The effectiveness of high-commitment human resource practices for employee knowledge sharing

Abstract

Promoting knowledge sharing among employees is vital for companies whose competitive advantage is based on innovation. However, there is inadequate empirical evidence to show that human resource practices intensify knowledge sharing. Thus, this study examines whether high-commitment human resource management can boost knowledge sharing among staff members. A cross-sectional survey of permanent employees was conducted (N = 480) to examine the suitability of the secondary constructs 'knowledge sharing in the organisation' and 'high-commitment human resource management' using confirmatory factor analysis; their mutual relationship via structural equation modelling was also explored. The findings indicate that high-commitment human resource management increases knowledge dissemination in organisations. Additionally, they suggest that firms should concentrate on hiring selectively, providing autonomy and motivating work tasks to employees, setting practices for performance management and career management, and investing in employee training and development to support firm innovativeness.