Unlocking the potential of intangible resources and capabilities for sustainability in HRD: a resource-based view

The primary objective of human resource development (HRD) is to bolster organisational performance and sustain competitive advantage. To achieve this, organisations must focus on effectively managing intangible resources and capabilities, as explained by the resource-based view (RBV). Accordingly, this study aimed to determine how intangible resources (e.g. learning organisation culture) and capabilities (e.g. knowledge sharing) impact performance and sustainability. Data were collected from 373 employees across six large companies in South Korea. The study then utilised a structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to investigate the research hypotheses. This study found that learning organisation culture significantly impacts performance and sustainability. Furthermore, Knowledge sharing also directly affects sustainability, yet its direct influence on performance is found to be insignificant. Additionally, Knowledge sharing serves as a mediator between the learning organisation culture and both performance and sustainability. Notably, this study validates the resource-based view (RBV) theory and the Dimensions of the Learning Organisation Questionnaire (DLOQ) model, extending the significance of both frameworks beyond short-term performance to include the critical concept of long-term sustainability. This research takes a bold step in pioneering sustainability research within the realm of HRD literature. Building upon these findings, the study discusses relevant implications, addresses limitations, and offers suggestions for future research.