Analyzing the role of human resources and organizational practices to foster open innovation

Abstract

The objective of this study was to make the first step to cover the gap concerning Human Resources in open innovation. It responds to the call, gave by the fundamental researchers and scholars of open innovation paradigm. This thesis examines the role of Human Resources and organizational practices to foster open innovation in large organizations. It analyses the current position of Human Resources in companies with open innovation approach, focuses on challenges of open innovation implementation and reviews how Human Resources, and organizational practices, can help to overcome those challenges, as well as it foresees the entire role of Human Resources in open innovation process. The theoretical part of the research consists of the literature overview devoted to open innovation, Human Resource Management and application of Human Resource Management to open innovation. The qualitative research method has been applied by conducting the indepth interviews from open innovation practitioners and the inductive data analysis comparing the findings with the theoretical statements. The results show ambiguous view on the role of Human Resources in open innovation: it finds more support from the theoretical perspective than from the practical implication. Human Resources does not participate in the process of open innovation currently, though, some organizations have already recognized its necessity to join this process. However, the organizations face many challenges to implement open innovation and many of them indicate where Human Resources can be influential and which organizational practices can help to overcome those barriers. Overall, the role of Human Resources in open innovation is an emerging process with a prediction of strong impact in the nearest future. However, in order to be involved in open innovation, Human Resources role has to be reconsidered and become more innovative itself.