Corporate responsiveness practices towards employees and operational performance : the moderating role of national level supports

This study investigates the relationship between the corporate responsiveness towards employees and operational performance. Corporate responsiveness towards employees is related to the workers enhancement and their life quality improvement. Specifically, we focus on the adoption of training and work-life balance practices at the organizational level. Further, we consider the moderating role that national level investments, related to education and well-being, may play to enhance the effectiveness of the organizational practices. Specifically, national level moderators are represented by the national expenditure on education and on training for the relationship between organizational training and operational performance and the full rate equivalent total paid leave and the percentage of women manager for the relationship between organizational work-life balance and operational performance. Previous literature about training focus on the distinction between general and specific training; then many authors investigate the impact of training on productivity, wages and performances. Few studies have analyzed the impact of training on operational performances. Work-life balance results indicate that practices impact on productivity, absenteeism, motivation and commitment, therefore improving different corporate performances. Data about organizational practices and operational performance achieved have been gathered through the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey. International institutions (World Bank and OECD) have provided data concerning national investments. Several regression models have been performed to test our hypothesis. The impact of studied practices on operational performances exists only where the country support is considerable. Results show a significant moderation effect of national effort in education in the relationship between organizational training and performance; and of both moderators in the relationship between organizational work-life balance and performance. These results suggest that practices related to corporate responsiveness towards employees positively impact on operational performance if supported by investments at the national level