Maximizing team development for open innovation in digital product development: the role of collaborative HRM and relational leadership
ISSN: 0048-3486
Article publication date: 18 July 2023
Issue publication date: 28 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to maximize team members' collaboration and develop relationships in a newly formed team to engage with internal and external partners to achieve open innovation (OI) in product development. The authors examine the role of collaborative human resource management (HRM) and relational leadership (RL) in this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The study took a two-stage qualitative methodological approach to examine relational leadership as it emerges in a newly formed cross-functional team at a large German fashion house. In stage one, 10 interviews were conducted with members of the new project team over three months and in stage two six external knowledge exchange partners were interviewed.
Findings
Collaborative HRM promotes greater social exchange, trust and commitment of team members internal and external to the organization to support the emergence of RL, which is critical for OI. The authors found that collaborative HRM practices such as team-based recruitment, team-based training, team-based performance management with rewards systems and job design support the emergence of RL. Moreover, RL practices such as congruence and commitment towards team goals subsequently promoted the development of knowledge sourcing and sharing (KSS) to support OI.
Originality/value
The study is the first to demonstrate how collaborative HRM enables RL practices to help newly formed teams overcome challenges with achieving KSS to successfully engage with internal and external partners for OI. The authors contribute to HRM theory development of the relationship between HRM and OI by conceptualizing the OI process as a social construction through collaborative HRM and relational leadership.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Dr Aurelia Engelsberger would like to acknowledge that she is now employed by “OMIND consulting UG, Niefern-Öschelbronn, Germany”.
Citation
Engelsberger, A., Cavanagh, J., Bartram, T. and Halvorsen, B. (2024), "Maximizing team development for open innovation in digital product development: the role of collaborative HRM and relational leadership", Personnel Review, Vol. 53 No. 4, pp. 1022-1038. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-09-2022-0657
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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