High involvement work systems and organizational performance: the role of knowledge combination capability and interaction orientation

Abstract

This study provides a theoretical model illustrating how high involvement work systems (HIWS) influence organizational performance on the knowledge combination capability perspective based on the resource-based view. We collected data from employees and managers from a sample of 147 companies, which had a total of 739 employees and 471 middle/high level managers. Our results indicate that HIWS had a significant and positive relation with organizational performance, and knowledge combination capability fully mediated its relationship. We also find that interaction orientation positively moderates the relationship between HIWS and knowledge combination capability. In addition, interaction orientation positively moderates the indirect effect of HIWS on organization creativity through knowledge combination capability. We discuss the theoretical contribution and practical implications and future studies.

Keywords:

• High involvement work systems
• knowledge combination capability
• interaction orientation
• organizational performance

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the associate editor and reviewers for their advices.

Additional information

Funding

This study is granted by the funds of Ministry of Education of Humanities and Social Science project (17YJC630126) and NSFC (NO. 71772183; NO. 71572105)