Can Workforce Agility Reinforce High-Performance Work Systems in KIBS? An Integrated AMO–JD-R Perspective

Abstract

Purpose: The study investigates the association amid Workforce Agility (WFA) and employee perceived High-Performance Work System (HPWS) highlighting Employee Resilience (ER) as a mediator while Employee Experience (EE) as a boundary condition in knowledge intensive business service (KIBS) organizations, built on the AMO and JD-R framework.

Methodology: Study employed sequential exploratory mixed-methods approach (exploratory qualitative phase followed by quantitative assessment). Initially, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 employees from leading KIBS organizations in south India., to gain contextual insights and refine the questionnaire items. Further, a quantitative study employing a three-wave-time lagged survey was conducted among 350 employees to reduce common method bias. Research model was analysed using SPSS, AMOS and PROCESS macro (Model 14).

Findings: The results show that WFA improves HPWS through ER, with the effect becoming stronger at higher level of employee experience. The results highlights that resilience is a key mechanism linking workforce agility and performance system.

Novelty:  The study suggest that organizations should develop HR practice that build adaptability and resilience, while tailoring strategies based on experience levels. The novelty of the study is exploring the employee resilience and experiences as mediating and moderating mechanism between WFA and HPWS.