vol 7.2006.
[90] Peterson R. "A meta analysis of Cronbach-s coefficient alpha," Journal of Consumer Research, 21, 1994, pp 381-391.
[91] Slater, S "Issues in conducting marketing research and strategy research," Journal of Strategic Marketing, 3, 1995, pp 257- 270.
[92] Meyer, P.J., & Allen, N.J. "A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment," Human Resource Management Review, 1, 1991, pp 61- 89
[93] Lincoln, J.R. and Kalleberg ,A.L. Culture control and commitment a study of work organization and work attitudes in the United States and Japan, Percheron Press New York, 2003, pp 51.
[94] Dore, R. British Factory - Japanese Factory : the origins of diversity in Industrial Relations, Berkeley : University of California Press,1973.pp 218,232.
[95] Levin, D.W. and Dunlap, W.P. "Power of the F test with skewed data: should one transform or not?" Psychological Bulletin, 92(1) 1982, pp 272- 280.
[96] Levin, D.W. and Dunlap, W.P. "Data Transformation, Power, and Skew: A Rejoinder to games," Psychological Bulletin, 93 (3), 1983 pp 596-599.
[97] Olson, C. L. Comparative Robustness of Six Tests in Multivariate Analysis of Variance", Journal of the American Statistical Association, 69:348, 1974, pp 894-908.
[98] Joreskog, K.G. and Soborn, D, Lisrel 8 : Structural Equation Modelling with SIMPLIS Command language. Chicago, IL: Scientific International Software, 1993.
[99] Kline, R.B, Principles and practice of structural equation modeling, New York: The Guilford Press, 1998.
[100]Byrne, B.M., Structural equation modelling with AMOS, Marwah, NJ: Erlbaum, 2001.
[101]Harley, B. "Employee responses to high performance work system practices: An analysis of the AWIRS95 data." Journal of Industrial Relations, 44(3), 2002, pp 418-34
[102]Green. F, "Why has Effort Become More Intense", Industrial Relations 43, 4, 2004, pp 709-741
[103]Rahman.N, Hanafiah M.H., "Commitment to organization versus commitment to profession: conflict or compatibility?" Jurnal Pengurusan 21, 2002, pp 77-94
[104]Wallace, J.E. "Professional and organizational commitment: Compatible or incompatible?" Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42, 1993, pp 333-349.
[105]Godard, J, "High-performance and the transformation of work? The implications of alternative work practices for the experience and outcomes of work." Industrial and Labour Relations Review, 54, 2001, pp 776-805.