High-Performance Work Systems and Organisational Resilience During Economic Disruption: Evidence from Nigerian Manufacturing Firms

This study examines the relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organisational resilience during periods of macroeconomic disruption in Nigerian manufacturing firms. The Nigerian economy has encountered significant shocks in recent years, including currency devaluation, imported input cost inflation, and energy supply crises, making organisational resilience a critical survival competency. Drawing on a sample of 220 HR managers and operations directors from 30 manufacturing firms across Lagos, Kano, and Aba, the study employs a longitudinal cross-sectional design with data collected at two points twelve months apart. HPWS are operationalised using a 32-item validated bundle encompassing selective staffing, extensive training, performance-contingent pay, and employee empowerment. Resilience is measured through a validated Organisational Resilience Assessment Tool covering adaptive capacity, flexibility, and recovery speed dimensions. Multiple regression and hierarchical moderation analyses are employed. Findings confirm that HPWS significantly and positively predict resilience scores at both measurement points, with the relationship strengthening during periods of acute economic pressure. Training intensity and employee empowerment practices are the HPWS bundles most strongly associated with adaptive capacity. The study also finds that the HPWS-resilience relationship is significantly moderated by leadership quality, with transformational leaders amplifying the resilience benefits of HPWS. Recommendations include the development of resilience-oriented HR bundles and stress-testing HR strategies against disruption scenarios. This study fills an important gap in the HRM resilience literature in Sub-Saharan African manufacturing contexts. Keywords: High-Performance Work Systems, Organisational Resilience, Manufacturing, Economic Disruption, Nigeria.