High-performance Work Systems Are not Always Beneficial: Their Interaction with Network Building

Past research has found ample evidence that high-performance work systems (HPWSs) positively affect organizational performance (Combs, Liu, Hall, & Ketchen, 2006). However, this research has scarcely considered absenteeism as a focal outcome of interest. Drawing upon social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) and the literature on positive social interactions (Heaphy & Dutton, 2008), we develop a theoretical model for why HPWSs may have beneficial and detrimental effects on organizational-level absenteeism. Using a multi-source study with time-lagged field data, comprising 163 organizations with 15,440 employees, we found full support for our hypothesized model. Our paper challenges the assumption that HPWSs are always beneficial, and extends prior literature on HR practices, absenteeism, and positive organizational scholarship.