| The use of strategic human resource management in | | | | the stored information is never used (McDermott, 1999, |
| the management of knowledge can provide | | | | p. 104). Personalisation refers to those strategies that |
| organisations with a significant competitive advantage. | | | | recognize that knowledge has a human aspect, |
| Strategic human resource management refers to the | | | | focusing on recruiting and retaining knowledgeable |
| process of incorporating human resource | | | | staff, and fostering communication. While both |
| management systems and processes into the | | | | strategies try to effectively control organisational |
| strategic management of an organisation (Wright, | | | | knowledge, codification tends to focus on getting |
| Dunford, & Snell, 2001). It is through the use of | | | | information out of employees and into databases, |
| such strategies that organisations can foster innovation | | | | whilst personalisation focuses on getting and keeping |
| and competitive advantage (Kazmi & Ahmad, | | | | key knowledgeable employees. Human resource |
| 2001). However in order to harness the capabilities of | | | | strategies to influence knowledge management vary |
| organisational knowledge, it is necessary to | | | | depending on the knowledge management strategy |
| strategically manage that knowledge. | | | | chosen. For example, in performance management, |
| There is no simple definition of knowledge. The | | | | codification strategies call for short-term goals related |
| meaning of knowledge depends on both the | | | | to the amounts of information documented or stored |
| organisation and context (Alvesson, 1993). Knowledge | | | | (Edvardsson, 2008). In contrast, with personalisation |
| extends beyond information, into the realm of human | | | | strategies, goals are developmental rather than results |
| thinking. With information, humans are able to think, | | | | based, more long term, focusing on creativity and |
| process and share knowledge (Ardichvili & Seung | | | | innovation. In reality, a combination of both strategies is |
| Won, 2009; McDermott, 1999). Without such a human | | | | usually required (Petersen & Poulfelt, 2002). A |
| aspect, knowledge would be merely information. | | | | prime example of differences in these strategies is the |
| Knowledge management, therefore, is the | | | | difference in recruitment strategies. With codification, |
| development and implementation of strategies to | | | | recruitment tends to be very formal, based on written |
| create, maintain and share knowledge, in order to | | | | job descriptions, with a focus on testing and evaluating |
| achieve organisational goals (Edvardsson, 2008). | | | | candidates (Edvardsson, 2008). Conversely, a |
| Knowledge management is not a new concept, having | | | | personalisation strategy involves a less formal, more |
| been discussed at least 30 years ago (Henry, 1975). | | | | subject approach to recruitment, where the focus is |
| Early research conducted into knowledge | | | | more on determining whether candidates fit within the |
| management focused on the use of information | | | | knowledge sharing culture of the organisation. These |
| technology concepts, designed to assist knowledge | | | | theories tend to align with the research of Robertson |
| creation, capture and sharing (Edvardsson, 2008; | | | | and Hammersley (2000). |
| McDermott, 1999; Petersen & Poulfelt, 2002). As | | | | Recent empirical research has further determined that |
| time has passed, an increasing amount of research | | | | the strategic human resource management of |
| has focused on the human element of knowledge | | | | knowledge can improve the knowledge within |
| management. This paper focuses on progress of that | | | | organisations (Lopez-Cabrales, et al., 2009). Specifically, |
| human element, particularly theoretical and empirical | | | | human resource systems allow organisations to |
| literature related to the link between strategic human | | | | develop and improve on employee knowledge, as well |
| resource management and knowledge management. | | | | as provide direction to employees to ensure the |
| Most knowledge management systems focus on | | | | knowledge is utilised to achieve organisational goals. |
| using information technology to capture, store, distribute | | | | The use of a human resource strategy to manage |
| and make available information; this does little to | | | | knowledge contributes to the creation of unique |
| improve organisational knowledge. Information systems | | | | knowledge; however Lopez-Cabrales, et al. suggest |
| focus on a singular aspect of knowledge, information, | | | | that there is no best practice for the use of human |
| failing to address the fact that knowledge, being the | | | | resource processes to manage knowledge. In some |
| result of human thinking, goes beyond mere information | | | | ways this research follows on from Wright, Dunford, |
| or data. McDermott (1999, p. 104) suggested that the | | | | & Snell (2001), who suggest that any competitive |
| use of information systems was "the great trap in | | | | advantage does not stem from the human resource |
| knowledge management". Rather than solely | | | | systems, but that the human resource systems |
| information systems, human resource systems and | | | | provide a framework to store and communicate |
| information systems need to be combined to manage | | | | knowledge. They propose expanding the usual |
| knowledge. The best use of knowledge can be made | | | | concepts in human resources management processes |
| by focusing on the human aspect of knowledge, rather | | | | to also encompass the organisational knowledge, |
| than the specific knowledge content itself. Developing | | | | through allowing human resources more input into a |
| communities in which knowledge if effectively and | | | | wide range of work processes. |
| efficiently shared drives innovation, resulting in | | | | However, it has been argued that perhaps regular |
| increased competitive advantage. McDermott further | | | | human resource practices are not relevant in modern |
| suggests that through planning the organisational | | | | knowledge based organisations (Chasserio & |
| structure and culture with knowledge management in | | | | Legault, 2009; Minbaeva, Foss, & Snell, 2009; |
| mind, knowledge could be created, shared and | | | | Robertson & Hammersley, 2000). Chasserio |
| leveraged. A large amount of modern literature agrees | | | | & Legault (2009) go so far as to suggest that |
| that human elements are at least as important as | | | | strategic human resource management may be |
| information systems to knowledge management | | | | entirely irrelevant in some modrn, high technology |
| (Ardichvili & Seung Won, 2009; Edvardsson, 2008; | | | | companies. In studies of a variety of knowledge |
| Lopez-Cabrales, Pérez-Luño, & Cabrera, | | | | intensive organisations they discovered that few |
| 2009). | | | | human resource management strategies and policies |
| Although the human factor in knowledge management | | | | were in place. Human resources is instead relegated to |
| is generally accepted, there are many alternative | | | | operational procedures, such as ensuring compliance |
| thoughts on integrating human resource management | | | | with industrial relations instruments. In organisations in |
| systems into knowledge management. Robertson and | | | | which this occurs, there is very little in the way of |
| Hammersley (2000) conducted exploratory research | | | | human input into strategy. This lack of strategy |
| into human resources practices and knowledge | | | | opposes research by Petersen and Poufelt (2002), |
| management within a single organisation. The | | | | who found that Knowledge management is most |
| organisation studied used few formal human resource | | | | effective in organisations where the knowledge |
| management practices, and it was found that the | | | | management strategy is precise and supported by the |
| employees were still motivated to share their | | | | organisational structure, culture and general business |
| knowledge. The organisation was also still highly | | | | strategies. Chasserio & Legault speculate that the |
| competitive in the marketplace, despite the lack of | | | | concepts of commitment, such as those argued by |
| traditional human resource practices. The results of | | | | Hislop (2003) and others, require further analysis, |
| their research suggest that, in some knowledge | | | | particular with regard to highly skilled workers. |
| intensive organisations, regular human resources | | | | The use of strategic human resource management to |
| strategies are inadequate or ineffective. Hislop (2003) | | | | manage knowledge is a newly established practice. A |
| posited that the reason the organisation studied by | | | | large amount of existing literature is theoretical in |
| Robertson and Hammersley had succeeded in | | | | nature, and much empirical research is based on |
| knowledge management was the commitment of | | | | statistically insignificant samples or anecdotes. With the |
| employees to the organisation. Where employees are | | | | current level of research the link between strategic |
| highly dedicated to their job and organisation, | | | | human resource management and knowledge |
| knowledge is shared organically without further | | | | management is largely context dependent. There are |
| managerial processes. In some cases, it is necessary | | | | many areas within the field that would benefit from |
| to treat employees who work in knowledge intensive | | | | further longitudinal research. The impact of human |
| organisations differently to regular workers, possibly as | | | | resource management systems and processes on |
| they expect a deeper level of autonomy and | | | | knowledge management will be better understood |
| independence in their work (Robertson & | | | | through research into aspects such as the influence of |
| Hammersley, 2000). Rejecting regular human resource | | | | job design, organisational culture, career opportunities, |
| management practices and processes in favour of | | | | and appraisal and reward systems. Additional research |
| informal, unofficial and subjective approaches to | | | | into employee commitment will ensure that human |
| human resource management could lead to improved | | | | resource strategies focus on the areas where most |
| performance. Edvardsson (2008) also found that | | | | gains can be made, and have a minimal footprint |
| regular human resource management processes may | | | | where they are of little benefit. What is clear from the |
| need to be modified in knowledge intensive | | | | research is that effective knowledge management |
| organisations, because those organisations are by | | | | can and does deliver significant competitive advantage. |
| nature complex and irregular. Rigid processes such as | | | | Where organisations are able to direct their knowledge |
| recruitment, performance management and reward | | | | toward innovation, competitive advantage will follow. |
| programs can limit knowledge sharing, stifling creativity, | | | | |
| with a negative effect on competitive advantage. | | | | References |
| Petersen and Poulfelt (2002) agree that different | | | | Alvesson, M. (1993). Organisations as rhetoric: |
| strategies are required, depending on the type of | | | | knowledge-intensive firms and the struggle with |
| workers and organisational culture. Whilst the study | | | | ambiguity. Journal of Management Studies, 30(6), |
| was primarily focused on factors external to human | | | | 997-1015. |
| resource strategies, it was also concluded that | | | | Ardichvili, A., & Seung Won, Y. (2009). Designing |
| performance management and incentive programs | | | | integrative knowledge management systems: |
| contribute considerably to the success of knowledge | | | | theoretical considerations and practical applications. |
| management. For strategies to create and store | | | | Advances in Developing Human Resources, 11(3), |
| knowledge to be successful, incentives and rewards | | | | 307-319. |
| must be used to encourage both the creation and | | | | Chasserio, S., & Legault, M.-J. (2009). Strategic |
| sharing of knowledge. For example, incentives for | | | | human resources management is irrelevant when it |
| documenting systems and processes should be used | | | | comes to highly skilled professionals in the Canadian |
| in conjunction with incentives for actually sharing | | | | new economy. International Journal of Human |
| information with other workers. This concept has since | | | | Resource Management, 20(5), 1113-1131. |
| been agreed by a number of other theorists and | | | | Edvardsson, I. R. (2008). HRM and knowledge |
| researchers (Edvardsson, 2008). | | | | management. Employee Relations, 30(5), 553-561. |
| Hislop (2003) suggests that knowledge management | | | | Henry, N. (1975). Knowledge management: |
| has not fully employed human resource management | | | | bureaucracy, technology, and knowledge management. |
| strategies and concepts. He further suggests that the | | | | Public Administration Review, 35(6), 572-578. |
| level of commitment of employees to the organisation | | | | Hislop, D. (2003). Linking human resource management |
| contributes directly to the effectiveness of knowledge | | | | and knowledge management via commitment. |
| management, and that this may be attributable to | | | | Employee Relations, 25(2), 182-202. |
| human resource management policies and processes. | | | | Kazmi, A., & Ahmad, F. (2001). Differening |
| Strategic management incorporating techniques to | | | | Approaches to Strategic Human Resource |
| motivate employees may contribute to commitment, | | | | Management. Journal of Management Research, 1(3), |
| ultimately driving competitive advantage. While much | | | | 133. |
| literature focuses on the storage and sharing of | | | | Lopez-Cabrales, A., Pérez-Luño, A., & |
| knowledge, Hislop contends that the attraction and | | | | Cabrera, R. V. (2009). Knowledge as a mediator |
| retention of employees may be just as important as | | | | between HRM practices and innovative activity. |
| knowledge sharing in the use of knowledge | | | | Human Resource Management, 48(4), 485-503. |
| management in fostering innovation. As modern | | | | McDermott, R. (1999). Why Information Technology |
| organisations employ larger numbers of higher skilled | | | | Inspired But Cannot Deliver Knowledge Management. |
| workers, they are at risk of losing those workers to | | | | California Management Review, 41(4), 103-117. |
| other organisations, or even being unable to recruit | | | | Minbaeva, D., Foss, N., & Snell, S. (2009). Bringing |
| those skilled workers at all. As such, it is vital that | | | | the knowledge perspective into HRM. Human |
| organisations develop strategies to manage human | | | | Resource Management, 48(4), 477-483. |
| resources with knowledge in mind. This includes | | | | Petersen, N. J., & Poulfelt, F. (2002). Knowledge |
| strategies to manage recruitment and selection to find | | | | management in action: A study of knowledge |
| and hire new skilled workers, who will bring valuable | | | | management in management consultancies. In A. F. |
| new knowledge. Without such strategies, even a small | | | | Buono (Ed.), Developing Knowledge and Value in |
| turnover rate can quickly lead to a loss of | | | | Management Consulting (Volume 2): Research in |
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| Attempting to integrate strategic human resource | | | | Publishing. |
| management with knowledge management, | | | | Robertson, M., & Hammersley, G. O. M. (2000). |
| Edvardsson (2008) makes a clear delineation between | | | | Knowledge management practices within a |
| technical strategies and human based strategies, | | | | knowledge-intensive firm: the significance of the people |
| referring to them as codification and personalisation. | | | | management dimension. Journal of European Industrial |
| Codification strategies focus on structuring of | | | | Training, 24(2-4), 241. |
| knowledge systems such as databases to store and | | | | Wright, P. M., Dunford, B. B., & Snell, S. A. (2001). |
| distribute information within an organisation. Critics of | | | | Human resources and the resource based view of the |
| codification strategies note that the information stored | | | | firm. Journal of Management, 27(6), 701. |
| lacks context, leading to "information junkyards", where | | | | |