In an experimental and a field study, we examine the influence of employees’ power distance orientation on the relationships between High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs), employee explanation regarding management’s motivation for designing particular HR practices, also known as HR attribution, and employee engagement. Results of the experimental study (n=171) show that power distance orientation weakens the relationships between HPWPs and two higher order HR attributions -commitment and control attributions-, and weakens the relationships between these two higher order attributions and employee engagement. The field study (n=373) replicate the experimental study and show similar results. Our contribution addresses an important gap in existing research by including employees’ power distance orientation as a contingency factor in the so far universalistic approach of the HRM process research. It also provides managers knowledge on how employees’ power distance orientation may influence employee cognition and behaviour when implementing HPWPs.