Abstract
This article takes the link between learning and innovation as its starting point and explores how this relationship might be managed within the innovative firm. In order to gain a better overview of the kinds of activities, which might be involved in managing and promoting the kind of learning, which will result in innovation, some criteria have been developed. These criteria are based on a review of the key theoretical and conceptual studies on organisational learning, particularly where these studies relate organisational learning to innovation and change. Thereafter, a close analysis of empirical studies of the relationship between human resource management (HRM) activities and innovation has been carried out. The conclusion is that HRM is already contributing in various ways to learning within innovative firms, and these activities have been linked increased innovation. However, there was no evidence suggesting that HRM is making a strategic connection between learning and business strategy or if they are facilitating connections between pockets of creativity in the organisation, as we might expect from knowledge activists. A better understanding of how HRM works in practice as well as an overview of their aims and strategies would be necessary in order to understand if their activities are explicitly aimed at improving innovation. This article adds to our understanding of HRM activities relating to innovation and provides a systematic overview of how the various HRM activities are linked to theories of learning in innovative organisations.
Highlights
This article takes the link between learning and innovation as its starting point and explores how this relationship might be managed within the innovative firm
Within the field of innovation studies, less effort has been devoted to understanding practice-based learning (DUI) and many of the theories used have been drawn from organisational studies, such as the concept of ‘learning organisations’ (Argyris and Schön 1978; Levitt and March 1988) where the learning is not confined to research and development (R&D) units
There are not so many studies of human resource management (HRM) relating to innovation, a range of HRM practices which contribute to innovation have been identified
Summary
This article takes the link between learning and innovation as its starting point and explores how this relationship might be managed within the innovative firm. The present article picks up some of the ideas explored by de Leede and Looise (2005) and Shipton et al (2005) and attempts to discover whether HRM as management professionals are, or might become, active players linking learning to innovation. This is done by reviewing how the role of HRM in learning and innovation has been studied and by analysing findings linking HRM actions in a firm to its innovative capabilities. More recent studies of HRM, i.e. post-2005, and their contributions to innovation are reviewed and discussed
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