How effective human resource management promotes corporate entrepreneurship: evidence from China

Abstract

Strategic human resource management (SHRM) represents a set of HRM practices that are aligned with firm strategies. The relationship between SHRM and organizational performance has been extensively examined; however, whether and how SHRM influences corporate entrepreneurship remains unknown. Based on the resource-based perspective, this study examined a model linking SHRM with corporate entrepreneurship. The importance of HRM people's political skill for a firm's development of devolved management through SHRM implementation was also examined. Data from a survey of 201 Chinese manufacturing firms confirm a significant relationship between SHRM and corporate entrepreneurship and that the relationship is partially mediated by a devolved management style. The relationship between SHRM and devolved management was shown to be stronger for firms with more politically skillful HRM people.

Keywords::

• corporate entrepreneurship
• devolved management
• political skill
• strategic human resource management

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful for the financial support of the Faculty Research Grant of Hong Kong Baptist University [grant number FRG/08-09/II-24]; the National Social Science Fund [grant number 13CGL072]; Shanda Independent Innovation Fund [grant number IFYT12063] for the data collection of this research.