Product and service complexity and high performance work practices in the aerospace industry

Offering products or services with high specification and complexity is often used as a competitive business strategy for organizations that cannot compete on cost. Theories on high performance work practices suggest that the combination of high employee involvement and aligned human resources and industrial relations allows firms to achieve higher performance. This study explores the adoption of such work practices in the UK aerospace industry. The results are based on responses from 225 firms across the value chain, ranging from service providers and systems integrators to component and material suppliers. The study identifies relevant work practices at each level of product and service complexity and discusses the varying needs firms have depending on their product offerings, and the implications on their work practices.