Strategic Human Resource Management Interventions and Employee Well-Being Outcomes: An Empirical Examination of Organisational Commitment and Quality of Life in the IT and Healthcare Sectors

Strategic human resource management; Employee well-being; Organisational commitment; Quality of life; IT and healthcare sectors

While strategic human resource management (SHRM) interventions have been found to have a strong influence on employee well-being, there is not much empirical evidence to support the connection between SHRM practices and organisational commitment and quality of life, especially between contrasting organizations like information technology (IT) and healthcare. In this study, the effects of selected SHRM interventions, namely high-performance work systems, employee involvement programmes, developmental HR practices and work–life balance policies, on two specific outcomes of well-being, namely an employee's organisational commitment, and the quality of life of employees in the IT and healthcare sectors, are examined empirically. Based on the resource-based view and social exchange theory, a cross sectional survey design was used. A total of 412 full-time employees (218 IT companies vs 194 health care organisations) were recruited and completed validated, multi-item scales. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypothesized relationships and for sectoral differences using multi-group analysis. Results show that SHRM interventions have positive and significant impact on both organisational commitment and quality of life. There is a partial mediation between SHRM interventions and quality of life in the case of organisational commitment. Based on sectoral comparisons, the impact of work–life balance and employee involvement practices on quality of life are more evident in the healthcare sector, while in the IT sector, the developmental practices and high-performance systems have comparatively stronger associations with commitment. The results reveal the contingency of the effectiveness of SHRM and the importance of sector-specific programme design of human resources interventions. The study also adds to the body of SHRM and well-being literature by providing empirical evidence from two knowledge- and care-intensive industries, and offers managers some practical suggestions for improving employee commitment and quality of life through strategic human resource initiatives. Directions for future multi-level and longitudinal studies and limitations are mentioned.