The role of inter-team relational coordination in the high-performance work systems–team performance linkage

Abstract

Building mainly upon the resource-based theory, social exchange theory, and relational theory, this paper integrates three research streams that propose how human capital, affective commitment, and inter-team relational coordination relate to each other in the mediation between high-performance work systems (HPWSs) and team performance. Questionnaires were distributed to employees and supervisors in 189 teams from different companies in Chile to test a sequential mediation model of the HPWS–team performance relationship, using the mediation paths of human capital and affective commitment as antecedents of inter-team relational coordination. Structural Equation Modeling is used to assess whether data support the hypothesized pathways. Results support a mediated sequential path in which HPWSs influence human capital and affective commitment, which in turn affect inter-team relational coordination, while the three mediators influence team performance. Furthermore, post-hoc analyses suggest that the Opportunities component of the Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) model of human resource practices has a stronger and direct impact on the inter-team relational coordination mediation path than the abilities and motivation components of the AMO model. This study contributes to the understanding of how human capital, affective commitment and inter-team relational coordination relate to each other within the mediation of HPWSs–team performance relationship.

Keywords:

• High-performance work systems (HPWSs)
• relational coordination
• human capital
• affective commitment

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editor Jim Arrowhead and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on previous drafts that significantly enhanced the quality of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.