Linking HR Pratices with Innovation Strategies : a Test of a Framework[Articuler les politiques de GRH et les stratégies d'innovation : des modèles à l'épreuve des faits]

Finding better ways to manage researchers and creative people, sustaining idea generation, and mobilizing every employee to challenge the status quo on a continuous basis are some of the new challenges facing the HR function. In a context where innovation strategies are increasingly crucial for businesses, HR practices must be aligned with this strategic priority. But how easy is it to articulate a coherent link between HRM and an innovation strategy? Beyond the usual list of best HR practices, do the few theoretical frameworks designed to link HRM with innovation stand the test of reality? Based on an in-depth case study of a high-technology firm, we tested the relevance and usefulness of one of these frameworks as a way to uncover how a value-added HR strategy can support the innovation strategy. But this case analysis also highlighted the complexity and the tensions generated by such an HR strategy.