How HR practice, work engagement and job crafting influence employee performance

Purpose Scholars have adopted different theoretical perspectives to explain the influence of HR practice on employee outcomes. However, few studies have investigated the role of human resource (HR) practice in fostering higher in-role and extra-role employee performance by encouraging employee participation in job design, a process referred to as job crafting. Drawing on human resource management (HRM) process theory and the job crafting literature, this study aims to examine how work engagement and job crafting mediate the relationship between employee perceptions of HR practice and employee performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors use survey on a sample of 455 employees working in five Chinese manufacturing firms to test their theoretical model. Findings This study finds that where management maintains a strong HR system, employees are more likely to be engaged in their work and participate in job crafting. In addition, job crafting on its own, and work engagement and job crafting together, are shown to mediate the HRM–performance relationship. Research limitations/implications In a Chinese context, line managers (including supervisors) are both important implementers of HR policy and vary in their adoption of particular roles. Yet our research did not consider the role of these persons in facilitating work engagement or job crafting. Future studies could usefully explore how these managers vary in their attitudes towards job crafting and the roles they play in encouraging this important activity. Practical implications One important implication is that strong HR system with distinctive, consistent and consensus HR practices should be used by managers to motivate employees to encourage work engagement and job crafting behaviours. Originality/value This study enriches the theoretical framework to explain the underlying mechanism between HRM and employee performance from job crafting perspective.