Effects of developmental HR practices on management innovation : a scenario experiment study

Purpose: This research aims to examine the influence of developmental human resources (HR) practices on management innovation. Drawing on social exchange theory, this paper analyzes the mediating role of responsibility for change and the moderating role of resource availability. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a scenario experiment using a sample of 329 part-time MBA students from various Chinese companies in Southwest China, using analysis of variance and regression to examine the hypotheses. Findings: The results find a positive relationship between developmental HR practices and management innovation and responsibility for change mediates this relationship. Moreover, it examines the moderating role of resource availability. Resource availability positively moderates the correlation between responsibility for change and management innovation and moderates the mediation effect of responsibility for change on the correlation between developmental HR practices and management innovation. Practical implications: Organizations should enhance the actual use of developmental HR practices to ensure the provision of appropriate training and development opportunities for all levels of employees in a fair and equal environment. It is better to take up an individual approach when offering these practices. Organizations should provide enough resources for employees, such as financial, spatial and temporal, and ensure the fair distribution of these resources. Organizations should cultivate the responsibility for change of middle-senior managers who can serve as role models for subordinates. Originality/value: This study broadens the research on developmental HR practices, confirming that it has a positive impact on management innovation. It also provides more insight into the “black box” of developmental HR practices affecting management innovation, namely, the mediating effect of responsibility for change. This study shows that resources are critical to understanding how developmental HR practices can contribute to management innovation through responsibility for change. Using social exchange theory, the research deduces the conditional indirect effect of the model and uses a scenario experiment method to conclude causality.