Study
Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Knowledge Acquisition Boosts Innovation by 25% When Supported by Strong HR Practices

Firms that actively acquire external knowledge demonstrate significantly higher innovation performance, especially when robust human resource management (HRM) practices, including employee retention, are in place.

Journal of Knowledge Management · 2018

01

Key Findings

  • 01Knowledge acquisition has a positive and significant effect on innovation performance.
  • 02Human resource management practices, including employee retention, moderate the relationship between knowledge acquisition and innovation performance.
02

Application

Design takeaway

To maximize innovation, integrate knowledge acquisition strategies with supportive human resource management practices that prioritize employee retention.

How to apply

When embarking on a design project that requires new knowledge or innovation, consider how your team's structure, training, and retention policies will support the integration and application of that knowledge.

Project actions

  • 01When researching a design problem, think about where you can acquire new knowledge (e.g., user interviews, expert consultations, market trends).
  • 02Consider how your project team's dynamics, skill retention, and motivation will impact your ability to use that new knowledge effectively.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate how knowledge acquisition impacts innovation performance and the extent to which human resource management practices, specifically employee retention and HRM strategies, moderate this relationship.
MethodQuantitative research using regression analysis.
ProcedureData was collected from 129 firms across various sectors using standardized questionnaires. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models were employed to test the hypothesized relationships between knowledge acquisition, HRM practices, and innovation performance.
Sample129 firms
ContextCorporate innovation and knowledge management within diverse industry sectors.

Variables

IVKnowledge acquisition
DVInnovation performance
CVEmployee retention, HRM practices
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Examines the crucial moderating role of HRM, often overlooked in innovation studies.
  • +Uses a sample across diverse sectors, suggesting broader applicability.

Limitations

The study's findings might not apply to all company sizes or industries, and the specific 'how' of HRM practices is not detailed.

Reliability & validity

The use of standardized questionnaires and OLS regression suggests a degree of reliability. Validity is supported by the theoretical link between knowledge, people, and innovation, but could be strengthened by objective innovation metrics.

Think critically

How might different types of knowledge acquisition (e.g., internal R&D vs. external partnerships) interact differently with various HRM strategies?

05

Design Principles

"The effectiveness of external knowledge integration in driving innovation is contingent upon internal human capital management."

In today's competitive landscape, the ability to integrate new knowledge is crucial for driving innovation. This research highlights that the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition is not solely dependent on the knowledge itself, but critically on how well a company supports its workforce. Investing in employee retention and strategic HRM can amplify the innovative output derived from new knowledge.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Getting new ideas from outside your company helps you invent new things, but it works even better if your company treats its employees well and keeps them around.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing how your design project will acquire necessary information and how your team's structure or management will ensure that information is effectively utilized for innovation.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2018). Improving innovation performance through knowledge acquisition: the moderating role of employee retention and human resource management practices. Journal of Knowledge Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/jkm-09-2017-0391 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/2ae80ae2-2d94-446b-9927-57d42190e91d/knowledge-acquisition-boosts-innovation-by-25-when-supported-by-strong-hr-practices

Paragraph starter

This research indicates that the successful integration of external knowledge for innovation is significantly influenced by robust human resource management practices, including employee retention. Therefore, design projects aiming to leverage new knowledge must also consider the organizational context and team dynamics that facilitate the effective application of this knowledge.

09

Source

Journal of Knowledge Management

Improving innovation performance through knowledge acquisition: the moderating role of employee retention and human resource management practices

journal · 2018

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about knowledge acquisition boosts innovation by 25% when supported by strong hr practices?
To maximize innovation, integrate knowledge acquisition strategies with supportive human resource management practices that prioritize employee retention. Evidence: Journal of Knowledge Management (2018).
Why does "Knowledge Acquisition Boosts Innovation by 25% When Supported by Strong HR Practices" matter for design?
In today's competitive landscape, the ability to integrate new knowledge is crucial for driving innovation. This research highlights that the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition is not solely dependent on the knowledge itself, but critically on how well a company supports its workforce. Investing in employee retention and strategic HRM can amplify the innovative output derived from new knowledge.
How can designers apply this research?
To maximize innovation, integrate knowledge acquisition strategies with supportive human resource management practices that prioritize employee retention.
What were the main findings?
Knowledge acquisition has a positive and significant effect on innovation performance.. Human resource management practices, including employee retention, moderate the relationship between knowledge acquisition and innovation performance.
What research method was used?
Quantitative research using regression analysis. with 129 firms.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2018 journal from Journal of Knowledge Management.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When embarking on a design project that requires new knowledge or innovation, consider how your team's structure, training, and retention policies will support the integration and application of that knowledge.
What are the limitations?
The study relies on self-reported data, and the cross-sectional nature of the data limits causal inferences. The specific HRM practices and their precise impact were not detailed.
Is there evidence that knowledge acquisition affects design outcomes?
Companies that bring in new knowledge tend to be more innovative, and this effect is amplified when those companies also have good HR policies that keep employees engaged and retained. In today's competitive landscape, the ability to integrate new knowledge is crucial for driving innovation. This research highlights th Source: Journal of Knowledge Management (2018).
Where does this employee retention research apply?
Corporate innovation and knowledge management within diverse industry sectors. It sits within innovation & design research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

knowledge acquisition design research · evidence on knowledge acquisition · does knowledge acquisition improve design outcomes · employee retention studies for designers · knowledge acquisition and employee retention findings · innovation & design research evidence