Professional Service Firms as High Performance Work Systems

Author(s):  
Stephan Kaiser ◽  
Max Josef Ringlstetter
2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Fu ◽  
Patrick C. Flood ◽  
Janine Bosak ◽  
Tim Morris ◽  
Philip O'Regan

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how a system of human resource management (HRM) practices, labelled high-performance work systems (HPWS), influences organizational innovation in professional service firms (PSFs). In this study, innovation in PSFs is seen as an indicator of firm performance and is calculated as the revenue per person generated from new clients and new services, respectively. Design/methodology/approach – Quantitative data were collected from 195 managing partners, HR managers or experienced Partners in 120 Irish accounting firms. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The analysis results indicate strong support for the mediating role of employees’ innovative work behaviours in the relationship between HPWS and two types of PSFs’ innovation performance. Practical implications – Managers need to effectively adopt and implement innovation-based HRM practices to encourage and support employees’ creative thinking and innovation. Through the adoption and utilization of these practices managers can enhance the firm’s innovation and its performance. Originality/value – This study contributes to our understanding of the link between HRM and firm innovation by explicating a pathway between these variables. This study also generalizes consistent findings on the HRM-firm innovation relationship to a different context, i.e. PSFs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Fu ◽  
Patrick C. Flood ◽  
Janine Bosak ◽  
Denise M. Rousseau ◽  
Tim Morris ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 5-22
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Oppong Peprah ◽  

Purpose – This paper investigates the impact that High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS) have on Employee Engagement and the moderating effect of Organizational Justice on this relationship. Research methodology – By the usage of a quantitative research method, data gathered from 251 employees of Professional Service firms are analysed with SPSS. Findings – This study found that there is a positive relationship between HPWS and Employee Engagement. It also found that Organizational Justice moderates the relationship between the two. Research limitations – Data was only gathered at the employee level making the interpretation of HPWS to be how employees perceive it. Hence a further study at the firm level as well as cross-sectional analyses will be needed in the future. Practical implications – Management of firms should avoid a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach in the administration of HR policies and should rather encourage tailor-made treatment for individual employees of the firm. Unfairness is encouraged if the firm is after employee engagement. Originality/Value – This study is one of the first to investigate the moderating effect of organizational justice on the relationship between HPWS and employee engagement and the first to advice firm managers to be unfair in their dealings with individual employees


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-129
Author(s):  
Junaid Rehman ◽  
Igor Hawryszkiewycz ◽  
Osama Sohaib ◽  
Fatuma Namisango

The contribution of professional service firms (PSFs) has always been phenomenal in the knowledge economies. Given the ever-increasing focus on achieving knowledge-based trans-formations, the effectiveness of these firms is highly attributed to the knowledge capabilities embedded in their staff and how efficiently they are utilized in firm's optimal benefit. In view of growing services sector, it is vital for these firms to implement high performance work practices (HPWPs) so as to maintain high-quality services and meet competing client needs. However, the systematic implementation of these practices in the intellectual capital (IC) context is not fully developed. Hence, this research suggests a linkage mechanism on how HPWPs support IC development in the professional service firms. By operationalizing these practices as ability-, motivation-, and opportunity-enhancing bundles, the results indicate a positive effect on intellectual capital and the findings offer practical insights to the managers in service firms on building their knowledge capital and deriving competitive advantage.


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