Unlocking the black box between strategic talent management system and knowledge-worker productivity in the knowledge economy: a hybrid model
Mohammad Hossein Khasmafkan-NezamPurpose
The relationship between strategic talent management system (STMS) and knowledge-worker productivity (KWP) remains insufficiently understood, creating a “black box” regarding how talent-related investments are transformed into productivity outcomes. Drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV) and ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) theory, this study develops a hybrid framework that explains how STMS enhances KWP through complementary behavioral and structural mechanisms. Specifically, the study examines the parallel mediating roles of the knowledge management process (KMP) and entrepreneurial behavior (EB) as behavioral pathways, while investigating the neutralizing role of centralization as a structural contingency influencing the relationship between KMP and KWP. By integrating knowledge-based mechanisms with organizational design considerations, this research advances understanding of how talent management systems create value in knowledge-intensive environments.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was adopted using a structured survey conducted among knowledge workers in scientific and research-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Iran. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the proposed relationships, including the parallel mediating effects of KMP and EB and the moderating effect of centralization.
Findings
The findings indicate that STMS significantly enhances KWP through the parallel mediating effects of the KMP and EB. Furthermore, the results reveal that centralization does not neutralize the positive effect of KMP on KWP, suggesting that centralized decision-making structures do not diminish the productivity benefits generated through KMPs.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the emerging literature on strategic talent management and KWP by developing an original hybrid framework that explains the mechanisms through which STMS generates productivity outcomes in knowledge-intensive environments. Grounded in the knowledge-based view (KBV) and ability–motivation–opportunity (AMO) theory, the study advances a capability-oriented perspective by integrating behavioral mechanisms and structural contingencies into a unified explanatory model of the “black box” between talent management system and employee productivity. Specifically, by identifying the parallel mediating roles of the KMP and EB, alongside the moderating role of centralization, this research provides deeper insight into how organizational systems, knowledge processes and structural conditions interact to enhance knowledge-worker productivity. Furthermore, the focus on knowledge workers in Iranian scientific and research SMEs extends current understanding by offering evidence from a knowledge-intensive emerging economy context characterized by distinctive institutional and organizational conditions.