The effect of knowledge management capacity on firm performance through sequential mediations of strategic HRM, administrative and technical innovations

Purpose This study aims to explore the relationship between knowledge management (KM) and firm performance through mediating effects of strategic human resource management (HRM) and organizational innovations. Design/methodology/approach Usable responses from 638 employees belonging to 230 organizations operating in India were collected via questionnaires. To determine the hypothesized relationships between the study variables, namely, KM capacity, strategic HRM, administrative innovation, technical innovation and firm performance, bootstrapping method via PROCESS was put into use. Findings The findings strengthen the notion that effective KM in firms leads to better innovation capabilities and higher firm performance. Further, the study reveals that the effects of KM capacity on firm performance go through a relationship chain (serial mediation) consisting of strategic HRM, administrative innovation and technical innovation. Practical implications The results undeniably infer that the effective management of knowledge is critical for leveraging innovations and other performance indicators in organizations. More specifically, it does not only result in enhanced firm performance but also in proper utilization of strategic HR practices for the benefits of employees, with a boost in administrative and technical innovations in organizations. Originality/value By confirming several mediation paths through strategic HRM, administrative and technical innovations, this study offers some noteworthy insights in expounding the relationship between KM and firm performance.

Measure what matters: descriptive and predictive metrics of HRM-pathway toward organizational performance

PurposeTo understand human resource (HR) practices outcomes on HR decision making, strategic human resource management (HRM) and organizational performance by exploring the HR data quality along with descriptive and predictive financial and non-financial metrics.Design/methodology/approachThis work utilizes the grounded theory method. After the literature was reviewed, 113 HR managers of multinational and national companies in India were interviewed with a semi-structured questionnaire. The collected interview data was analyzed with NVivo 8.0 software.FindingsIt is interesting to uncover the descriptive and predictive non-financial and financial metrics of HR practices and their influence on organizational performance. It was found that HR data quality moderates the relationship between the HR practices outcome and HR metrics. This study found that HR metrics help in HR decision-making for strategic HRM and subsequently affect organizational performance.Originality/valueThis study has uniquely provided the descriptive and predictive non-financial and financial metrics of HR practices and their impact on HR decision making, strategic HRM and organizational performance. This study highlights the importance of data quality. This research offers insights to the HR managers, HR analysts, chief HR officers and HR practitioners to achieve organizational performance considering the various metrics of HRM. It provides key insights to the top management to understand the HR metrics' effect on strategic HRM and organizational performance.

Strategic Human Resource Management: 37 Years in Academia, How Many in Practice? A Focus on Large Companies

In the fast-changing global workplace of today, maintaining competitive advantage has become imperative to survival. Employees matter today more than ever since they become non-imitable sources of firm uniqueness that can deliver value to every stakeholder. Based on this, the field of Strategic HRM has gained a special interest among researchers and practitioners since it employs a strategic approach to the role of employees within the organisations. However, looking at the business world results, it looks like there is a divorce between academia and practitioners and that they are operating in a parallel way. With the aim of evidencing this gap and echoing this issue, this chapter is structured as follows. It starts with a summary of the research conducted under the SHRM field in the last two decades. It follows with a section that evidences the gap between research and practice showing the results of global companies’ surveys related to people management. In the third section a special focus on big companies is done due to their importance when legitimizing managerial trends. The chapter finishes with some conclusions and thoughts for future managers.

Strategic HRM and Organizational Agility Enable Firms to Respond Rapidly and Flexibly to the Changing Environment

This chapter demonstrates the significant perceptions of Organizational Agility and its consequences on Strategic HRM that reflects on sustainable organization learning and development. This sub-chapter highlighted the new emerging perspectives of organizational agility and Strategic HRM that enables firms to respond promptly and flexibly to cope up with the dynamic world.. In the modern business world, the essence of organizational knowledge, nimbleness and prominence of HRM strategy is viewed as an eminent approach to face the global challenges. Hence, this sub-chapter attempts to classify how the HR competencies can really make a difference and influence on business performance? How firms can respond flexibly through manifestation of organizational learning and knowledge development? Finally, this study suggested that strategic HRM and organizational agility both the practices could be a very inspiring and demanding for the organizations of twenty first century.

Training as a Strategic HRM Tool to Foster Employee Development in SMEs

This chapter aims to highlight the relevance of training and development for employees in SME organizations, and how it can positively impact workplace performance and ensure survival of the organization in the current competitive environment. Over the past few decades, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have witnessed a paradigm shift in their approach towards human resource management (HRM). With the objective of being globally competitive and to retain talented workforce, the SME sector has been focusing on training their personnel on diverse areas. It is in this context that training and development has emerged as a strategic HRM tool for organizations to foster their employee development initiatives. The chapter concludes with insightful recommendations to strengthen human capital in SME organizations by harnessing training interventions effectively.