High Performance Work Systems: Exciting Discovery or Passing Fad?

Recently, several organizations reported implementing high performance work systems, with remarkable success. These HPWSs, as they are becoming known (as defined by Nadler, 1989), are primarily aimed at improving the organization's financial and operational performance. A survey of 39 organizations was conducted to examine the antecedents, the design, and the overall effectiveness of these initiatives. Results indicate that HPWSs that create a change in the organization's cultural behavior (e.g., cooperation, innovation) and people management practices (e.g., reward and selection systems) can positively impact the financial and operational performance