Work in Progress
Building innovation capacity - the role of human capital formation in enterprises
Summary
- Item:
- 10435
- Title:
- Building innovation capacity - the role of human capital formation in enterprises
- Type:
- Managed research project
- Project no:
- NR10001
- Status:
- Project in progress
- Date commenced:
- 15 September 2009
- Estimated publication date:
- 22 February 2012
- Theme:
- VET in context > Work changes
- Contact:
- John Stanwick
- phone: 08 8230 8400
- email: john.stanwick@ncver.edu.au
- Principal researcher:
- Andrew Smith
- Charles Sturt University
Purpose
This project seeks to identify the role of human capital formation in promoting innovation in Australian enterprises and the ways in which enterprises can improve their human resource management and learning and development practices to improve their innovation performance.
Approach
Mixed method
Research questions
The research questions are:
1. What is the role of human capital formation through enterprise-based Human Resource Management and learning and development practices in developing innovative capacity?
2. What part does enterprise engagement with the tertiary system, both VET and higher education, play in the formation of human capital and the development of innovative capacity?
3. What guidelines can be developed that can be used by managers in enterprises to promote innovative capacity through better human capital formation?
4. What role is there for intermediary bodies, particularly Industry Skills Councils, in developing innovative capacity in their industry sectors?
Methodology
This study will use a range of quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the research questions. The method involves three key elements:
1. A series of interviews with experts to establish issues and inform the survey instrument design.
2. A survey of private sector enterprises drawn from the Dun and Bradstreet database to establish the key relationships between human capital formation and enterprise innovation capacity. There is no existing survey or any existing datasets that allow us to correlate enterprise innovation with human capital development. An employer survey is thus a necessary element in this methodology.
3. Nine case studies of enterprises in three industry sectors to investigate in-depth how human capital formation practices develop innovation capacity in enterprises.
Organisations
The Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness (CRIC) is one of four designated research centres at the University of Ballarat. CRIC is based within the School of Business and is also involved in collaborative programs extended across the University. CRIC aims to explore the development of community, business and enterprise in a regional context and to work with public and private interests to influence measures that promote the growth and sustainability of regional Australia. We offer our clients:
Research: Interdisciplinary and innovative methodologies to research fundamentals of innovation and competitiveness. CRIC also supports a number of PhD students who work in the areas of clustering, connectivity, enterprise and SME growth, governance, community and citizenship.
Consultancy: A variety of consultancy projects and other regional analysis supported by experienced and practical policy advice. Through its partner the Centre for Electronic Commerce and Communications (CECC) and associated strategy consultants, CRIC offers a wide-ranging consultancy approach.
Education and Training: Up-to-date and relevant training programs for clients. The programs are grounded in experience and benchmark practice throughout the world and undertaken in association with its host University and partners in countries including the Netherlands, UK, Canada and Malaysia.
