High-performance work systems and supervisor support as drivers of task and contextual performance: evidence from Ghana’s mining industry

Abstract

This study investigates the joint influence of high-performance work systems (HPWS) and supervisor support (SS) on task and contextual performance (CP) within Ghana’s mining sector. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 428 employees from three major mining companies in Ghana. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test direct and interaction effects among HPWS, SS, task performance (TP) and CP. The results show that HPWS significantly enhance both task and CP. SS directly improves these performance dimensions and strengthens the positive effects of HPWS. These findings highlight the complementary role of structural and socioemotional job resources in translating HR systems into performance outcomes in resource-intensive settings. Organisations seeking to maximise the benefits of HPWS should strengthen supervisors’ interpretive and relational roles in HR implementation. Supervisors must be trained to communicate HR policies in ways that foster perceived organisational support and genuine employee motivation. This study advances JD-R theory by positioning SS as a socioemotional amplifier of structural job resources. It clarifies how HR systems operate under high job demands and provides empirical evidence from Africa’s mining industry, where such relationships are underexplored.