HRM and workplace innovations: formulating research questions
| Published date | 16 October 2017 |
| Date | 16 October 2017 |
| Pages | 1216-1227 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-10-2017-0292 |
| Author | Greg J. Bamber,Timothy Bartram,Pauline Stanton |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Global HRM |
HRM and workplace innovations:
formulating research questions
Greg J. Bamber
Department of Management,
Australian Consortium for Research in Employment and Work,
Centre for Global Business, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia and
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Timothy Bartram
Department of Management and Marketing, La Trobe Business School,
College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce, La Trobe University,
Melbourne, Australia, and
Pauline Stanton
School of Management, College of Business,
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University,
Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to review the roles of human resource management (HRM) specialists
in the contemplation and implementation of innovation in employing organisations and workplaces.
Design/methodology/approach –The authors review some of the literature and practice in this field as
well as 11 other articles that are included in this special issue.
Findings –The authors proposesix research questions. First, areHRM specialists analysing relevanttrends
and their implications for the future of work and the workforce? Second, are HRM specialists enabling
employing organisations to identify and enable innovative ideas? Third, to what extent are HRM specialists
leadingpartnership arrangementswith organised labour?Fourth, what is the role of HRM specialistsin creating
inclusive work environments? Fifth, how should HRM specialists change to foster enterprise performance,
intrapreneurship, agility, creativity and innovation? Sixth, to what extent is there an HRM function for line
managers in coordination with HRM specialists in engendering innovation around“change agent”roles?
Originality/value –The authors argue that HRM specialists should embrace and enable innovation.
The authorschallenge HRM specialiststo consider how theycan contribute to facilitatinginnovation. Thepaper
proposes furtherresearch on HRM and range of associated stakeholders who, together,have responsibility for
innovating in the designand delivery of HRM to enrich our knowledge of HRM and workplace innovations.
Keywords Corporate social responsibility, Industrial relations, Mixed methodologies, Unions,
Workplace change, Creativity, Disabilities, Change agents, Human resource management practices,
Enterprise performance, Inclusive work environments, HRM skills
Paper type Conceptual paper
Introduction
There is increasing emphasis by governments, organisational leaders and scholars on the
importance of creativity and innovation in workplaces, to help to challenge old ways of
thinking and to identify new solutions to meet current challenges. While creativity can be
defined as the generation of ideas, innovation is often seen as the “stage of implementing
ideas towards better procedures, practices or products”(Anderson et al., 2014, p. 1297).
Personnel Review
Vol. 46 No. 7, 2017
pp. 1216-1227
Emerald Publishing Limited
0048-3486
DOI 10.1108/PR-10-2017-0292
Received 4 October 2017
Accepted 4 October 2017
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm
© Greg J. Bamber, Timothy Bartram and Pauline Stanton. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited.
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may
reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article ( for both commercial and
non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors.
The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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