Innovative Teaching as a Catalyst for HRD Effectiveness in Universities: A Mediated Perspective on Talent Development

Abstract

This study investigates whether innovative teaching competence (ITC) enhances human resource development (HRD) effectiveness in higher education through the mediating role of innovative talent development (ITD). Motivated by the lack of clarity on how faculty innovation translates into organisational HRD outcomes in China’s innovation-driven reform context, we integrate experiential learning theory and self-determination theory to propose a mediation model. Using survey data from 157 academic staff across three Chinese universities and PLS-SEM analysis, the results show that ITC has a significant positive effect on both ITD and HRD effectiveness. Moreover, ITD partially mediates the relationship between ITC and HRD effectiveness, with an indirect effect of 0.039 and a significance level of 0.006. The model explains 56.3% of the variance in HRD effectiveness. The core contribution lies in revealing the “competence development–effectiveness” pathway, shifting HRD research from student-level outcomes to faculty development and organisational learning. These findings highlight the strategic role of fostering ITC and ITD as levers for institutional performance and faculty development in innovation-driven higher education.