Building innovation capabilities through human resources practices

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Lattuch
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Problem Definition ◽  
Monetary Incentives ◽  
Strategic Partner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Product Innovations ◽  
Support Mechanisms ◽  
Organizational Rules ◽  
Rate Of Success

Purpose Considering the distressingly low rate of success in introducing radical new products, the purpose of this paper is to reinforce the importance of taking human resources beyond administrative activity leading to stronger innovation performance and the greater use of its people. In particular, this paper highlights three persistent fallacies in human resource practices: need for creativity; efficiency of bottom-up efforts; and monetary incentives for product innovations and to learn from innovative organizations about how to deal with these fallacies. Design/methodology/approach This paper details the correlation between culture, confidence, support mechanisms through HR, and innovation by reviewing innovation cases in high-performing organizations. Findings Problem definition, pragmatism and leadership represent critical innovation determinants. As a strategic partner HR can offer support to tackle the three described fallacies of product innovations. Originality/value This paper suggests a practical means for helping HR professionals to better understand how some simple organizational rules can effectively build innovation capabilities.

The way we work: linking market orientation with internal workplace solutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-44
Author(s):  
Amrina Piroos ◽  
Carolin Neffe ◽  
Frank Lattuch
Keyword(s):  
Market Orientation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Strategic Partner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Communication Needs ◽  
Communication Demands ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
The Way

Purpose This study aims to reinforce the importance of taking HR beyond administrative activity leading to stronger market orientated performance and the greater use of its people. Many organizations underestimate the effects of deliberately combining market orientation with internal communication demands. As a strategic partner, HR can offer support for designing effective workplace concepts that address such a challenge. Design/methodology/approach Using in-depth interviews, the authors explore aspects of effective workplace designs in high-performing German firms. This work is taken from a wider study of commercial office solutions completed in 2017. Findings Workplace designs need to be carefully developed to meet firm-specific needs dedicated to a market orientation strategy. Originality/value Practical lessons are drawn for helping HR professionals to better facilitate market orientation and communication needs from inside the organization.

JDSU uses personality typology during management Empowerment Camps

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-32
Author(s):  
Michael Segovia
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Management Approach ◽  
Myers Briggs Type Indicator ◽  
Communication Management ◽  
Strategic Partner ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type Indicator ◽  
Myers Briggs ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
Personality Typology

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gauge the success of optical product maker JDSU’s effort to engage Human Resources as a strategic partner in building an international company culture using training in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to bring diverse teams together with a common management language for discussing interpersonal and team dynamics. Design/methodology/approach – The study relied on interviews with managers, employees, and designers of JDSU’s Empowerment Camp on their experience of improvement in management and communication in the organization. Findings – With a common language for discussing communication, management, and interpersonal interaction centered around insights derived from management’s training in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator through the Empowerment Camp, members of the organization encountered a more unified and effective management approach across JDSU’s diverse web of international offices. Originality/value – This paper is the first to explore a company’s effort to engage Human Resources as a strategic partner in building an international company culture.

Pelatihan Manajemen Usaha Untuk Meningkatkan Daya Saing Kepada Para Pelaku Usaha Industri Kecil Dan Menengah (UIKM) Keripik Talas Beneng Di Kampung Cinyurup Kecamatan Karangtanjung Kabupaten Pandeglang

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-83
Author(s):  
Suhandi Suhandi ◽  
Ulfi Jefri
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Business Management ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Online Marketing ◽  
Product Innovations ◽  
Small Industries

ABSTRACT The majority of the residents of Cinyurup village are beneng taro farmers and entrepreneurs of beneng taro chips, but the management is still simple and is not managed systematically and well-planned, so that it cannot provide maximum results. The aim of this training is to increase competitiveness for the small and medium entrepreneurs of taro chips into independent small industries. The method of implementation is through : seminars of material delivery, discussion, practice, mentoring, monitoring and evaluation. The results of this training show that not all small and medium industrial entrepreneurs are taro beneng chips those in Cinyurup village who have not implemented business management, have not processed distribution permits, halal certificates, produced product innovations and online marketing, due to limited funds and human resources. Key words: training, business management, competitiveness, UIKM   ABSTRAK Mayoritas penduduk warga kampung Cinyurup adalah petani talas beneng dan pelaku usaha keripik talas beneng, akan tetapi pengelolaannya masih sederhana dan tidak di kelola dengan sistematis dan terencana dengan baik, sehingga belum bisa memberikan hasil yang maksimal. Tujuan dari pelatihan ini untuk meningkatkan daya saing kepada para pelaku usaha industri kecil dan menengah keripik talas beneng menuju industri kecil yang mandiri. Metode pelaksanaan melalui : seminar penyampaian materi, diskusi, praktek, pendampingan, monitoring dan evaluasi. Hasil dari pelatihan ini menunjukan belum semua para pelaku usaha industri kecil dan menengah keripik talas beneng yang ada di kampung Cinyurup yang  belum menerapkan manajemen usaha, belum mengurus surat ijin edar, sertifikat halal, memproduksi inovasi produk dan pemasaran online, karena keterbatasan dana dan sumber daya manusia. Kata kunci: pelatihan, manajemen usaha, daya saing, UIKM

Business strategy, performance appraisal and organizational results

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Bayo-Moriones ◽  
Jose Enrique Galdon-Sanchez ◽  
Sara Martinez-de-Morentin
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Competitive Strategy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Robust Regression ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Developmental Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze how the design of performance appraisal is influenced by the competitive strategy of the firm. Then, this paper examines if the alignment between appraisal and strategy impacts firm performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample includes 258 Spanish firms in the manufacturing and services sectors. This information was gathered through questionnaires addressed to the CEO and the senior human resources manager. Several econometric models are estimated, using robust regression analysis and including a set of relevant control variables.FindingsA positive relationship is found between an innovation strategy and developmental performance appraisal. A cost strategy has a negative impact on the adoption of developmental performance appraisal. The findings also confirm that firms with a quality strategy and developmental appraisal have higher performance. In addition, firms adopting an innovation strategy and administrative appraisal enjoy higher return of equity.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should analyze the dynamics of the relationships between appraisal, strategy and performance to rule out the flaws of cross-sectional data. Another potential extension is the analysis of the interactions of the design of other human resources management practices with both competitive strategy and firm performance.Practical implicationsFirms can improve performance by aligning performance appraisal design with strategy. Those with an innovation strategy should choose administrative appraisal, and those competing on quality should focus on developmental appraisal.Originality/valueThis paper compares the theoretical recommendations on performance appraisal for different competitive strategies, what firms actually do, and the impact that the alignment between appraisal and strategy has on firm performance.

Feasibility study of automatically performing the concrete delivery dispatching through machine learning techniques

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Maghrebi ◽  
Claude Sammut ◽  
S. Travis Waller
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Mixing Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Solution ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Ready Mixed Concrete ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of machine learning (ML) techniques in order to automatically measure the feasibility of performing ready mixed concrete (RMC) dispatching jobs. Design/methodology/approach – Six ML techniques were selected and tested on data that was extracted from a developed simulation model and answered by a human expert. Findings – The results show that the performance of most of selected algorithms were the same and achieved an accuracy of around 80 per cent in terms of accuracy for the examined cases. Practical implications – This approach can be applied in practice to match experts’ decisions. Originality/value – In this paper the feasibility of handling complex concrete delivery problems by ML techniques is studied. Currently, most of the concrete mixing process is done by machines. However, RMC dispatching still relies on human resources to complete many tasks. In this paper the authors are addressing to reconstruct experts’ decisions as only practical solution.

Configurational examination of successful human resources outsourcing

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (8) ◽  
pp. 1681-1697
Author(s):  
Thuy Thi Thanh Nguyen ◽  
Man-Ling Chang
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Task Interdependence ◽  
It Use ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Provider Quality ◽  
Core Condition ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The causal conditions leading to successful human resources outsourcing (HRO) have until now attracted only limited research attention. To address this shortcoming, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a firm and a HR provider should work together to ensure successful HRO. Design/methodology/approach By applying a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, the authors demonstrate how combining in different ways provider quality, business understanding, trust, and closed HRO networks can lead to HRO success. In addition, this study compares the causal combinations between cases with differing levels of HR-task interdependence and IT use. Findings The results of this study reveal three common solutions that lead to successful HRO from both economic and relational viewpoints. The findings also indicate that, from an economic viewpoint, trust is a core condition for achieving HRO success. Moreover, HR-task interdependence and IT use alter the number of solutions and the conditions for attaining HRO success. Practical implications Based on the solutions proposed herein, firms can consider different ways to achieve HRO success under diverse conditions. Originality/value This work also contributes to building new theories regarding HRO, trust, knowledge sharing, and IT use.

Why are companies still struggling to reach higher continuous improvement maturity levels? Empirical evidence from high performance companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jurburg ◽  
Elisabeth Viles ◽  
Carmen Jaca ◽  
Martin Tanco
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing

Purpose – Continuous improvement (CI) is regarded as a powerful approach to achieve business excellence. However, the implementation is not simple as it involves managing a considerable amount of tangible and intangible factors throughout the whole organization. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap by presenting first-hand information about how companies really implement and organize their CI processes. Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on semi-structured interviews in ten high performing companies in the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain well known for its business quality. The objective was to analyze the state of their CI processes, putting special focus on how the organizational structure integrates with the CI processes and what are the characteristics of the corresponding measurement system. Findings – The study shows a lack of company-wide focus on CI, little written evidence of previous improvement activities, unclear improvement process owner, and poor use of adequate measurement systems to monitor CI. Practical implications – Managers should understand that is not enough to guarantee their own commitment and provide the structure, since in order to become learning organization, a different holistic approach towards the CI process must be adopted. Originality/value – While most previous work on this field have focused primarily on how to implement different techniques in order to achieve better productive performance, this study presents empirical research from a more holistic approach, assessing the characteristics affecting CI by considering strategy, structure, and the measurement system.

Human resources competencies: a key scale to assess HRCs, including items in knowledge business, functional expertise and managing change

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managing Change ◽  
Industrial Town ◽  
Appropriate Scale ◽  
Hr Competencies

Purpose The purpose was to produce a standardized tool in the form of a questionnaire to measure HR competencies Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 234 managers and experts in human resources of selected firms existing in the Yazd Industrial Town. A questionnaire was developed to assess HRCs. Findings The paper produced a key scale for assessing HRCs in three dimensions: knowledge business, functional expertise and managing change. Two items of the original 33 were dropped as they were found to be unreliable Originality/value The authors believed the developed questionnaire can be used as an appropriate scale for measuring HRCs in future research and also in organizations in Iran.

Digital service innovation: a paradigm shift in technological innovation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Opazo-Basáez ◽  
Ferran Vendrell-Herrero ◽  
Oscar F. Bustinza
Keyword(s):  
Technological Innovation ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
Necessary Condition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Service ◽  
Product Innovations ◽  
Computer Based

PurposeExisting innovation frameworks suggest that manufacturing firms have traditionally developed a complementary model of technological innovations comprising process and product innovations (e.g. Oslo Manual). This article presents digital service innovation as a novel form of technological innovation that is capable of enhancing the performance of firms in certain manufacturing industries.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on technological innovation and digital servitization fields of research, this study argues that digital service innovation, in manufacturing contexts, complements traditional sources of technological innovation, so increasing the profit margins of firms. This effect is significant in industries characterized by business-to-business contexts, high presence of link channels and long product life spans (e.g. manufacturing and computer-based industries). Predictions are tested on a unique sample of 423 Spanish manufacturing firms using parametric (t-test) and nonparametric (fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, fsQCA) approaches.FindingsThe results of this analysis show that a necessary condition so that manufacturing firms can increase profits is the deployment of simultaneous process and product innovations. It also reveals that optimal configuration requires that digital service innovation be undertaken, particularly in machinery and computer-based manufacturing industries. Hence, all three sources of technological innovation are brought together in order to reach the highest levels of company performance. The evidence suggests that technological innovation and digital servitization are closely interrelated in highly innovative manufacturing contexts.Originality/valueThis study's originality and value reside in the fact that it reveals the existence of firms incorporating digital service innovation – a new, technological innovation dimension that challenges existing innovation frameworks – to complement traditional technological innovation sources, namely process and product innovation. Moreover, the study conceptualizes and empirically tests the value-adding role of digital services in firms' technological innovation portfolio.

A discriminant analysis of high and low-innovative firms: the role of IT, human resources, innovation strategy, intellectual capital and environmental dynamism

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Popa ◽  
Pedro Soto-Acosta ◽  
Daniel Palacios-Marqués
Keyword(s):  
Discriminant Analysis ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Incremental Innovation ◽  
Organizational Capital ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Firms ◽  
It Knowledge ◽  
Innovation Outcomes ◽  
Selection Practices

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of technological, organizational and environmental factors on the level of innovation outcomes in manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the technology-organization-environment theory this paper conducts a discriminant analysis of firms’ innovation level based on a data set of manufacturing SMEs. Findings The results show that low- and high-innovative firms can be distinguished in terms of information technology (IT) knowledge and infrastructure, commitment-based human resources (HR) selection practices, exploitative innovation and organizational capital. Practical implications The study findings support the idea that innovation is a complex phenomenon explained by multiple factors. As a consequence, firms need to devote extra efforts to develop IT knowledge and infrastructure, commitment-based HR selection practices and organizational capital because these are crucial for obtaining greater innovation outcomes. In addition, the identification of exploitative innovation as a strong discriminant variable highlights that the most effective way to be a highly innovative SME is through incremental innovation, which permits the firm to capitalize as much as possible on previous exploratory efforts. Originality/value Although many studies have highlighted that innovation is more challenging for SMEs than for their larger counterparts, the vast majority of studies has been conducted in large companies. This paper extends prior literature by analyzing the discriminant variables that may distinguish between low- and high-innovative manufacturing SMEs.

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