Purpose

In the literature, evidence is to be found of the positive effect of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) on innovation in firms. However, innovation is enabled by not only human resources but also digital technology, and scholars have called for further investigation into the interplay between digital technology and HRM systems. Drawing on signalling theory and HPWSs research, the purpose of this study is to explore the moderating role of digital technologies in the relationship between HPWSs and innovation in the firm and consider employee participation as an additional conditioning factor.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses data from the European Company Suvery 2019 administered in a sample of more than 20,000 European establishments and applies logistic regression with a three-way interaction.

Findings

HPWSs underpin product and process innovation. Moreover, this study shows that in firms with low levels of employee participation, digital technology enhances the effect of HPWSs on innovation, while in firms with high levels of employee participation, this effect is reduced.

Originality/value

This study enriches the scholarly discussion about the link between HPWSs and innovation in the firm, by investigating in theoretical and empirical terms the moderating effect of digital technology, underlining that either positive or negative synergistic effects are possible. By adding employee participation to the analysis, the authors cast light on an important boundary condition for understanding when the synergic effects become more prominent. This intends to respond to recent calls from scholars and practitioners for more insight into the precise nature of the synergies between HPWSs and digital technology on innovation in the firm, with important implications for management.

中文翻译：

---

高绩效工作系统和公司创新：数字技术和员工参与的调节作用。来自欧洲的证据

目的

在文献中，可以找到高绩效工作系统（HPWS）对企业创新产生积极影响的证据。然而，创新不仅需要人力资源，还需要数字技术，学者们呼吁进一步研究数字技术与人力资源管理系统之间的相互作用。本研究的目的是利用信号理论和 HPWS 研究，探讨数字技术在 HPWS 与公司创新之间关系中的调节作用，并将员工参与视为额外的调节因素。

设计/方法论/途径

本研究使用欧洲公司 Suvery 2019 对 20,000 多家欧洲企业样本进行管理的数据，并应用三向交互的逻辑回归。

发现

HPWS 支撑产品和流程创新。此外，本研究表明，在员工参与水平较低的公司中，数字技术增强了 HPWS 对创新的影响，而在员工参与水平较高的公司中，这种影响则减弱。

原创性/价值

本研究通过从理论和实证角度研究数字技术的调节作用，丰富了关于 HPWS 与公司创新之间联系的学术讨论，强调积极或消极的协同效应都是可能的。通过在分析中加​​入员工参与，作者揭示了一个重要的边界条件，有助于理解协同效应何时变得更加突出。此举旨在回应学者和从业者最近的呼吁，即更深入地了解 HPWS 和数字技术对公司创新的协同作用的确切性质，这对管理具有重要意义。