DOI: 10.1108/ebhrm-01-2026-0036 ISSN: 2049-3983

Integrating shared-value training into HRM: evidence from Japan on human capital, employee satisfaction and perceived performance

Hiroki Iwamoto, Shinya Takata, Paul C. Hong

Purpose

This study examines how integrating creating shared value (CSV) principles into sustainability-oriented training may influence human capital, employee satisfaction and perceived corporate performance in Japanese organizations. It aims to suggest how CSV-related training functions as an evidence-based human resource management (HRM) practice that aligns workforce development with strategic sustainability objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional employee survey was conducted in Japanese firms using a two-stage online panel design. Structural equation modeling was employed to test hypothesized relationships among CSV-related training, human capital, perceived CSV performance, employee satisfaction and perceived corporate performance.

Findings

The results suggest that CSV-related training has a positive association with human capital and employee satisfaction, which in turn are associated with perceived corporate performance. Perceived CSV performance partially mediates these relationships, highlighting the attitudinal and capability-based mechanisms through which CSV-oriented HR practices enhance perceived organizational outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by its single-country, cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data. Future research should adopt longitudinal and multi-source approaches to strengthen causal inference and generalizability.

Practical implications

CSV-related training may serve as a strategic HRM practice that is associated with enhanced employee satisfaction, human capital development and organizational resilience.

Originality/value

This study contributes to evidence-based HRM by empirically linking CSV-related training to human capital development, employee satisfaction and perceived performance in a non-Western context.

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