HRM Practices and Work Outcomes : The Role of Basic Need Satisfaction

Integrating soft HRM and self-determination theory, we propose a model in which the presence of five HRM practices and the degree to which an employees’ talents, interests, and expectations are taken into account within these practices influence work outcomes through basic need satisfaction. Data gathered from 5749 Belgian employees showed that different HRM practices satisfy the three basic needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence and that the degree to which the individual is taken into account generally has an additional positive effect. Moreover, basic need satisfaction positively influences affective organizational commitment and work engagement, and subsequently lowers turnover intention. These findings indicate that (1) basic need satisfaction is an important, but neglected, mediating variable in the HRM-performance relationship and that (2) bearing in mind individual talents, interests, and expectations of employees within HRM practices may matter equally or more than their mere presence