The effect of talent management and human capital on sustainable business performance: an empirical investigation in Malaysian hospitals

Purpose - This paper aims to examine the mediating role of human capital on the talent management in hospitals’ sustainable business performance in the health-care sector of Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach - The study used a quantitative approach, with an initial sample of 174 Malaysian hospitals. The theoretical framework was based on previous studies of talent management (TM), human capital (HC) and sustainable business performance (SBP). Partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the study’s hypotheses. Findings - Talent management mindset (TMM), but not talent management strategy (TMS), has a significant relationship with HC and SBP. HC has a significant direct relationship with SBP, and also mediates the relationship between TMM and SBP but not between TMS and SBP. Research limitations/implications - This work is one of a limited number of studies to empirically address TM, HC and SBP in this context. The study is limited to Malaysian hospitals. It provides theoretical contributions by broadening the knowledge of HC, TM and the multifocal perspective of hospitals’ SBP, a relevant but underexplored issue, offering several avenues for future research. Practical implications - The findings have beneficial practical implications for both policy makers and managers. First, focusing on talented people will directly improve sustainable performance in the Malaysian health sector. The findings also have important theoretical implications both for Malaysia and countries in similar situations. The study will serve as a reference point for such countries in trying to understand factors influencing SBP. Originality/value - This is the first study to examine the mediating effect of HC on the relationship between talent management and hospitals’ sustainable business performance in Malaysia, or worldwide.