Explaining the paradoxical outcomes of high-performance work systems: a systematic review of dual pathways and boundary conditions

High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS) have long been examined as strategic human resource systems that enhance employee capabilities and organizational performance. However, evidence also suggests that HPWS may generate work intensification, stress, burnout and risks to employee well-being under certain conditions. This study integrates bibliometric analysis and a systematic literature review to synthesize the development, theoretical foundations, outcome pathways and boundary conditions in HPWS research. Using Scopus as the primary database, this study reviews 265 open-access journal articles published between 2010 and 2026. Bibliometric analysis was conducted using Biblioshiny/Bibliometrix, while thematic coding classified articles into resource-gain, resource-loss and dual/mixed. The findings show that HPWS research has shifted from a dominant HRM–performance orientation toward broader attention to employee engagement, well-being, burnout, emotional exhaustion, innovation and organizational resilience. The thematic synthesis indicates that the literature is dominated by the resource-gain pathway, followed by dual/mixed outcomes, while evidence of the resource-loss pathway remains limited. AMO, Social Exchange Theory and the Resource-Based View explain the resource-building and strategic value mechanisms of HPWS, whereas Job Demands–Resources Theory and Conservation of Resources Theory explain pressure, burnout and resource depletion. Boundary conditions are mapped through the IGLO framework by highlighting individual, group, leader and organizational factors that shape HPWS outcomes. This review contributes by positioning HPWS as a conditional work system that can generate benefits, costs, or both, depending on mechanisms, employee interpretations, implementation quality and contextual fit.