Coming to work with an illness: the role of high-involvement work systems and individual competence on presenteeism

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the effect of high-involvement work systems (HIWSs) on completing work and avoiding distraction as two dimensions of presenteeism. It also investigates competence as a mediator of the effect of HIWS on presenteeism.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 343 Bangladeshi bank employees using an online survey. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess the abovementioned linkages.FindingsThe findings demonstrate HIWS directly avoid distraction but do not significantly impact the completing work dimension of presenteeism. The findings also indicate that competence mediates the effect of HIWS on completing work but not on avoiding distraction.Originality/valueDrawing on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study empirically demonstrates the contrasting role of HIWS in completing work and avoiding distraction related to presenteeism. It also provides a novel perspective on the unexplored mediating mechanism of competence on the relationship between HIWS and presenteeism and offers new directions for HIWS and presenteeism research.

Editorial: The role of social dialogue in return to work after chronic conditions

“…Finally, Islam et al .’s (2024) paper, “Coming to work with an illness: the role of high-involvement work systems and individual competence on presenteeism”, examines the relationship between high involvement work systems (HIWS) and two dimensions of presenteeism by identifying competence as a mediator using the job demands-resources model (JD-R model). Presenteeism is defined as continuing to work despite health concerns.…”

The mediating role of employee commitment in the relationship between compensation system and turnover intentions

“…Researchers have shown that rewards and recognition are crucial factors influencing affective commitment, work engagement and turnover intention (Islam et al. , 2023a, b). This idea is based on the social exchange theory and a “psychological contract” between employer and employee (Rousseau, 1995; Newman and Sheikh, 2012).…”

“…According to SamGnanakkan (2010), high-involvement HR practices enhanced employee retention, and beneficial actions directed towards employees should obligate employees to reciprocate positively. Such HR practices, where rewards are also recognized (Islam et al ., 2023b), may reinforce the employees’ beliefs that the organization values their contributions and cares about their well-being, which in turn reduces turnover intentions among employees (SamGnanakkan, 2010, p. 50).…”

“…Based on different theoretical perspectives, human resource management (HRM) practices have a great influence on turnover intentions in different contexts (Bambacas and Kulik, 2013; Maneesatitya and Fongsuwan, 2014; Tumi et al ., 2022). Researchers in HRM demonstrated the importance of human resource management in terms of how HRM can enhance employees’ commitment by increasing their level of commitment to an organization, and thus leading to High Commitment HRM (HCHRM) (Gould-Williams et al ., 2014), as a set of HRM practices that affected employee commitment (Farndale et al ., 2011), where employee compensation (rewards) were seen as an integral part of high-involvement work systems (Islam et al ., 2023b). Also, the resource-based theory states that “firms can develop sustained competitive advantage only by creating value in a way that is rare and difficult for competitors to imitate” (Becker and Gerhart, 1996; Gerhart and Feng, 2021).…”