Strategic human resource management, open innovation, and digital transformation for perceived sustainable university performance

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstractHigher education institutions are increasingly expected to achieve sustainable performance amid rapid technological and societal change. However, the organizational capability mechanisms through which strategic human resource management (strategic HRM) contributes to perceived sustainable university performance remain insufficiently understood, particularly in developing-country contexts. This study examines the relationships among strategic HRM, open innovation, digital transformation, and perceived sustainable university performance in Thai higher education institutions. A quantitative cross-sectional survey involved 440 academic and administrative personnel from 110 higher education institutions. Because employees were the unit of analysis, all constructs were measured as employee perceptions. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with a two-stage hierarchical component model and 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Strategic HRM was positively associated with open innovation (β = 0.540), digital transformation (β = 0.752), and perceived sustainable university performance (β = 0.296). Digital transformation was positively associated with perceived sustainable university performance (β = 0.604), whereas open innovation was positively associated with digital transformation (β = 0.166) but not directly with perceived sustainable university performance (β = −0.022, p = 0.541). The model explained 29.2%, 72.7%, and 73.1% of the variance in open innovation, digital transformation, and perceived sustainable university performance, respectively. Digital transformation significantly mediated the strategic HRM–performance relationship, while sequential mediation through open innovation and digital transformation was also significant. The findings extend the resource-based view and dynamic capability theory by demonstrating complementary capability mechanisms associated with sustainability perceptions in higher education.