Beyond mutual gains and conflicting outcomes: a functional ambivalence perspective on high-performance work systems

Abstract

To shed new light on the nature and influence of high-performance work systems (HPWS), this study investigates the relationships between ability-, motivation- and opportunity-enhancing (AMO) bundles of HPWS and employee psychological well-being - measured as work engagement–via two psychological pathways: employee self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion. The study analyzes data from Russian employees working in domestic (n = 403) and foreign-owned (n = 110) firms. The study offers partial support for the conflicting outcomes perspective on HPWS. It explains these mixed findings by highlighting the intended and unintended consequences of organizational interventions. The study provides initial evidence for a contingency perspective on HPWS effects by extending the analysis of employee resources and well-being to the high-power-distance context of Russia and examining whether these effects vary by organizational ownership (domestic versus foreign-owned).