EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN HIGH-PERFORMANCE WORK PRACTICES AND INNOVATIVE WORK PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION

Abstract

Background: High-Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) are widely recognized as strategic human resource practices that enhance employee capabilities, motivation, and organizational performance. However, limited research has examined how HPWPs influence employees’ innovative work performance, particularly in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector. Moreover, the underlying psychological mechanisms explaining this relationship remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates the impact of HPWPs on innovative work performance, focusing on the mediating role of employee motivation in selected sugar manufacturing companies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Methods: The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and a quantitative survey design. Data were collected from employees working in various departments and job levels in selected sugar mills in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Stratified random sampling was used to ensure proportional representation of employee categories. Five High-Performance Work Practices were examined: recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, training and development, employee involvement, and compensation system. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data, and the responses were analyzed using Statistical Package for the service solutions (SPSS) version 21. Results: The findings revealed that all five High-Performance Work Practices had a significant positive relationship with employees’ innovative work performance. The analysis further indicated that employee motivation significantly mediated the relationship between HPWPs and innovative work performance. This suggests that effective implementation of HR practices enhances innovation primarily by improving employees’ motivation. Conclusion: The study concludes that High-Performance Work Practices play a crucial role in promoting innovative work performance through enhanced employee motivation. The findings contribute to the limited empirical literature on HRM practices and innovation in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector, particularly the sugar industry, and provide practical implications for managers seeking to improve innovation through effective human resource strategies.

Keywords: High-Performance Work Practices, Employee Motivation, Innovative Work Performance, Human Resource Management, Sugar Industry, Pakistan.