Title: Strategic fulcrum for a knowledge-based economy: a conceptual 'knowledge-HR' archetype

Authors: P. Arunprasad

Addresses: Institute of Management Technology Dubai, UG-02, Dubai International Academic City, P.O. Box 345006, Dubai, UAE

Abstract: In today's knowledge-based economy, organisation's core competency is built firmly on effective utilisation of human capital, by deploying and institutionalising the firm specific organisation practices. 'Knowledge' is the key to firm's strategic posture and a differentiating factor to leverage on sustained competitive advantage (SCA). This paper depicts the various approaches of strategic human resource management (HRM) practices to enhance the knowledge driven 'learning culture' i.e. organisational learning process. The organisational learning facilitates the human capital in terms of behavioural change, which in turn lead to improved performance of the organisation. The functional outputs of knowledge resource are captured by analysing the learning outcomes such as learning dynamics; organisation transformation; people empowerment; knowledge management and technology application. The impact of strategic HRM practices on learning outcomes are conceptualised as universalistic; contingency and configurational approach, as defined in strategic HRM literature. The universalistic approach portrays the impact of individual human resource (HR) practices on learning outcome. The contingency approach examines vertical fit between strategic HRM practices and knowledge strategy (learning levels). The configurational approach scans both the vertical fit and horizontal fit of policies and practices to reinforce one another.

Keywords: strategic HRM; human resource management; organisational learning; knowledge strategy; human capital; sustained competitive advantage; SCA; learning outcomes; knowledge-based economy; KBE; learning culture; behavioural change; learning dynamics; organisational transformation; people empowerment; knowledge management; technology application.

DOI: 10.1504/MEJM.2015.070750

Middle East Journal of Management, 2015 Vol.2 No.2, pp.97 - 120

Received: 29 Sep 2014
Accepted: 04 Oct 2014

Published online: 23 Jul 2015 *

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