PurposeSince the subject matters of human resources activities on knowledge intensive firms have been changed by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this study aims to analyze the impact of stock options on talent retention (knowledge worker retention) and knowledge productivity (innovation) in terms of patents, which directly affect the financial performance of knowledge intensive firms.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on agency and contingency theory to design the causality model, this study analyzes the data obtained from 227 publicly traded knowledge intensive firms in information technology (IT) and healthcare sectors. Panel data analysis is used to determine the long run causal relationship between firm innovation, knowledge worker retention and financial performance, in addition to ANOVA for evaluating firm size as a lurking variable on the effect of stock options.FindingsThe results of this study demonstrate that, when firm size is taken into account, (1) stock options significantly affect knowledge worker retention and firms' financial performance, and this impact is stronger in a during-pandemic situation than in a pre-pandemic situation (2) firm innovation significantly affects firms' financial performance and this impact is stronger in a during-pandemic situation than in a pre-pandemic situation; (3) knowledge worker retention doesn't have a significant impact on firm innovation and firms' financial performance. Moreover, random effect regression analysis for long-term relationships also depicts the same results: knowledge worker retention has non-significant impact on firm innovation and financial performance, but firm innovation significantly affects financial performance.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, the authors are the first to compare the effects of stock options, knowledge worker retention and firm innovation in both pre- and during-pandemic scenarios where firm size is taken into consideration.
Resilient agility is a novel concept that refers to the combined resilience-agility capability that allows an actor to successfully perform in rapidly changing contexts. Change dynamics, at all levels, increase uncertainties and responsibilities for employees augmenting the need to strengthen the self via resilient agility. This study examines employee resilient agility as anteceded by supervisors’ safety, coworkers’ safety, workplace belongingness, job satisfaction, willingness to embrace organizational change, and creativity. Respondents are from multiple organizations, industries, and regions of the United States. Analyses were carried out utilizing PLS-SEM software. Findings indicate that supervisors’ safety, workplace belongingness, willingness to embrace organizational change, and creativity have substantial effects on explaining and understanding employees’ resilient agility. In contrast, the effects of coworkers’ safety were insignificant. This study (a) contributes to the nomological network of resilient agility by examining a set of its key antecedents and (b) suggests that drastic organizational restructuring (e.g., significant changes in the relative proportion of remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic) may negatively impact both relational-based constructs in organizations and employees’ ability to rapidly and effectively respond to change. Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations and future research are discussed.
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