An empirical study on the relationships between knowledge management, knowledge-oriented human resource practices and innovation

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse relationships between human resource (HR) and knowledge management (KM) practices and their effect on the firm’s innovation performance. From the knowledge-based view of the firm, hypotheses based on the specific interactions between an integrated set of KM and knowledge-oriented HR practices were established and statistically tested in a sample of 111 Spanish companies from technological industries. Survey methodology was used with the aim to gather data about KM practices and other related organizational aspects. Overall, this paper provides empirical evidence of a moderating effect of a set of knowledge-oriented HR practices in the relationship between KM exploitation practices and innovation performance. In line with previous research, we suggest that although KM practices are important in themselves for innovation purposes, when specific organizational conditions are properly established by managers the innovation capacity of the firm will significantly be improved and more successfully utilized.

Keywords:

• knowledge management
• exploration
• exploitation
• human resource practices
• innovation performance

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mario J Donate

About the authors

Mario J. Donate is Associate Professor of Business Administration at the University of Castilla-La Mancha. He teaches courses on Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Management at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences in Ciudad Real, Spain. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Castilla-La Mancha in 2006. His research mainly focuses on knowledge management, technological innovation and corporate social responsibility and he has published a number of papers in specialized journals about these subjects in the last few years.

Fátima Guadamillas

Fátima Guadamillas is Professor of Business Administration at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences in Toledo, Spain. She has a degree in Economics and obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Castilla-La Mancha. She teaches courses at the degree level on strategic and general management and on knowledge management, innovation and strategic management at the MBA and Ph.D. levels. Her research focuses on innovation, knowledge management strategies and factors related to resource sharing and knowledge transfer. Her work has mainly been published in specialized journals and books.