Hrd Research

Title: Strategic Human Resource Development and Dynamic

Capabilities

Name of Authors:

Valerie Shanahan, Prof. Thomas Garavan & Dr. Ronan

Carbery

Organisation:

University of Limerick, Ireland

Address:

Department of Personnel & Employment Relations,

Kemmy Business School,

University of Limerick,

Limerick,

Ireland.

Email:

Valerie.Shanahan@ul.ie

Stream:

Leadership and Management Development

Submission Type:

Refereed Paper

Keywords:

Strategic Human Resource Management, ResourceBased View, Dynamic Capabilities, Strategic Business

Partner

Abstract

This paper will investigate why Human Resource Development (HRD) has an

important influence on the development of organisational internal and external

dynamic capabilities. Drawing on theoretical insights of the resource-based view of

strategic management, it will try to explore the potential of an organisational HRD

system to facilitate or inhibit the development and utilisation of organisational

capabilities. It will do this by drawing on previous work from many authors but with a

specific focus on Teece et al. (2007), Eisenhardt & Martin (2000), Chaio et al. (2010),

Ander & Helfat (2003), Peterson (2008) and Garavan (2007). The paper will argue for

the presence of Strategic HRD (SHRD) in organisations as a means for developing

dynamic capabilities, thus, enabling a further advancement of the resourced-based

view theory. It will present a conceptual model identifying the essential elements that

provide a framework for how SHRD might enable the creation and sustaining of a

competitive advantage in an organisation by developing dynamic capabilities. Finally,

it underlines the direction of future research by proposing a number of hypotheses

that can be tested empirically.

Strategic Human Resource Development and Dynamic Capabilities

Introduction

A rapidly growing body of literature recognises that the focus of the

researchers on HRM/HRD has shifted from...