Impact of Innovation-oriented HRM System on Perceived Coworker Support, Absorptive Capacity, Employee Satisfaction, and Performance in Nigerian Airport Industry

In the tourism and hospitality industry, the airport is the first and last point of tourist contact in any country. The passenger-contact employees generally give an impression about not only their organization but also the country; as such, it is imperative to understand factors that affect their satisfaction because a satisfied employee is a satisfied customer. Therefore, it is essential to investigate how the organizational domain of the industry can affect employee performance as this reflects on employee satisfaction. Using Ability‐Motivation‐Opportunity (AMO) Theory and Organizational Support Theory (OST), this dissertation the influence of innovation-oriented human resource system on employee satisfaction and performance in Nigerian international airports. Using a three time-lagged design with a one-week interval, a total number of 300 questionnaires were distributed to passenger-contact employees and their managers, and a total of 247 were used for the data analysis. Results from data analysis showed that co-worker support and absorptive capacity mediate the impact of innovation-based human resources management (HRM) on employee satisfaction and performance. Theory-based implications for managers of passenger-contact employees as well as contributions for literature were also given. A significant strength of this study is that it is among the forerunners of scholars that investigated innovation-based HRM as a continuum rather than different aspects of broader management issues. Keywords: Innovation-based HRM; employee performance; employee satisfaction; absorptive capacity; Nigeria.