THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIGH INVOLVEMENT WORK SYSTEMS, SUPERVISORY SUPPORT, AND ORGANIZATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS: THE ROLE OF EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES AT WORK

Abstract

This study adopts a multilevel, multiple stakeholder perspective to examine the impact of high involvement work systems (HIWS) and supervisory support on organizational effectiveness. Organizational effectiveness is measured in terms of employee experiences of work, employee turnover (voluntary and involuntary measured separately), customer satisfaction with service performance and loyalty, and financial performance (organizational traffic and sales). Guided by the contingency theory, I situate my study in the service sector with a focus on the hospitality industry. The model and the related hypotheses investigate the role of employee experiences of job resources (characteristics of jobs and co-worker support) and engagement as a linking mechanism between HIWS, supervisory support and the various employee and organizational level outcomes in question. The results suggest that in relatively smaller establishments in the service industry, which are characterized by an informal structure, supervisory support is the prime determinant of employee experiences of work and may supersede the influence of HR practices. Moreover, results of complex cross-level mediation analyses provide additional evidence to support the notion of a service market chain. Research and practical implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for future research are provided.