Human resource management and innovation: what are knowledge-intensive firms doing?

摘要

An undeniable shift in focus from traditional production companies to Knowledge-Intensive Firms (KIFs) poses challenges for academics and practioners alike. In particular, effective management of an organization'sudhuman resources has become a critical issue for ensuring sustained innovation capacity. The relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) in KIFs is however still a largely unexplored arena. The objective ofudthis paper is to explore this relationship in an effort to identify HRM practices that support innovation. To this end, the paper includes reviews of the literature relevant to HRM and innovation in KIFs and four case studies fromudcompanies in Denmark and Australia that have been recognized for excellence in innovation. On the basis of content analyses conducted on the case data,udsome preliminary conclusions are posited regarding the role of HRM in KIFs.udMore specifically, the findings from this study suggest that while there are commonalities between HRM practices in traditional manufacturing companies and KIFs, there are also important differences, especially in termsudof staffing practices. The paper contributes by offering recommendations for management of HRM in innovative KIFs and potential avenues for research to further develop our understanding of how HRM can support innovation inudKIFs.