Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation

Nazila Razi, Elizabeth More

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Prior studies assert that high-performance work system (HPWS) practices allow a firm to build firm-specific human capital knowledge (FSK), which positively influences customer relations. This, in turn, leads to improved organisational performance. This study investigates whether a takeover influences existing firm-specific human capital knowledge and its impact on customer relations. The study was conducted on a small, recently acquired Australian telecommunications company identified as having a HPWS environment. The qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with the top, middle and supervisory management team of the company. From the findings it is evident that the existence of a HPWS environment in the organisation helped the employees to develop and build on firm-specific human capital. Intimate knowledge of the firm's products, customers and work processes enabled the firm to gain more individual efficiency. Firm-specific knowledge was identified as the most significant contributing factor towards improved customer relations and high performance of the organisation pre and post takeover. The takeover seems to have had no negative impact on employee FSK. It seems that employee knowledge of products, customers and work processes has improved.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)79-93
Number of pages15
JournalAccounting, Accountability and Performance
Volume17
Issue number1/2
Publication statusPublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Employees
High performance work systems
Customer relations
Firm-specific human capital
Organizational performance
Qualitative research
Factors
Team management
Structured interview
Systems practice
Telecommunications
High performance

Cite this

Razi, Nazila ; More, Elizabeth . / Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation. In: Accounting, Accountability and Performance. 2012 ; Vol. 17, No. 1/2. pp. 79-93.
@article{b29039bf34084286912a5f2829cc80a2,
title = "Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation",
abstract = "Prior studies assert that high-performance work system (HPWS) practices allow a firm to build firm-specific human capital knowledge (FSK), which positively influences customer relations. This, in turn, leads to improved organisational performance. This study investigates whether a takeover influences existing firm-specific human capital knowledge and its impact on customer relations. The study was conducted on a small, recently acquired Australian telecommunications company identified as having a HPWS environment. The qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with the top, middle and supervisory management team of the company. From the findings it is evident that the existence of a HPWS environment in the organisation helped the employees to develop and build on firm-specific human capital. Intimate knowledge of the firm's products, customers and work processes enabled the firm to gain more individual efficiency. Firm-specific knowledge was identified as the most significant contributing factor towards improved customer relations and high performance of the organisation pre and post takeover. The takeover seems to have had no negative impact on employee FSK. It seems that employee knowledge of products, customers and work processes has improved.",
author = "Nazila Razi and Elizabeth More",
year = "2012",
language = "English",
volume = "17",
pages = "79--93",
journal = "Accounting, Accountability and Performance",
issn = "1323-711X",
publisher = "Griffith University",
number = "1/2",

}

Razi, N & More, E 2012, 'Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation', Accounting, Accountability and Performance, vol. 17, no. 1/2, pp. 79-93.

Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation. / Razi, Nazila; More, Elizabeth .

In: Accounting, Accountability and Performance, Vol. 17, No. 1/2, 2012, p. 79-93.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation

AU - Razi, Nazila

AU - More, Elizabeth

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - Prior studies assert that high-performance work system (HPWS) practices allow a firm to build firm-specific human capital knowledge (FSK), which positively influences customer relations. This, in turn, leads to improved organisational performance. This study investigates whether a takeover influences existing firm-specific human capital knowledge and its impact on customer relations. The study was conducted on a small, recently acquired Australian telecommunications company identified as having a HPWS environment. The qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with the top, middle and supervisory management team of the company. From the findings it is evident that the existence of a HPWS environment in the organisation helped the employees to develop and build on firm-specific human capital. Intimate knowledge of the firm's products, customers and work processes enabled the firm to gain more individual efficiency. Firm-specific knowledge was identified as the most significant contributing factor towards improved customer relations and high performance of the organisation pre and post takeover. The takeover seems to have had no negative impact on employee FSK. It seems that employee knowledge of products, customers and work processes has improved.

AB - Prior studies assert that high-performance work system (HPWS) practices allow a firm to build firm-specific human capital knowledge (FSK), which positively influences customer relations. This, in turn, leads to improved organisational performance. This study investigates whether a takeover influences existing firm-specific human capital knowledge and its impact on customer relations. The study was conducted on a small, recently acquired Australian telecommunications company identified as having a HPWS environment. The qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with the top, middle and supervisory management team of the company. From the findings it is evident that the existence of a HPWS environment in the organisation helped the employees to develop and build on firm-specific human capital. Intimate knowledge of the firm's products, customers and work processes enabled the firm to gain more individual efficiency. Firm-specific knowledge was identified as the most significant contributing factor towards improved customer relations and high performance of the organisation pre and post takeover. The takeover seems to have had no negative impact on employee FSK. It seems that employee knowledge of products, customers and work processes has improved.

M3 - Article

VL - 17

SP - 79

EP - 93

JO - Accounting, Accountability and Performance

JF - Accounting, Accountability and Performance

SN - 1323-711X

IS - 1/2

ER -

Razi N, More E. Employee firm-specific knowledge and the acquisition of a high-performance work system organisation. Accounting, Accountability and Performance. 2012;17(1/2):79-93.

Access to Document