Engaging long-tenured employees via high-performance work systems: a matter of dosages

Luigi Stirpe and Antonio J. Revilla

Evidence-based HRM, 2024, vol. 13, issue 2, 392-411

Abstract: Purpose - We investigate the engagement benefits of high-performance work systems (HPWS) for long-tenured employees compared with short-tenured ones. Using a social exchange lens and building upon hedonic adaptation research, we propose that HPWS are less effective for engaging longer tenured employees, unless they are administered at high levels. Design/methodology/approach - Multiple regression and post-estimation analyses of marginal effects on a sample of 30,375 employees, based on data from the 6th European Working Conditions Survey. Findings - (1) Employee tenure negatively moderates the HPWS-engagement relationship; (2) this effect is contingent on the level of HPWS, with long-tenured employees responding comparatively better than short-tenured ones to exposure to high levels of HPWS; (3) HPWS have decreasing marginal effects on engagement—greater exposure to these systems does not linearly translate into higher employee engagement, with their decreasing returns being more noticeable for short- than long-tenured employees. Originality/value - The study provides novel insights into the value of HPWS as motivational tools and advises managers to promote tenure-differentiated HPWS investments. It also illuminates critical issues related to the sustainability of HPWS.

Keywords: High-performance work systems; Organisational tenure; Engagement; Social exchange; Hedonic adaptation; Workforce differentiation; Talent management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ebhrmp:ebhrm-03-2024-0063

DOI: 10.1108/EBHRM-03-2024-0063

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