Promoting high-performance work practices as a fertile ground for employees’ innovation initiatives. The mediating role of knowledge sharing

Background Human resources are the organization’s key strategic assets, and organizations need to leverage them strategically to foster innovation and remain competitive. Objectives The purpose of the study is to examine how AMO-enhancing practices become contagious and influence the innovation behavior, focusing on high-performance work practices (HPWPs). It also explores the mediation effect of knowledge sharing (KS) on employees’ innovation initiatives (EII). Methods The study uses structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses, drawing on survey data from 380 professional employees across different service organizations. We have investigated how HPWPs (i.e., AMO framework) can influence employees’ own actions to drive innovation initiatives. Results The study provides valuable insights that organizations can foster EII by maximizing organizational HPWPs through KS among employees. HPWPs can support EII by strengthening their ability to develop creative ideas, while KS can enhance innovativeness. Conclusion To remain competitive, organizations should invest in employee motivation and opportunity-enhancing practices and establish robust KS frameworks. The study would offer a distinctive perspective to HRM by providing a novel model for EII.