‘High potential’ programs: Let's hear it for ‘B’ players

•In this conceptual paper, we integrate talent management (TM), strategic human resource management (SHRM) and organizational behaviour (OB) literatures (i.e., trust, justice, and motivation), and propose various theoretical linkages by elucidating how high potential (HiPo) programs may influence ‘B’ players’ attitudes and behaviours.•Since differentiated HR practices may entice negative feelings among non-privileged employees, in this context we propose that trust creates a condition under which different meta-features of HiPo programs may result in less unfavourable attributions of such programs among ‘B’ players. Additionally, we argue that for ‘B’ players having certain motivation profiles, HiPo programs might be a motivating factor to work harder so that they become a part of a group of ‘A’ players.•We attempt to extend the literature on talent management by paying exclusive attention to a non-traditional group of employees (i.e., ‘B’ players) which remains underexplored in the literature.•We put forth several propositions that set the stage for future empirical research on HiPo programs and its impact on employee outcomes as recent scholars lament that the field of talent management needs more empirical work.

Organizations implement ‘high potential’ (HiPo) programs to identify, develop and retain their most talented employees (also known as ‘A’ players). However, there is still not much known on how these programs affect other employees (i.e., ‘B’ players) who are not included. Drawing on Bowen and Ostroff's (2004) framework on the strength of HRM system and attribution theory, we theoretically examine the impact of HiPo programs on ‘B’ players’ attitudes and behaviours. Specifically, we propose that ‘B’ players use various information and contextual cues to make attributions about these programs. We also propose that trust moderates the relationship between various meta-features of HiPo programs and ‘B’ players' perceptions about these programs. Further, we examine the role of an employee's motivation profile (i.e., achievement motivation and power motivation) in forming his/her attributions about these programs, which then affects his/her commitment and organizational citizenship behaviours. Future research directions and practical implications are presented.