High-investment human resource practices and firm performance in the context of national education systems and labor markets: A cross-national meta-analysis

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Han, Joo Hun; Kang, Saehee; Allen, David G.; Pan, Yan
• 署名单位: Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST); State University System of Florida; Florida State University; Texas Christian University; University of Hong Kong
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-026-00839-w
• 发表日期: 2026
• 关键词: ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES; WORK SYSTEM; HRM; flexibility; subsidiaries; unemployment; BUSINESS; culture

摘要

Organizations-especially multinational corporations (MNCs)-do not always realize comparable performance gains from investing in people across national borders. Prior research has attempted to explain such variation in the effects of high-investment human resource practices (HIHRPs) by emphasizing their fit with national cultural values, yet empirical support for this cultural fit perspective has been limited. To address this gap, we focus on national institutional factors that more directly shape how HIHRPs influence performance. Drawing on human capital resources (HCR) theory and institutional perspectives in International Business (IB), we identify two institutional conditions-national education quality and labor market flexibility-that moderate HIHRP effectiveness. We theorize that high-quality education systems enhance the HIHRPs-performance relationship by supplying workers with strong general human capital and that this effect is amplified in flexible labor markets where employees are motivated to contribute. A meta-analysis of 1,285 effect sizes from 170,938 organizations across 29 countries offers nuanced evidence: HIHRPs were more effective when national education quality and labor market flexibility were both high or both low than when they were mismatched. These findings advance comparative and strategic HRM research and guide organizations about how comprehensively or selectively to invest in managing people in what institutional contexts. Les organisations - en particulier les entreprises multinationales (Multinational Corporations - MNCs) - ne r & eacute;alisent pas toujours des gains de performance comparables lorsqu'elles investissent dans le capital humain & agrave; travers les fronti & egrave;res nationales. Des recherches ant & eacute;rieures ont tent & eacute; d'expliquer une telle variation dans les impacts des pratiques de travail & agrave; fort investissement (High-Investment Human Resource Practices - HIHRPs), et cela en mettant l'accent sur leur ad & eacute;quation avec les valeurs culturelles nationales. Restent pourtant encore limit & eacute;es les & eacute;vidences empiriques & agrave; l'appui de cette perspective d'ad & eacute;quation culturelle. Pour combler cette lacune, nous nous concentrons sur les facteurs institutionnels nationaux qui fa & ccedil;onnent plus directement la mani & egrave;re dont les HIHRPs influencent la performance. Nous appuyant sur la th & eacute;orie des ressources en capital humain et les perspectives institutionnelles dans le domaine des affaires internationales, nous identifions deux conditions institutionnelles - la qualit & eacute; de l'& eacute;ducation nationale et la flexibilit & eacute; du march & eacute; du travail - qui mod & egrave;rent l'efficacit & eacute; des HIHRPs. Nous th & eacute;orisons que des syst & egrave;mes & eacute;ducatifs de haute qualit & eacute; renforcent la relation entre les HIHRPs et la performance en fournissant aux travailleurs un capital humain g & eacute;n & eacute;ral solide, et que cet impact est amplifi & eacute; dans des march & eacute;s du travail flexibles o & ugrave; les employ & eacute;s sont motiv & eacute;s & agrave; contribuer. Une m & eacute;ta-analyse de 1285 tailles d'effet provenant de 170938 organisations dans 29 pays apporte des preuves nuanc & eacute;es : les HIHRPs & eacute;taient plus efficaces lorsque la qualit & eacute; de l'& eacute;ducation nationale et la flexibilit & eacute; du march & eacute; du travail & eacute;taient toutes deux & eacute;lev & eacute;es ou toutes deux faibles que lorsqu'elles & eacute;taient mal appari & eacute;es. Ces r & eacute;sultats font progresser la recherche comparative et strat & eacute;gique en gestion des ressources humaines, et apportent aux organisations des renseignements sur la mani & egrave;re d'investir de mani & egrave;re globale ou s & eacute;lective dans la gestion des personnes en fonction des contextes institutionnels. Las organizaciones, especialmente las corporaciones multinacionales (MNCs), no siempre obtienen mejoras comparables en el desempe & ntilde;o al invertir en personas m & aacute;s all & aacute; de las fronteras nacionales. Investigaciones previas han intentado explicar esta variaci & oacute;n en los efectos de las pr & aacute;cticas laborales de alta inversi & oacute;n (HIHRPs pro sus iniciales en ingl & eacute;s) enfatizando su alineaci & oacute;n con los valores culturales nacionales; sin embargo, el apoyo emp & iacute;rico para esta perspectiva de ajuste cultural ha sido limitado. Para abordar esta brecha, nos enfocamos en factores institucionales nacionales que moldean de manera m & aacute;s directa c & oacute;mo las HIHRPs influyen en el desempe & ntilde;o. Bas & aacute;ndonos en la teor & iacute;a de los recursos de capital humano (HCR) y en perspectivas institucionales en Negocios Internacionales (IB), identificamos dos condiciones institucionales (la calidad de la educaci & oacute;n nacional y la flexibilidad del mercado laboral) que moderan la efectividad de las HIHRPs. Planteamos que los sistemas educativos de alta calidad mejoran la relaci & oacute;n entre las HIHRPs y el desempe & ntilde;o al proporcionar a los trabajadores un s & oacute;lido capital humano general, y que este efecto se amplifica en mercados laborales flexibles donde los empleados est & aacute;n motivados a contribuir. Un metaan & aacute;lisis de 1.285 tama & ntilde;os de efecto provenientes de 170.938 organizaciones en 29 pa & iacute;ses ofrece evidencia matizada: las HIHRPs fueron m & aacute;s efectivas cuando la calidad de la educaci & oacute;n nacional y la flexibilidad del mercado laboral eran ambas altas o ambas bajas, en comparaci & oacute;n con cuando estaban desalineadas. Estos hallazgos avanzan la investigaci & oacute;n en gesti & oacute;n de recursos humanos comparativa y estrat & eacute;gica, orientan a las organizaciones sobre c & oacute;mo invertir de manera integral o selectiva en la gesti & oacute;n de personas seg & uacute;n los contextos institucionales. Organiza & ccedil;& otilde;es-especialmente corpora & ccedil;& otilde;es multinacionais (MNCs)-nem sempre apreendem compar & aacute;veis frutos de desempenho ao investir em pessoas em diferentes pa & iacute;ses. Pesquisas anteriores tentaram explicar essa varia & ccedil;& atilde;o nos efeitos das pr & aacute;ticas de trabalho de alto investimento (HIHRPs) enfatizando sua compatibilidade com valores culturais nacionais, mas o suporte emp & iacute;rico para essa perspectiva de adequa & ccedil;& atilde;o cultural tem sido limitado. Para abordar essa lacuna, focamos em fatores institucionais nacionais que moldam de forma mais direta como HIHRPs influenciam o desempenho. Com base na teoria de recursos de capital humano (HCR) e nas perspectivas institucionais em Neg & oacute;cios Internacionais (IB), identificamos duas condi & ccedil;& otilde;es institucionais-qualidade da educa & ccedil;& atilde;o nacional e flexibilidade do mercado de trabalho-que moderam a efic & aacute;cia de HIHRPs. Teorizamos que sistemas educacionais de alta qualidade fortalecem a rela & ccedil;& atilde;o entre HIHRPs e desempenho ao equipar trabalhadores com um forte capital humano geral e que esse efeito & eacute; amplificado em mercados de trabalho flex & iacute;veis, em que funcion & aacute;rios s & atilde;o motivados a contribuir. Uma meta-an & aacute;lise de 1.285 tamanhos de efeito de 170.938 organiza & ccedil;& otilde;es em 29 pa & iacute;ses oferece sutil evid & ecirc;ncia: HIHRPs foram mais eficazes quando a qualidade da educa & ccedil;& atilde;o nacional e a flexibilidade do mercado de trabalho eram ambas altas ou ambas baixas, em compara & ccedil;& atilde;o com quando estavam desalinhadas. Esses achados avan & ccedil;am a pesquisa em gest & atilde;o de recursos humanos comparada e estrat & eacute;gica e orientam organiza & ccedil;& otilde;es sobre como investir de forma abrangente ou seletiva na gest & atilde;o de pessoas em diferentes contextos institucionais. (sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(MNCs), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(HIHRPs)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)HIHRP(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(HCR)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(IB)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)HIHRP(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)--(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)HIHRP(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)29(sic)(sic)(sic)170,938(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)1,285(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic):HIHRP(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).