The challenge of increasing employees' well‐being and performance: How human resource management practices and engaging leadership work together toward reaching this goal

Abstract Despite continuing interest in employees' well‐being, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the mediating role this concept plays in the human resource management (HRM)–performance relationship. In addition, more insights as to how HRM is implemented by leaders are required, as studies largely center either on leadership or on HRM, with little research addressing how HRM and leadership jointly determine employees' well‐being and performance. This study examines the link between well‐being‐oriented human resource management (WBHRM) and performance in a sample of very large organizations, based on the job demands–resource model and social exchange theory. In addition, we explore the moderating role of middle managers' leadership in the relationship between WBHRM and employees' well‐being. The results reveal that engaging leadership behavior fosters genuine implementation of WBHRM and has a direct impact on employees' performance.