January 2016

IZA DP No. 9690: When Does HRM 'Work' in Small British Enterprises?

published in: Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 2019, 72 (3), 749-773

Using nationally representative workplace data we find substantial use of high-performance work systems (HPWS) in Britain's small enterprises. We find empirical support for the proposition that HPWS have a non-linear association with employees' overall job attitude, with a positive association apparent where HPWS are used intensively. These associations are robust to factors often cited as obstacles to HPWS implementation such as informality and family ownership.