Antecedenten van medewerker HR attributies in de HR waardeketen Antecedents of employee HR attributions in the HR value chain

Abstract: For decades, the field of SHRM has conducted a lot of research into the relationship between the presence of HR systems and organizational performance. This process is also referred to as the HR value chain with the presence of HR systems as the start and organization performance as the end of the chain. More insight into intermediate linkages is needed to increase managers understanding how to increase organizational performance through HR systems. Previous studies have shown that employee HR attribution is one of these intermediate linkages. Following this, science has need for more insight into the antecedents of employee attribution. This cross-sectional and multi-level study responds to this need by examining the contribution of line manager HR attribution to employee HR attribution. It is also verified if the quality of communication (Communication) and the quality of the relationship between the line manager and employee (LMX) reinforce this connection. This has resulted in the following research question: What is the influence of line manager HR attributions on employee HR attributions and to what extent is this linkage moderated by communication and LMX? Following previous research this study distinguishes between positive and negative HR attributions. Data for this study were collected from 40 line managers and 239 employee of a non-profit and profit organization, both based in the Netherlands. Respondents completed an online questionnaire. Measured is at the individual level: data from the line managers is disaggregated to employee level. The results of the stepwise regression analysis with additional mediation analysis show that LMX and communication don’t act as moderators, but that the link between positive line manager HR attributions and positive employee HR attributions is mediated by LMX and that the link between negative line manager HR attributions and negative employee HR attributions is mediated by communication. Important conclusions that can be drawn from the data are the following: line manager HR attributions have no direct influence on employee HR attributions (1) and LMX and Communications prove to be major mediators in the linkage between line manager and employee HR attribution in the HR value chain (2). Key words: SHRM, HR attributions, Communication, LM