The mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between high-performance work practices and job outcomes of employees in Nigeria

Purpose This paper aims to examine work engagement as a mediator of the effects of selective staffing, job security, teamwork and career opportunities as the indicators of high-performance work practices on absence intentions, service recovery and creative performances. Design/methodology/approach Data came from 287 frontline employee–supervisor dyads in the international chain hotels in Nigeria. The direct and mediating effects were assessed using structural equation modeling. The Sobel test was also used to test the significance of each mediating effect. Findings The results demonstrate that the simultaneous implementation of selective staffing, job security, teamwork and career opportunities fosters work engagement that in turn leads to reduced absence intentions and results in service recovery and creative performances at elevated levels. Practical implications The presence of selective staffing, job security, teamwork and career opportunities enables management to hire individuals high in work engagement. Management should obtain significant feedback about new service ideas and suggestions for novel customer problems through workshops in which employees effectively participate. Management may also let employees with poor performance leave the organization rather than wasting organizational resources to retain them. Originality/value Little is known about the underlying mechanism through which high-performance work practices are linked to organizationally relevant and valued attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.