Competencies and Human Resource Management of French Manufacturing Firms in an Innovation Perspective (Competences et Gestion des Ressources Humaines de l'Industrie Francaise dans une Perspective d'Innovation)

Abstract:     
This paper studies competencies and human resource management practices of French manufacturing firms. Using the French survey Competences pour Innover 1997, we highlight various collective and individual competencies used in an innovation perspective. Detailed descriptive analysis permit to identify competencies ideally mobilizable and used in order to innovate. French manufacturing firm used in average four out of ten competencies. Among used competencies we stress the importance of the insertion of the innovation in the overall strategy of the firm. Competencies permitting to organize and manage the knowledge production, to develop the innovations and concerning the human resource management practices in an innovation perspective appears to be significant and determining for firms.

Technological product innovation requires more competencies than process innovation. Large firms appear to be the most endowed with competencies and the most implied as regard human resource management practices. High technological firms are more prone to adopt and use competencies. Group membership act in favor of competencies and become a decisive advantage, particularly for foreign groups. We pay special attention to human resource management practices such as: procedures of selection, evaluation and recruitment of personnel, team-based work structured around projects, specific procedure of motivation and incentives, autonomy, common pool of knowledge, demand and choose adequate training.

Note: Downloadable document is in French.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 17

Keywords: Competences, Gestion des Ressources Humaines, Innovation, Industrie Francaise, Competencies, Human Resource Management, Innovation, French Manufacturing

JEL Classification: D21, D23, O32

working papers series