High-Performance Human Resource Practices and Team Job Satisfaction: Moderating Role of Team Citizenship Behaviors

Strategic human resource management literature has highlighted the role of high performance work systems as a set of workplace practices that enhance employee productivity and organizational performance. While the high performance literature has been around for over two decades now, research in this area has been staggered, and inconclusive about the organizational variables that comprise high performance work practices, as well as the effects of these practices on organizational outcomes - especially attitudinal employee outcomes such as job satisfaction and commitment. By creating an environment of empowerment and teamwork, high performance work practices motivate employees to perform better. One of the ways in which these workplace practices achieve higher performance is by eliciting discretionary, or extra-role behaviors, from employees. Using foundational research from the high performance paradigm, this paper examines the effects of team-level strategic HR practices on job satisfaction. Analyses of data collected from 138 frontline teams in US Midwestern hospitals, show that while self-managed work teams and team communication result in higher job satisfaction for members, this effect is mitigated when team members display organizational citizenship behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.