The innovative behavior of IT employees is crucial for smartphone companies to gain a competitive edge in both the Chinese and international markets. This paper reviews the relationship between High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and the innovative behavior of IT employees in the Chinese smartphone industry. The review of previous studies indicates that the relationship between HPWS and employee innovation (IWB) is dialectical, particularly for knowledge-based and technical IT employees. Our study confirms the necessity for future empirical research to further explore the specific relationship between HPWS and IWB.