Abstract—There is a critical need to enhance the quality of R&D workforce in Malaysia. To address this problem, the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015) and the New Economic Model (NEM) both stress the need to enhance human capital development in the country’s innovation capacity. Managing R&D is a different experience compared to other industries due to its distinct set of people and culture. Thus, R&D organizations need to implement high performance work practices (HPWP) to increase productivity and effectiveness. Studies have shown that there is a positive link between HPWP and innovation. Nevertheless, there exists a knowledge gap in the area of HPWP in Malaysia. Hence, this paper intends to examine the concept of HPWP within the context of R&D organizations. A review of literature will be used to theorize about how HPWP will influence R&D performance.

Index Terms—high performance work practices, HPWP, innovation, R&D

Cite: Arnifa Asmawi and Kok-Wai Chew, "High Performance Work Practices (HPWP) in Malaysian R&D Organizations," Journal of Advanced Management Science, Vol. 4, No. 6, pp. 467-470, November 2016. doi: 10.18178/joams.4.6.467-470