Strategic people management in contemporary highly dynamic VUCA contexts: A knowledge worker perspective

Abstract

This paper extends the resource and knowledge-based view by integrating dynamic capability theory into a people-centric view of the firm in new and highly dynamic contexts. Juxtaposing people management and human resource management, we commend people centricity for knowledge management and dynamic capability formation within a context of highly dynamic environments induced not only by disruptive technology, unpredictable crises, and high-velocity emerging markets but augmented through simultaneous multilevel crisis events. We propose a novel and holistic framework of strategic people management that incorporates four dynamic constituents—leadership, culture, learning, networking—that help to acquire, transfer, and create knowledge relevant for a firm’s sustainability. These unbundled constituents interact to create a systematic effect and co-evolve with a firm’s dynamic capabilities. The paper emphasizes people-centricity as the infinity source of valuable, rare, inimitable, and organizational resources, such as knowledge workers, to continuously create, transfer, convert, and manage knowledge flows.