The Role of Moderating Variables in the HRM– Innovation Relationship: Meta-Analytic Evidence

Zuleudo Matheus Maia Coringa, Agostinha Mafalda Barra de Oliveira, Fernando Navarro Varela Tinôco and Alexandre José de Oliveira

RAC - Revista de Administração Contemporânea (Journal of Contemporary Administration), 2025, vol. 29(5), issue Vol. 29 No. 5 (2025): Sep/Oct - 2025, e240245

Abstract: Objective and Theoretical Approach: Reviews of empirical studies on the relationship between HRM and innovation have raised some questions that still need to be raised and clarified . The objectives of this study are to: (1) estimate the magnitude of the HRM–innovation relationship; and (2) evaluate the moderating effects of substantive (i.e., isolated HRM practices or the composition of HRM practices as a system) and contextual (i.e., organizational constitution and geographic context) variables. Method: this study was prepared following the recommendations presented in the PRISMA 2020 statement. To this end, a psychometric meta-analysis by Hunter and Schmidt was performed with data from 94 records presented or published between 2000 and 2023, in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, located in the Web of Science, SciELO, and Dialnet databases, in Zhang’s reference list, and in ResearchGate. Results: there is a positive and significant relationship between HRM and innovation, especially when HRM practices are integrated in a system. The magnitude of this relationship is moderated by the geographic context but is independent of the constitution of the organizations investigated in these studies. Conclusions: these results contribute to the advancement of knowledge on HRM and innovation, provide more robust evidence on this relationship, and identify possible moderators that have not yet been fully tested in other reviews. In this sense, they encourage managers and academics to consider HRM policies that promote innovation in synergy with the specificities of each organizational and geographic context. Finally, this review challenges the traditional view, offers new methodological perspectives, and encourages new research that considers HRM integration as a critical factor for organizational innovation and explores other potential moderators of this relationship.

Date: 2025
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