Amy Huang

Integrating job demands-resources (JD-R) theory with institutional theory, this study investigates how labor market regulations affect the relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organizational performance (OP). It posits that labor market regulations influence job demands and resources, and thereby the HPWS-OP relationship. Using hierarchical linear modeling in a meta-analysis of 59,265 business entities across 25 countries from 246 sample studies available as of April 2024, it finds that stringent hiring and firing regulations limit HPWS effectiveness, while strict work hour regulations enhance it. Centralized collective bargaining provisions do not significantly moderate this relationship. This study enriches strategic human resource management theory with a contextualized framework and offers meaningful insights for managers and policymakers on HPWS deployment and legislative development.

Higher education plays an important role in supporting sustainability through teaching, research, advocacy or key projects and initiatives. One of the innovative ways to achieve this is using an intercultural approach to work-integrated learning (WIL). This research shows how an award-winning WIL program, “Eco-economy project: improving livelihoods above and below the surface” empowers domestic Australian students with real-world experiences in an international context - Indonesia. Aided by a hybrid mode of delivery, students partner with a local NGO (non-government organization) to help a disadvantaged fishing island community develop sound alternative business plans and strategies aimed at decreasing its reliance on shark fishing. Through analysis of three years’ data based on multiple sources including the program’s teaching and learning materials, the partner NGO’s responses, student reflective learning journals and interviews, videos of the study tour, and survey data from local communities, the findings of this research clearly show how the impact of an intercultural approach to WIL extends beyond academic learning in terms of enabling students to grow environmentally and socially conscious, enhancing their intercultural competencies, and boosting their global employability. Through hands-on engagement, they become agents of positive change, making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Integrating the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity model in human resource management with the eclectic paradigm in international business research, we examine the role of country-level human capital development in the high-performance work systems (HPWS) and organizational performance (OP) association. We posit that there is a substitution relationship between country-level human capital development and organization-level HPWS in shaping OP. HPWS generates a stronger effect on OP in countries with a lower level of human capital development and thus a greater need for HPWS to boost performance. Training & development plays a key role in turning human capital available in a country into talent resources useful in an organization, thereby strengthening the HPWS-OP association. This role is stronger in countries with a lower level of human capital development. We conduct meta-analyses of 56,868 business entities from 20 countries/regions in 232 samples from 1994 to April 2024, and find evidence to support our arguments.

This research examines how national culture influences the success of organizations in open innovation (OI). Despite the growing attention to the importance of national culture in shaping organizations' innovation activities, there is limited research that has linked national culture with OI to explain the variances in innovation performance. In order to address this gap, a meta-analysis is undertaken based on data from 1,460,700 firms and sub-firm units in 111 studies published from 2003 to 2019. This research finds strong evidence that national culture influences the relationship between OI and innovation performance not only in a linear manner as conventionally thought, but also in a curvilinear pattern. Specifically, out of the six Hofstede's national culture dimensions, four influence the OI-performance relationship in a curvilinear manner (individualism, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence), and the remaining two have either a liner (power distance) or insignificant (masculinity) impact on the OI-performance relationship. This research challenges the traditional linearity assumption of national culture's impact, enriches current understanding of the complexity and nuances of the OI-performance relationship, and provides practical implications for the effective management of OI projects across national borders.

In previous research, open innovation (OI) has been considered to be driven by the need for new or advanced technologies unavailable within a firm, and to be a process with the risk of leaking intellectual property to competitors. Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper contends that OI increases causal ambiguity and social complexity of the innovation processes, creates imitation barriers to competitors and provides “informal” protection of intellectual property. This informal approach is particularly attractive to firms in developing economies where the formal institutional protection for intellectual property is weak. Thus, contrary to conventional wisdom, the need for intellectual property protection (IPP) pushes firms to undertake OI. We test this argument against firm-level data from Vietnam and find supporting evidence: the need for IPP is a robust driver for OI regardless of whether the firm is located in a more competitive or less competitive context. Furthermore, the need for IPP is a stronger driver for small firms than for larger firms.

Existing research has produced mixed, inconclusive, and even conflicting findings on the impact of open innovation (OI) on innovation output. This article takes a meta-analysis approach, systematically reviews the existent literature to identify the main contextual factors, and statistically tests the significance of these factors in influencing the effect of OI on innovation output. Based on the data of 139 studies published by 2020, this article demonstrates that 1) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output in coupled OI (a combination of inbound and outbound OI) than the inbound or outbound OI alone; 2) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output in developing than developed countries; 3) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output at subfirm than firm level; and 4) OI has a stronger effect on innovation output in service than manufacturing industries. The findings have important implications for managers, researchers, and policy-makers.

Using the meta-analysis technique, this research comprehensively reviews the existing open innovation (OI) literature, systematically aggregates empirical findings on the impact of OI on performance to identify key moderators and statistically tests the significance of these moderators in influencing the OI–performance relationship. Based on a comprehensive dataset of 2,377,123 firms and sub-firm units in 171 studies published from 2003 to 2018, this research demonstrates that the OI–performance relationship is significantly moderated by three key factors: performance measure, OI approach, and level of analysis. This research helps explain the conflicting findings regarding the OI–performance relationship in the existing literature, and contributes to the understanding of the effectiveness of OI practice.

Nonaka's SECI model provides a clear demonstration of the continual cycle of knowledge creation and conversion within an organisation. However, the knowledge flows and exchanges across the organisational boundary have not been systematically taken into account. In order to address this limitation, this paper develops a revised knowledge creation model that includes such extensions as the acquisition of explicit knowledge through purchasing or collaborative arrangements (knowledge inflows); acquisition of tacit knowledge through interaction between the organisation and its stakeholders and learning-by-hiring (knowledge inflows); deliberate knowledge leakages through selling, licensing-out or spinning-off unused technologies and by-products (knowledge outflows); and unintended knowledge spillovers due to the mobility of skilled workers (knowledge outflows). This extended knowledge creation and conversion model aims to provide today's managers with a clearer picture of opportunities for knowledge creation and sharing within and across organisations based on inter-organisational knowledge flows and open innovation principles.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose alternative ways to develop and leverage organisational knowledge by considering the nexus of data managed by information and communications technologies and the expertise of human capacity. In doing so this paper challenges current understanding of tacit–explicit knowledge boundaries and presents a third dimension of knowledge which can be developed as a strategic organisational resource. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper seeks to extend current understanding of knowledge and presents the organisational knowledge nexus as a confluence of information, knowledge resources and human potential. Knowledge management is explored through the theoretical frameworks of the knowledge nexus and a model of triadic knowledge. Their conceptualisation and development are discussed and illustrated. Findings This research suggests the potential for organisational knowledge resources to be advanced is greater, if organisations can strategically use the knowledge nexus with a triadic perspective of knowledge. A framework for knowledge development with increasing levels of insight is proposed. Research limitations/implications As a novel conceptual work this research has limitations of newness. It presents a challenge to conventional thinking because of the subliminal nature of latent knowledge and the causal ambiguity of its development process in the knowledge nexus. The potential of latent knowledge and its transition process in the organisational knowledge nexus has significant implications for organisational knowledge development. Originality/value The concepts of latent knowledge, the knowledge nexus and their potential ability to develop and leverage organisational knowledge resources presents a paradigm shift to currently accepted understanding of knowledge systems and organisational knowledge management. The originality and value of this work comes through its contribution to broadening our understanding of the scope and potential of organisational knowledge resources and their processes of transition and development.