Towards employee-centric HR: Understanding the link between opportunity-enhancing HR practices and employee taking charge at work

BackgroundOpportunity-enhancing HR practices have been linked to positive employee outcomes, yet less is known about how these practices motivate employees to take charge at work. Understanding how and under what conditions opportunity-enhancing HR practices influence employees taking charge remains an important gap.ObjectiveThis study investigates how opportunity-enhancing HR practices foster employees taking charge through the sequential roles of signature strengths use and harmonious passion. In addition, this study examines how calling orientation acts as a strengthening mechanism.MethodsData were collected from 324 matched supervisor-employee dyads. The proposed model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) in Mplus.ResultsResults demonstrate that opportunity-enhancing HR practices positively enhance employees' taking charge behavior through the sequential mediation of signature strengths use and harmonious passion. Furthermore, an employee's calling orientation significantly strengthens the indirect serial moderated mediated relationship.ConclusionsThis study extends the "work" literature by identifying the specific psychological mechanisms-signature strengths use, and harmonious passion-through which opportunity-enhancing HR practices encourage employees to take charge at work. In addition, calling orientation enhances the indirect effects, showing that employees high in calling respond more positively. This helps organizations design HR practices that better activate employees' strengths and motivation, encouraging them to take charge.