Friendly Innovation? Employee-Friendly Policies, Sustainable Innovation, and Firm Value

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2019

Publication Title

International Journal of Human Resource Management

Volume

211

Issue

1

First page number:

254

Last page number:

298

Abstract

In this study, we examine whether employee-friendly practices are associated with innovation through R&D investment, and whether firm value is related to employee-friendly practices and R&D investment. We find significantly positive associations between employee friendliness and R&D investment and between firm value and employee friendliness when R&D investment is high, based on a large sample of US firms. Both positive relations hold when we account for corporate governance. In addition, using the list of Fortune's “100 Best Companies to Work For” as an alternative measure of employee-friendly policies, we find firms with higher R&D investment are more likely to treat their workers favorably. Furthermore, we find that the market reaction is more positive when firms with higher R& D investment are selected in the Fortune list. This evidence supports our sustainable innovation hypothesis and value creation theory.

Keywords

Employee-Friendly Practices; Human Capital; R&D Investment; Sustainable Innovation; Value Creation Theory

Disciplines

Business | Human Resources Management | Training and Development

Language

English


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