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

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.