High-performance work systems in an Arab Middle Eastern context: analysis from multisource data

Purpose The absence of robust information on the application of Human resources managemnet (HRM) practices in the Arab Middle Eastern region has generated an urgent need to understand what and how HRM practices can be used to manage employees in the region. Therefore, building on the social exchange theory and job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this paper proposes a model to examine the effects of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on employees' work-related outcomes, namely, job performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and innovative work behavior (IWB) in a non-industry setting in an Arab Middle Eastern context. In this model, work engagement was theorized to serve as an intervening mechanism among the aforementioned relationships. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 210 academic staff working in the Palestinian higher education sector, together with evaluations from 30 supervisors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data. Findings The results indicate that HPWS positively affect employees' job performance, OCB and IWB. Moreover, work engagement partially mediates these relationships. Practical implications The results can be useful for managers in the Middle East pertaining to the role HPWS can play in boosting employees' job performance, OCB and IWB. Originality/value HRM research in Middle East, although limited, is mainly focused on examining the impact of HPWS on organizational rather than individual outcomes. In response to the scholarly call made on the strong need to conduct more HRM research in the Middle East (Budhwar et al., 2019), this research represents the first study that examines the impact of HPWS on in-role and extra-role performance in an Arab Middle Eastern context. Furthermore, the study contributes to the HRM research by relying on a sample from a non-industry sector rather than a sample from a manufacturing setting. Finally, this research is one of the few studies that explore the outcomes of HPWS in an academic setting through the intervening mechanism of work engagement.