The linkage between strategic human resource management, innovation and firm performance

Abstract

Innovation is regarded as the driving force of rapid changes in the modern world and one of the key success factors in the competitive market. Firms have to innovate, to survive in the market. The disruptive wave of innovation every year makes so many businesses disappear from the market. On the other hand, successful implementation of innovation programs can guarantee profitability and an acceptable overall performance for any firm. In addition, strategic planning for human resources plays a key role in innovation practices and helps firms achieve their long-term objectives. This paper intends to assess a linkage between strategic human resource management, innovation, and overall performance within a firm. In order to examine such a linkage, an online survey was applied and data were collected from 54 managers of product development projects in Malaysian manufacturing companies. Analysis of the collected data using correlation analysis techniques proved that there is a strong correlation between the three mentioned concepts.