Exploring the antecedents of high-performance work practices: empirical evidence from Ibero-America
ISSN: 2049-3983
Article publication date: 20 September 2022
Issue publication date: 28 August 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This article analyzes the impact of the national culture, the dependence of the sector of activity on human capital, and the multinational character of the firm involved, on the degree of implementation of high performance work practices (HPWPs) in Ibero-American companies.
Design/methodology/approach
This quantitative study results from a survey of 614 Ibero-American firms, in 6 different countries. Multiple regressions were performed to test the hypothesis proposed.
Findings
HPWPs for employee recruitment and selection have been frequently implemented in Ibero-American countries. Three factors, i.e. national culture, degree of multinationality, and degree of dependence of the sector of activity on human capital, have a strong influence on the degree of implementation of HPWPs in general, at different degrees. For example, recruitment and selection practices are conditioned by the degree of multinationality, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance, while they are not influenced by masculinity and by the sector of activity.
Practical implications
HR managers must align the design and execution of HPWPs with the national culture, and with the characteristics of the sector of activity, they belong to. Domestic companies should also aspire to achieve the higher standards of multinational companies for specific HPWPs.
Originality/value
This study, to the authors’ best knowledge, is the first to provide insights into the influence of the three factors mentioned above on the degree of implementation of HPWPs in Ibero-American firms, using multiple regression analysis. The authors examine in this article a larger set of HPWPs than does most of the existing empirical literature.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The data collection for this research was supported by the Centro Internacional de Investigación de Organizaciones (IRCO) of IESE Business School.
Citation
Gutiérrez-Martínez, I., Sancho y Maldonado, A., Costamagna, R. and Duhamel, F. (2023), "Exploring the antecedents of high-performance work practices: empirical evidence from Ibero-America", Evidence-based HRM, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 352-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBHRM-04-2021-0069
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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