How High‐Commitment HRM Relates to Engagement and Commitment: The Moderating Role of Task Proficiency

• Author: Karianne Kalshoven,Corine Boon
• Published date: 01 May 2014
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21569
• Date: 01 May 2014

Human Resource Management, May–June 2014, Vol. 53, No. 3. Pp. 403–420

© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).

DOI:10.1002/hrm.21569

Correspondence to: Corine Boon, Amsterdam Business School, University of Amsterdam, Plantage Muidergracht

12, 1018 TV Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Phone: +31 20 5254181, E-mail: c.t.boon@uva.nl.

HOW HIGH-COMMITMENT HRM

RELATES TO ENGAGEMENT

AND COMMITMENT: THE

MODERATING ROLE OF TASK

PROFICIENCY

CORINE BOON AND KARIANNE KALSHOVEN

In a multisource fi eld study, we examine the relationship between employee

perceptions of high-commitment human resource management (HRM), task

profi ciency, work engagement, and organizational commitment. Based on

conservation of resources (COR) theory, we fi rst propose that work engage-

ment mediates the relationship between high-commitment HRM and organi-

zational commitment. Second, we propose a mediated moderation model

in which employees’ task profi ciency moderates the relationship between

high-commitment HRM and work engagement, which in turn affects organi-

zational commitment. Results indicate that the relationship between high-

commitment HRM and organizational commitment was fully mediated by

work engagement. Results also supported the mediated moderation model.

A signifi cant indirect effect was found from high-commitment HRM to com-

mitment via engagement for low task profi ciency, but not for high task profi -

ciency. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. © 2014

Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Keywords: high-commitment HRM, work engagement, commitment, task

profi ciency

Research in the field of strategic

human resource management

(SHRM) suggests that HR practices

affect organizational performance

by shaping employee attitudes and

behaviors (Arthur, 1994; Huselid, 1995;

Ramsay, Scholarios, & Harley, 2000; Whitener,

2001). Researchers have started to investigate

the relationship between different types of

HR systems and employee attitudes and be-

haviors, such as commitment, satisfaction,

social support, and citizenship behaviors

(e.g., Kehoe & Wright, 2013; Liao, Toya,

Lepak, & Hong, 2009; Sun, Aryee, & Law,

2007; Takeuchi, Chen, & Lepak, 2009;

Takeuchi, Lepak, Wang, & Takeuchi, 2007).

404 HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, MAY–JUNE 2014

Human Resource Management DOI: 10.1002/hrm

Using COR theory as

our basis, we argue

that employees with

high task proficiency

are likely to have

sufficient individual

resources, and

thus depend less

on organizational

resources (i.e., high-

commitment HRM)

for enhancing their

work engagement

and, in turn, increase

organizational

commitment.

In addition, researchers argue that in exam-

ining these individual-level effects of HRM,

employee perceptions are important, as HR

practices are not necessarily perceived as in-

tended because of differences in interpreta-

tion and preferences (Kehoe & Wright, 2013;

Liao et al., 2009; Nishii & Wright, 2008).

Here, we focus on employee perceptions of

high-commitment HRM, which

specifically aims to increase orga-

nizational effectiveness by influ-

encing individual attitudes (i.e.,

commitment). Previous studies

show that high-commitment

HRM enhances employees’ orga-

nizational commitment (e.g.,

Koster, 2011; Whitener, 2001).

The current article builds on these

studies and aims to further

explore how and when high-

commitment HRM is related to

organizational commitment.

We extend current research

by examining engagement as

a mediator in the relationship

between employee perceptions

of high-commitment HRM and

organizational commitment.

Engagement encompasses a dedi-

cation and attachment toward

the performance in one’s job and

offers organizations a competi-

tive advantage nowadays (Bakker,

2009). According to the conser-

vation of resources (COR) theory

(Hobfoll, 1989), various types of

resources such as organizational,

job, and individual resources

enhance engagement (Salanova, Agut, &

Peiro, 2005). We argue that high-commit-

ment HR practices represent organizational

resources (Kalshoven & Boon, 2012) and,

therefore, enhance work engagement

(Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli,

2001; Mauno, Kinnunen, & Ruokolainen,

2007; Salanova et al., 2005). In turn, employ-

ees who experience high levels of engagement

are expected to reinvest their excess resources

back into the organization by showing com-

mitment (Hobfoll, 1989). The first aim of this

study is therefore to examine work engage-

ment as a mediator between employee per-

ceptions of high-commitment HRM and

organizational commitment, applying COR

theory.

Second, scholars argue that the effective-

ness of HRM might differ among employ-

ees, as employees vary in their contribution

to the organization, and differ in their need

for HRM (Jackson, Schuler, & Rivero, 1989;

Lepak & Snell, 1999). In the current article

we propose a mediated moderation model

in which task proficiency moderates the rela-

tionship between high-commitment HRM,

work engagement, and organizational com-

mitment. Using COR theory as our basis, we

argue that employees with high task profi-

ciency are likely to have sufficient individual

resources, and thus depend less on organi-

zational resources (i.e., high-commitment

HRM) for enhancing their work engagement

and, in turn, increase organizational com-

mitment. This article thus aims to contribute

to the current HRM literature by examining

how and under which conditions percep-

tions of high-commitment HRM enhance

organizational commitment. We examine

work engagement as a mediator and task pro-

ficiency as a moderator in the relationship

between high-commitment HRM and orga-

nizational commitment. Figure 1 depicts our

model.

High-commitment

HRM

Task

proficiency

Organizational

commitment

Work engagement

FIGURE 1. Research Model