HR in collaborative innovation with customers: role, alignment and challenges

Abstract

Companies are engaging in collaborative innovation with their customers (CIC), but there has been no comprehensive discussion of the role of human resources (HR) in such initiatives or the challenges involved. We begin with a brief overview of CIC and the challenges for HR and then draw on different streams of research to develop a conceptual framework for the alignment of HR with CIC strategies. Theoretical foundations for the components of the framework are integrated with the discussions of its various components. We begin with a review of staffing and development practices focused on collaboration and relationship skills, as well as creativity, and collaborative- and commitment-oriented HR systems. We then discuss how HR deployment, performance management, control practices and contextual factors potentially affect the relationship between antecedent HR practices and the collaborative and innovative behaviors needed for CIC. Several challenges in aligning HR practices with CIC are explored, such as the limited supply of research talent inclined toward CIC, skills for collecting tacit knowledge, performance assessment and risk-related career implications. Other broader challenges are discussed, such as deployment, preserving internal innovation capabilities and controlling confidential information. Suggestions for overcoming challenges for HR in CIC are discussed and ideas for future research are provided.

Keywords::

• collaboration
• customers
• development
• HR practices
• innovation
• selection

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the helpful insights of David Collings, John Delery, Jerry Ferris, Jim Guthrie, Keith Hmieleski, Mike Mumford, Larry Peters and our anonymous reviewers, and the assistance of Liz Greer and Lisa O'Brien.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.