IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i4p2008-d498638.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contributions to Sustainability in SMEs: Human Resources, Sustainable Product Innovation Performance and the Mediating Role of Employee Creativity

Author

Listed:
  • Lucía Muñoz-Pascual

    (Department of Business Administration and Management, Campus “Miguel de Unamuno”, Multidisciplinary Institute for Enterprise (IME), University of Salamanca, Building FES, 37007 Salamanca, Spain)

  • Jesús Galende

    (Department of Business Administration and Management, Campus “Miguel de Unamuno”, Multidisciplinary Institute for Enterprise (IME), University of Salamanca, Building FES, 37007 Salamanca, Spain)

  • Carla Curado

    (Advance/CSG ISEG, University of Lisbon, Rua do Quelhas, 6, 1200-781 Lisbon, Portugal)

Abstract

The analysis of human resources and sustainable innovation through organizational variables is useful, albeit limited, for predicting complex interactions for sustainability development in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper seeks to overcome this limitation, proposing three models with variables at two levels, namely, for the development of creativity (individual level) and sustainable product innovation performance (organizational level) and sustainability development. Theoretical models are tested using the Structural Equations Model. It is posited that knowledge, motivation, and relationships (individual level) may be predictors of creativity. In addition, creativity is analyzed as a mediator between human resources and sustainable product innovation performance. In this way, it is easier for SMEs to detect on which aspects of HR they should place greater emphasis for sustainable product innovation performance (PIP), with the purpose of reducing the ones associated with the Covid-19 crisis and obtaining a sustainable world. Information was obtained through an online questionnaire involving a sample of 245 certified innovative Spanish SMEs. The results support major findings: (a) knowledge, (b) motivation, and (c) relationships have a positive impact on creativity; (d) the three models hold that creativity fully mediates human resources and sustainable product innovation performance. The paper contributes to the literature on the human resources and sustainable product innovation performance by adopting a multidisciplinary approach, as well as by analyzing variables on two levels, measuring the most internal aspects of employees (wishes, emotions, ideas, or feelings), and explaining the mediating role of employee creativity.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende & Carla Curado, 2021. "Contributions to Sustainability in SMEs: Human Resources, Sustainable Product Innovation Performance and the Mediating Role of Employee Creativity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2008-:d:498638
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/2008/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/2008/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jensen, Morten Berg & Johnson, Bjorn & Lorenz, Edward & Lundvall, Bengt Ake, 2007. "Forms of knowledge and modes of innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 680-693, June.
    2. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2019. "The Triple Bottom Line on Sustainable Product Innovation Performance in SMEs: A Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-22, March.
    3. Armstrong, J. Scott & Overton, Terry S., 1977. "Estimating Nonresponse Bias in Mail Surveys," MPRA Paper 81694, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Keld Laursen & Nicolai J. Foss, 2003. "New human resource management practices, complementarities and the impact on innovation performance," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 27(2), pages 243-263, March.
    5. Chen, Chung-Jen & Huang, Jing-Wen, 2009. "Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance -- The mediating role of knowledge management capacity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 104-114, January.
    6. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    7. Helena Yli‐Renko & Erkko Autio & Harry J. Sapienza, 2001. "Social capital, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge exploitation in young technology‐based firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 587-613, June.
    8. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    9. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2021. "How does the use of information technologies affect the adoption of environmental practices in SMEs? A mixed-methods approach," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 75-102, January.
    10. Gratton, Lynda & Ghoshal, Sumantra, 2003. "Managing Personal Human Capital:: New Ethos for the 'Volunteer' Employee," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, February.
    11. Margit Osterloh & Bruno S. Frey, 2000. "Motivation, Knowledge Transfer, and Organizational Forms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(5), pages 538-550, October.
    12. Michael J. Tippins & Ravipreet S. Sohi, 2003. "IT competency and firm performance: is organizational learning a missing link?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(8), pages 745-761, August.
    13. Ganter, Alois & Hecker, Achim, 2014. "Configurational paths to organizational innovation: qualitative comparative analyses of antecedents and contingencies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(6), pages 1285-1292.
    14. Fernandes Crespo, Nuno & Curado, Carla & Oliveira, Mírian & Muñoz-Pascual, Lucía, 2021. "Entrepreneurial capital leveraging innovation in micro firms: A mixed-methods perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 333-342.
    15. Simon Rodan & Charles Galunic, 2004. "More than network structure: how knowledge heterogeneity influences managerial performance and innovativeness," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(6), pages 541-562, June.
    16. Brix, Jacob, 2017. "Exploring knowledge creation processes as a source of organizational learning: A longitudinal case study of a public innovation project," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 113-127.
    17. Birger Wernerfelt, 1984. "A resource‐based view of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 171-180, April.
    18. Ngo, Liem Viet & O'Cass, Aron, 2013. "Innovation and business success: The mediating role of customer participation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1134-1142.
    19. Bojana Jokanović & Nikola Zivlak & Andrea Okanović & Jelena Ćulibrk & Ljubica Duđak, 2020. "The Model of Knowledge Management Based on Organizational Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-22, April.
    20. Junwei Zheng & Guangdong Wu & Hongtao Xie, 2017. "Impacts of Leadership on Project-Based Organizational Innovation Performance: The Mediator of Knowledge Sharing and Moderator of Social Capital," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-22, October.
    21. Lo, Fang-Yi, 2016. "Factors leading to foreign subsidiary ownership: A multi-level perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5228-5234.
    22. Kristina Palm & Ann Bergman & Calle Rosengren, 2020. "Towards More Proactive Sustainable Human Resource Management Practices? A Study on Stress Due to the ICT-Mediated Integration of Work and Private Life," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-13, October.
    23. Foss, Nicolai J., 1998. "The resource-based perspective: An assessment and diagnosis of problems," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 133-149, March.
    24. Daniel A. Levinthal & James G. March, 1993. "The myopia of learning," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(S2), pages 95-112, December.
    25. Groza, Mark D. & Locander, David A. & Howlett, Charles H., 2016. "Linking thinking styles to sales performance: The importance of creativity and subjective knowledge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4185-4193.
    26. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende, 2020. "Ambidextrous Knowledge and Learning Capability: The Magic Potion for Employee Creativity and Sustainable Innovation Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-27, May.
    27. Maurizio Zollo & Sidney G. Winter, 2002. "Deliberate Learning and the Evolution of Dynamic Capabilities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 339-351, June.
    28. Curado, Carla & Muñoz-Pascual, Lucía & Galende, Jesús, 2018. "Antecedents to innovation performance in SMEs: A mixed methods approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 206-215.
    29. Haner, Udo-Ernst, 2002. "Innovation quality--a conceptual framework," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(1), pages 31-37, November.
    30. Valaei, Naser & Rezaei, Sajad & Ismail, Wan Khairuzzaman Wan, 2017. "Examining learning strategies, creativity, and innovation at SMEs using fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis and PLS path modeling," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 224-233.
    31. Poorkavoos, Meysam & Duan, Yanqing & Edwards, John S. & Ramanathan, Ramakrishnan, 2016. "Identifying the configurational paths to innovation in SMEs: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(12), pages 5843-5854.
    32. Muñoz-Pascual, Lucía & Galende, Jesús, 2020. "Sustainable Human Resource Management and Organisational Performance: An Integrating Theoretical Framework for Future Research," Small Business International Review, Asociación Española de Contabilidad y Administración de Empresas - AECA, vol. 4(2), pages 281-281, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Said Yousef Dwikat & Darwina Arshad & Mohd Noor Mohd Shariff, 2023. "Effect of Competent Human Capital, Strategic Flexibility and Turbulent Environment on Sustainable Performance of SMEs in Manufacturing Industries in Palestine," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-29, March.
    2. Tobechukwu Eleogu & Franciscamary Okonkwo & Rosita Eberechukwu Daraojimba & Bukola A. Odulaja & Damilola Emmanuel Ogedengbe & Chioma Ann Udeh, 2024. "Revolutionizing Renewable Energy Workforce Dynamics: HR’s Role in Shaping the Future," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 10(12), pages 402-422, January.
    3. Magdalena Gorzelany-Dziadkowiec, 2021. "COVID-19: Business Innovation Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-21, October.
    4. Eduardo Antonio Chang-Muñoz & Andrés Felipe Guarín-García & Yuneidis Charris-Sevilla & José Fernando Gallego-Nicholls & Cristina Santos-Rojo & Arturo Ortigosa-Blanch, 2023. "Innovation Activities and Their Impact on Product Innovation Results: Evidence from a Sectorial Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-15, April.
    5. Ruixin Su & Bojan Obrenovic & Jianguo Du & Danijela Godinic & Akmal Khudaykulov, 2022. "COVID-19 Pandemic Implications for Corporate Sustainability and Society: A Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-23, January.
    6. Gilberto Cassoli de Oliveira Junior & Jefferson de Souza Pinto & Izabela Simon Rampasso & Walter Leal Filho & Milena Pavan Serafim & Rosley Anholon, 2021. "Insertion of Sustainable Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Companies: Analysis of the Main Barriers in the Brazilian Metalworking Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-10, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende, 2020. "Ambidextrous Knowledge and Learning Capability: The Magic Potion for Employee Creativity and Sustainable Innovation Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-27, May.
    2. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende, 2020. "Ambidextrous Relationships and Social Capability as Employee Well-Being: The Secret Sauce for Research and Development and Sustainable Innovation Performance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-22, April.
    3. Heimeriks, K. & Duysters, G.M. & Vanhaverbeke, W.P.M., 2004. "The evolution of alliance capabilities," Working Papers 04.20, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies.
    4. Sirén, Charlotta & Kohtamäki, Marko, 2016. "Stretching strategic learning to the limit: The interaction between strategic planning and learning," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 653-663.
    5. von den Driesch, Till & Eva Susanne da Costa, Maika & Christina Flatten, Tessa & Brettel, Malte, 2015. "How CEO experience, personality, and network affect firms' dynamic capabilities," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 245-256.
    6. Curado, Carla & Muñoz-Pascual, Lucía & Galende, Jesús, 2018. "Antecedents to innovation performance in SMEs: A mixed methods approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 206-215.
    7. Byungjoo Paek & Joohyun Kim & Joonyoung Park & Heesang Lee, 2019. "Outsourcing Strategies of Established Firms and Sustainable Competitiveness: Medical Device Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-28, August.
    8. Pinho, José Carlos & Prange, Christiane, 2016. "The effect of social networks and dynamic internationalization capabilities on international performance," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 391-403.
    9. Zheng, Lu & Ulrich, Klaus & Sendra-García, Javier, 2021. "Qualitative comparative analysis: Configurational paths to innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 83-93.
    10. Maree Storer & Paul Hyland, 2011. "Utilizing Industry-led Innovation Capacity to Enhance Supply Chain Performance : An Empirical Study," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 5(6), pages 1-55, December.
    11. Koen H. Heimeriks & Geert Duysters, 2007. "Alliance Capability as a Mediator Between Experience and Alliance Performance: An Empirical Investigation into the Alliance Capability Development Process," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 25-49, January.
    12. Yi Liu & Longwei Wang & Changhong Yuan & Yuan Li, 2012. "Information communication, organizational capability and new product development: an empirical study of Chinese firms," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 416-432, August.
    13. Do, Hoa & Budhwar, Pawan & Shipton, Helen & Nguyen, Hai-Dang & Nguyen, Bach, 2022. "Building organizational resilience, innovation through resource-based management initiatives, organizational learning and environmental dynamism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 808-821.
    14. Iyer, Karthik N.S. & Srivastava, Prashant & Srinivasan, Mahesh, 2019. "Performance implications of lean in supply chains: Exploring the role of learning orientation and relational resources," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 94-104.
    15. Bindu Singh & M.K. Rao, 2016. "Examining the Effects of Intellectual Capital on Dynamic Capabilities in Emerging Economy Context: Knowledge Management Processes as a Mediator," Emerging Economy Studies, International Management Institute, vol. 2(1), pages 110-128, May.
    16. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2019. "The Triple Bottom Line on Sustainable Product Innovation Performance in SMEs: A Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-22, March.
    17. Gliga, Gabriela & Evers, Natasha, 2023. "Marketing capability development through networking – An entrepreneurial marketing perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    18. Onexy Quintana-Martinez & Antonio-Rafael Ramos-Rodriguez, 2016. "Changes in the Axes of Convergence of Innovation Management Research," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(5), pages 1-96, April.
    19. Richard Lynch, 2019. "Towards an Innovation Link between Dynamic Capabilities and Sustainability Strategy: Options for Emerging Market Companies," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 16(04), pages 1-12, June.
    20. Montserrat Boronat-Navarro & Alexandra García-Joerger, 2019. "Ambidexterity, Alliances and Environmental Management System Adoption in Spanish Hotels," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-16, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2008-:d:498638. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.