Аннотация:Theory building has lagged on the intermediate linkages responsible for the relationship between HRM and firm performance. We introduce the construct "strength of the HRM system" and describe the meta-features of an HRM system that result in a strong organizational climate, analogous to Mischel's "strong situation," in which individuals share a common interpretation of what behaviors are expected and rewarded. The strength of the HRM system can help explain how individual employee attributes accumulate to affect organizational effectiveness.