Although there has been discussion about the possibility that individual characteristics may play a meaningful role in the relationship between high-performance work systems and individual performance, attempts to empirically verify this have been insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate how employees' goal orientation moderates the relationships between perceptions of high-performance work systems and job performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted on 182 employees working at large domestic corporations, and the results showed a significant positive relationship between high-performance work systems and individual performance. Interestingly, the interaction between high-performance work systems and individual goal orientation resulted in a significant negative relationship with job performance. That is, the effect of high-performance work systems on performance is strengthened when individuals' goal orientation is low rather than high. This study attempted to explain this finding primarily based on substitutes for leadership theory. This study is significant in that it verified that the effect of perceptions of high-performance work systems on individual performance can differ depending on individual characteristics. In particular, by demonstrating that employees' goal orientation offsets the positive effect of high-performance work systems on job performance, it showed that the effectiveness of high-performance work systems is greater for employees with low goal orientation. The theoretical and practical implications of these results, limitations of this study, and directions for future research were discussed.