Contributions to Sustainability in SMEs: Human Resources, Sustainable Product Innovation Performance and the Mediating Role of Employee Creativity

Abstract

The analysis of human resources and sustainable innovation through organizational variables is useful, albeit limited, for predicting complex interactions for sustainability development in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper seeks to overcome this limitation, proposing three models with variables at two levels, namely, for the development of creativity (individual level) and sustainable product innovation performance (organizational level) and sustainability development. Theoretical models are tested using the Structural Equations Model. It is posited that knowledge, motivation, and relationships (individual level) may be predictors of creativity. In addition, creativity is analyzed as a mediator between human resources and sustainable product innovation performance. In this way, it is easier for SMEs to detect on which aspects of HR they should place greater emphasis for sustainable product innovation performance (PIP), with the purpose of reducing the ones associated with the Covid-19 crisis and obtaining a sustainable world. Information was obtained through an online questionnaire involving a sample of 245 certified innovative Spanish SMEs. The results support major findings: (a) knowledge, (b) motivation, and (c) relationships have a positive impact on creativity; (d) the three models hold that creativity fully mediates human resources and sustainable product innovation performance. The paper contributes to the literature on the human resources and sustainable product innovation performance by adopting a multidisciplinary approach, as well as by analyzing variables on two levels, measuring the most internal aspects of employees (wishes, emotions, ideas, or feelings), and explaining the mediating role of employee creativity.

The Values Supporting the Creativity of Employees

“…They came to conclude that work experience, engagement, and passion serve as an important input for identifying opportunities for improvement and for generating new ideas. Muñoz-Pascual et al (2021) confirmed through quantitative research and data analysis that knowledge, motivation, and relationships have a positive and significant influence on creativity, which allows more ideas to be developed. They found that factors associated with "tacit knowledge" (experience, skills, training, and practical courses) have a major impact on the development of new ideas.…”

COVID-19 Pandemic Implications for Corporate Sustainability and Society: A Literature Review

“…Individual level Employee 37 [9,10,14,17,18,20,[22][23][24] Organizational and systematic level Leadership 18 [19,28,[75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90] Management and operations 33 [7,8,11,12,15,16,[33][34][35]42, Digital transformation 19 [21,[114][115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126]…”

“…This literature review aims to provide an overview of sustainability-conducive factors by combining the recent insights from epidemiology, sociology, and human resource management. As it was established many times before that work setting, organization, and job-related behaviors impact employees' mental health and well-being, it is essential to determine which factors are influenced and further perpetuated by COVID-19 [11,12].…”

Insertion of Sustainable Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Companies: Analysis of the Main Barriers in the Brazilian Metalworking Sector

“…The total positive d * i and negative d − i distances concerning each alternative (in this study, "the barriers for sustainable practices adoption in SMEs of Brazilian metalworking sector") is obtained through the sum of the partial distances, as evidenced in Equations ( 3) and ( 4). Finally, the closeness coefficient (CCi) that enables rank the alternatives is calculated using Equation (5).…”