Exploring the Linkages Between Human Resource Configuration and Knowledge Management Process: A Strategic Human Resource Management Perspective

Abstract

The last decade experienced severe financial turbulence in developed markets and its impact on developing and emerging markets. This turmoil creates market stagnation and dramatic shift from developed and emerging market to recovering markets. In this turbulent environment, scholars and practitioners viewed inward for the sources of value creation and advocated that knowledge is the primary source of value creation. Theories of knowledge-based competition consider knowledge management vital for bringing significant strategic outcomes for the success of the organization – improving competitive position, achieving higher corporate valuation, accelerating business growth, and so on. A systematic review of the literature reveals a significant body of evidence, supporting the role of human resource management in knowledge management to create and sustain competitive advantage. Yet, in previous studies, strategic human resource management perspective towards knowledge management process and their linkages were not fully addressed. To address this gap, this study proposes a theoretical framework and explores the linkages between human resource configuration and knowledge management process drawing on theoretical insights of strategic human resource management. This study presents an apparent understanding of the effect of human resource configuration on knowledge management process, one that is theoretically supported and posits that human resource configuration is the eventual foundation of KM. This study makes a significant contribution to emerging strategic human resource management and knowledge management literature. Further, the managerial implications are also discussed.