How to leverage flexibility-oriented HRM systems to build organizational resilience in the digital era: the mediating role of intellectual capital

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of flexibility-oriented human resource management (FHRM) systems on intellectual capital and organizational resilience. This study also examines the moderating effect of digital capability on the relationship between intellectual capital and organizational resilience.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 219 Chinese businesses in the Yangtze River Delta region of China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to verify the validity and reliability of the measurements, and hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression.FindingsThe empirical results show that FHRM systems are positively correlated with intellectual capital and organizational resilience. Intellectual capital mediates the link between FHRM systems and organizational resilience. Moreover, digital capability serves as a positive moderator between intellectual capital and organizational resilience.Originality/valueFrom the perspectives of resilience theory, the resource-based view and the theory of dynamic capabilities, this study is among the first to identify the process mechanism by which FHRM systems affect organizational resilience through intellectual capital. Digital capability is introduced as a situational factor for understanding the effect of intellectual capital on organizational resilience, which provides new insights for further research.