Bridging the gap between strategy and practice: A study on the impact of consistency in human resource management systems on organizational resilience and innovation performance in dairy enterprises

Abstract: This study investigates how internal consistency within human resource management (HRM) systems—specifically the vertical alignment with business strategy and the horizontal complementarity among recruitment, performance appraisal, training, and compensation practices—influences organizational resilience and innovation performance in dairy enterprises. Drawing on strategic HRM and organisational resilience theories, we propose that HRM system consistency enhances a firm’s adaptive capacity and fosters incremental and radical innovations. Using a mixed-method design, the research first conducts multiple case studies in leading Chinese dairy companies to contextualise the mechanisms, followed by a survey of 150 dairy firms. Structural equation modelling is employed to test the mediating role of dynamic capabilities and knowledge sharing. Findings are expected to reveal that consistent HRM systems significantly strengthen resilience against market volatility and food safety crises, and simultaneously drive product and process innovation. The study contributes to the high-performance work systems literature by empirically validating the configurational perspective in the agri-food sector. Practically, it provides dairy managers with evidence-based guidance for designing coherent HRM architectures that bridge the gap between strategic intent and operational execution, ultimately enhancing long-term competitiveness in a turbulent environment. Keywords: HRM system consistency; organisational resilience; innovation performance; dairy industry; strategic human resource management. Title: Bridging the gap between strategy and practice: A study on the impact of consistency in human resource management systems on organizational resilience and innovation performance in dairy enterprises Author: Mu Yanyan, Orlina Ursula D. Regua International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online) Vol. 14, Issue 1, January 2026 - March 2026 Page No: 183-192 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 24-February-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18756604 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/bridging-the-gap-between-strategy-and-practice-a-study-on-the-impact-of-consistency-in-human-resource-management-systems-on-organizational-resilience-and-innovation-performance-in-dairy-enterprises