This study aims to examine the relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and employee well-being (EW) in the Spanish wine industry, within workplaces increasingly supported by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, analyzing the mediating role of work–life balance (WLB) from a happiness management perspective. Winery age, size and protected designation of origin membership are included as control variables.
A conceptual model grounded in the resource-based view and the ability–motivation–opportunity framework is empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. AI is conceptualized as a contextual enabler that supports the design, coordination and execution of HPWS, rather than as a focal technological variable. The analysis relies on survey data collected from 196 Spanish wineries between September 2022 and January 2023.
The results show that HPWS are positively associated with EW and that WLB is positively related to EW. Moreover, WLB partially mediates the relationship between HPWS and EW, indicating that HPWS contribute to happiness management in wineries operating in digitally supported work environments, fostering more sustainable work–life dynamics under demanding and seasonal working conditions.
First, this study extends HPWS research to a labor-intensive and highly seasonal industry undergoing AI-supported work organization. Second, it advances the happiness management and EW literature by identifying WLB as a mediating mechanism in digitally transforming workplaces. Third, it offers practical insights for designing HR systems that enhance performance and EW in the wine industry.
