ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of human resource practices (HRPs) in contributing to high-performance workplace outcomes. Drawing on more than forty years of research in human resource management (HRM) and industrial relations (IR), this chapter explores the origins of the ‘high-performance workplace’ concept, the various mechanisms through which HRPs and employment arrangements have been shown to drive organisational performance – most notably productivity, financial performance, and innovation. Having established this as a core proposition, ways in which more contradictory effects have been evident, along with a brief examination of why high-performance HRPs are less diffused than might be expected. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the practical implications for implementing high-performance HRPs that yield positive outcomes in a sustainable way.
