LINKING HR PRACTICES AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN THE PRINT MEDIA INDUSTRY: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

The print media industry in India is navigating profound structural disruption precipitated by digital convergence, declining print circulation, fragmented advertising revenues, and escalating talent attrition. Against this backdrop, strategic human resource management (HRM) has emerged as a pivotal determinant of organizational survival and competitive performance. This study investigates the influence of four HR practice dimensions-Employee Training and Upskilling, Leadership Support, Organizational Culture, and Work-Life Balance Practices-on Organizational Performance, with Employee Engagement serving as the mediating variable. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, the study adopts a quantitative cross-sectional design. Primary data were collected from 165 print media professionals employed across editorial, advertising, production, circulation, and digital departments in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics v26, employing Pearson bivariate correlation, multiple regression, and Baron and Kenny's (1986) four-step regression-based mediation procedure. The empirical results demonstrate that all four HR practice dimensions exert significant and positive effects on Employee Engagement. Among the predictors, Organizational Culture (β = 0.281) and Employee Training and Upskilling (β = 0.271) are the most influential, followed by Leadership Support (β = 0.228) and Work-Life Balance Practices (β = 0.217). Employee Engagement, in turn, strongly and significantly predicts Organizational Performance (β = 0.614, R² = 0.377). Mediation analysis reveals partial mediation: the direct effect of HR practices on Organizational Performance diminishes from β = 0.512 to β = 0.295 when Employee Engagement is introduced as a mediator, yet remains statistically significant, confirming that Employee Engagement is a critical yet non-exclusive pathway through which HR investments translate into performance outcomes. The study makes an original contribution to the strategic HRM literature by providing the first sector-specific empirical evidence from the Chennai print media industry and offers actionable guidance for HR practitioners committed to sustaining performance through engagement-centred people management systems.