TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine “black box” links between HRM innovations and organizational performance by investigating the perspective of a workforce often excluded from the HR realm. Professional Independent Contractors (IPros) play a vital role in achieving workforce flexibility and innovation. While the use of such arrangements has been examined often using a compliance-oriented lens, the authors explore the value of adding a commitment aspect.Design/methodology/approach In total, 375 IPros working in Australian organizations completed an online questionnaire distributed by a national business support services provider.Findings Results show organizational support significantly predicted work engagement and affective commitment. Self-efficacy, age and gender were also significant predictors.Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional nature of this study and reliance on self-reported data limit the reliability of the findings. In addition, the findings may be specific to the Australian labor market.Practical implications The study present the views of a difficult to reach population and the findings suggest by adopting an innovative hybrid commitment-compliance HR configuration, practitioners may positively increase desirable contractor outcomes.Social implications Concerns that organizational imperatives for efficiency, quality and high performance will be compromised by considering the human side of non-employee work arrangements are not supported. Indeed, as previously outlined, much of the concern with the employee/non-employee dichotomy is legally based and an artefact of a system of labor law that in many settings has failed to move with the times.Originality/value Few investigations of the impact of high commitment HRM practices have incorporated the perspective of professional, non-employees. While IPros are recipients of compliance focused contractor management practices, carefully integrated commitment-based HRM aspects have the potential to deliver positive outcomes for both individuals and organizations.
VL  - 46
IS  - 7
SN  - 0048-3486
DO  - 10.1108/PR-09-2016-0256
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2016-0256
AU  - McKeown Tui
AU  - Cochrane Robyn
PY  - 2017
Y1  - 2017/01/01
TI  - Independent professionals and the potential for HRM innovation
T2  - Personnel Review
PB  - Emerald Publishing Limited
SP  - 1414
EP  - 1433
Y2  - 2024/04/26
ER  -