Abstract:
The advocates of the configurational perspective view high-performance
work systems (HPWS) as a complementary bundle of strategically
driven and contextually specified human resource management practices
that leads to employee and organisational performance through positive
attitudinal outcomes. A study of the contemporary context could better
configure the HPWS bundle for any industry undergoing significant transitions.
Australia's higher education (HE) sector has observed significant
changes since 2009 that have potentially redefined how human resource
(HR) management practices interact and counteract within the system. No
study to date has explored these changes and their impact on the HPWS
configurations in the Australian HE industry. This study explores the
changes in the Australian HE sector in recent years and identifies their
strategic HR implications through a systematic review of the literature.
The result will benefit the key decision-makers to configure the bundle of
HPWS by confirming the external and internal fit within the transitional
context of the Australian HE sector. Future researchers can use the proposed
framework to design empirical studies in similar contexts.
