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Article
Publication date: 26 May 2022

Robert L. Bonner, Andrea R. Neely, Christopher B. Stone, Cynthia A. Lengnick-Hall and Mark L. Lengnick-Hall

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overarching framework to guide the understanding of the allocation and deployment of strategic human capital assets within an…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overarching framework to guide the understanding of the allocation and deployment of strategic human capital assets within an organization. Using the concept of medical triage with business units analogous to “patients” and their performance to “symptoms or injuries,” the framework suggests a “steal from the poor” perspective that is counter to conventional organizational decline literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper proposing that there are five different categories of business unit need for human capital assets: expectant, deceased, immediate, delayed or minimal; all based on the type of environment and holistic performance of the business unit. Based on a business unit’s specific situation, the authors suggest a process model guiding how to conduct a triage analysis to optimize the allocation of strategic human capital assets within an organization.

Findings

The authors argue that current trends in assessing strategic human capital assets which make comparisons across organizations are necessary but insufficient (e.g. comparing a store to other stores in its district or region). Each business unit has its own unique internal capabilities and external constraints that also must be accurately assessed to make an informed organizational-level decision about where and how to deploy strategic human capital assets.

Originality/value

Borrowing from medical science, this paper demonstrates a new conceptual framework with propositions for researchers and guidance for practitioners.

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2020

Jian Chu and Junxiong Fang

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of economic policy uncertainty on firms' labor investment decision, which includes labor investment level and…

1054

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of economic policy uncertainty on firms' labor investment decision, which includes labor investment level and efficiency, especially human capital allocation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses Economic Policy Uncertainty Index for China and Chinese A-share listed firms in the period 2002–2016 to constructs a sample of 20,779 firm-year observations and applies the methods of pooled OLS regressions to do an empirical study.

Findings

This paper finds that firms' labor investment is negatively correlated with economic policy uncertainty. And firms' labor investment efficiency (and overinvestment in labor) is positively (negatively) correlated with economic policy uncertainty, which is more significant for non-SOEs and firms with less government intervention. Further, the positive relation between economic policy uncertainty and labor investment efficiency is more significant for labor-intensive firms, firms in competitive industry, firms in developed labor market and firms under strong labor law protection. In addition, economic policy uncertainty induces firms to make adjustment on human capital structure and allocate more employees with high human capital, which eventually helps firms achieve higher total factor productivity.

Social implications

The study of this paper indicates that the government needs to consider economic policies' impact on firms when introducing and changing policies and guide firms to improve human capital allocation under different internal and external conditions to finally realize the optimal allocation of social resources.

Originality/value

This paper studies the influence of external economic policy environment on firms' labor investment decision, which lacks adequate attention in the literature and indicates that under economic policy uncertainty, firms actively decrease labor demand and increase labor investment efficiency by optimizing human capital allocation.

Details

China Finance Review International, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 April 2015

Qiaoling He

Why is the “education to industrial innovation” equation not working in China? Why has education development contributed to South Korea’s success but not promoted technology…

Abstract

Purpose

Why is the “education to industrial innovation” equation not working in China? Why has education development contributed to South Korea’s success but not promoted technology development and industrial upgrading in China? The purpose of this paper is to compare South Korea and China and try to address that puzzle. The author will also identify which mediating factors are crucial in linking education development to industrial innovation and industrial upgrading.

Design/methodology/approach

This study will use the historical comparative method to compare South Korea and China. The author will try to explore the differences in education and industrial upgrading in the two countries, and identify which factors are producing different educational development effects, mainly by narrative comparison. Data will mainly come from online databases such as Statistics Korea, the Center on International Education Benchmarking, the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, China Education Statistics and the World Bank, as well as from second-hand resources.

Findings

In summary, this research has revealed that education itself or the production of human capital may not be sufficient conditions for technology innovation or industry upgrading. For human capital to affect industrial upgrading positively, it is not enough for the Chinese government just to invest in education. Other intermediating market and social contexts are crucial too, especially the allocation of resources between the private and the public sectors, and the existence of a proper employment structure.

Originality/value

The role of education in economic development for the developing world is debated a lot. However, there is little development study research which directly explores the relationship between education and industrial upgrading via macroeconomic analysis. In a globalized world, the situation of international industrial value chains is an important element for sustainable long-term development. Industrial structures and their transformation are becoming more and more important for developing countries. While most past research has treated the absorbing economy’s structure as a condition that determines education’s contribution to development, this paper will treat the industrial structure as the dependent variable, and analyze how education would contribute to the upgrading of industrial structure and, in turn, be of benefit to sustainable economic development.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Annie Tubadji and Peter Nijkamp

Theoretical and empirical research on the impact of immigrants for local development is rather inconclusive regarding the direction of said impact. The purpose of this paper is to…

Abstract

Purpose

Theoretical and empirical research on the impact of immigrants for local development is rather inconclusive regarding the direction of said impact. The purpose of this paper is to identify relationships between human capital and cultural capital, in the context of local labour market productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

As the key constituents of human capital, identified in the literature, are both the locally generated through investment in education and the inflowing through immigration human capital, the paper examines those jointly in a close-to-reality-model. To this end, the paper operationalizes and infers data on the “melting pot” of EU15, NUTS2 level. The sources of the data are the Eurostat Regional Database and the World Value Survey, which have served to construct both a cross-section for the year 2001. These data sets allows us to examine the different groups of migrating and local human capital, their interaction and joint impact on local productivity through three stage least square estimations of the simultaneous equations CBD model.

Findings

The evidence suggests that benefits from immigrants differ, not only due to their human capital, but also due to their culturally biased different bargaining power on the labour market.

Originality/value

The main advantage of the suggested model of productivity is that, in addition to accounting for the filigree composition of human capital, it also takes into consideration the cultural capital present in a locality. In this manner, the authors are able to examine the interaction between the quality of the incoming human capital and the cultural encounter context (generating the cultural “milieu” effect) of the modern diverse city.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 35 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1992

Robert E. Looney

Addresses the question of whether military expenditures in the Arabworld have been at the expense of human capital development. Mainlyfinds that countries in the Arab world have…

Abstract

Addresses the question of whether military expenditures in the Arab world have been at the expense of human capital development. Mainly finds that countries in the Arab world have experienced increases in human capital development associated with increased rates of military participation (armed forces per capita). This phenomenon is in sharp contrast with that found in non‐Arab countries. Also this phenomenon appears to be relatively recent, increasing in strength during the period after 1980. In part Arab governments have chosen to subsidize the education of increased numbers of civilians during periods of steppedup military expenditures with the understanding that upon completion of training those individuals will serve some time in the military.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Explaining Growth in the Middle East
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-44452-240-5

Article
Publication date: 4 August 2023

Hong Luo and Huiying Qiao

A new round of technological revolution is impacting various aspects of society. However, the importance of technology adoption in fostering firm innovation is underexplored…

Abstract

Purpose

A new round of technological revolution is impacting various aspects of society. However, the importance of technology adoption in fostering firm innovation is underexplored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether robot adoption affects technological innovation and how human capital plays a role in this relationship in the era of circular economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the robot adoption data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and panel data of China's listed manufacturing firms from 2011 to 2020, this study uses regression models to test the impact of industrial robots on firm innovation and the mediating role of human capital.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the adoption of industrial robots can significantly promote high-quality innovation. Specifically, a one-unit increase in the number of robots per 100 employees is associated with a 13.52% increase in the number of invention patent applications in the following year. The mechanism tests show that industrial robots drive firm innovation by accumulating more highly educated workers and allocating more workers to R&D jobs. The findings are more significant for firms in industries with low market concentration, in labor-intensive industries and in regions with a shortage of high-end talent.

Research limitations/implications

Due to data limitations, the sample of this study is limited to listed manufacturing firms, so the impact of industrial robots on promoting innovation may be underestimated. In addition, this study cannot observe the dynamic process of human capital management by firms after adopting robots.

Practical implications

The Chinese government should continue to promote the intelligent upgrading of the manufacturing industry and facilitate the promotion of robots in innovation. This implication can also be applied to developing countries that hope to learn from China's experience. In addition, this study emphasizes the role of human capital in the innovation-promoting process of robots. This highlights the importance of firms to strengthen employee education and training.

Social implications

The adoption of industrial robots has profoundly influenced the production and lifestyle of human society. This study finds that the adoption of robots contributes to firm innovation, which helps people gain a deeper understanding of the positive impacts brought about by industrial intelligence.

Originality/value

By exploring the impact of industrial robots on firm innovation, this study offers crucial evidence at the firm level to comprehend the economic implications of robot adoption based on circular economy and human perspectives. Moreover, this study reveals that human capital is an important factor in how industrial robots affect firm innovation, providing an important complement to previous studies.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 62 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2005

John Creedy and Norman Gemmell

This paper aims to examine the growth effects of human capital investment achieved through publicly‐provided, compulsory education, financed from income and consumption taxes.

1369

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the growth effects of human capital investment achieved through publicly‐provided, compulsory education, financed from income and consumption taxes.

Design/methodology/approach

Constructs an endogenous growth model for developing countries, based on human capital accumulation in which education is publicly provided and financed, and schooling is compulsory.

Findings

Public investment in human and physical capital are financed from taxes on wage and capital income, and consumption. Semi‐reduced forms are obtained to examine the equilibrium growth properties of the model, allowing the steady‐state effects of fiscal policy to be derived. The specification of the human capital production function and the strength of labour supply effects are shown to be important for the magnitude of steady‐state outcomes. Simulations illustrate the model's steady‐state and transitional dynamic properties.

Originality/value

Provides an analysis of the growth impact of state‐provided education.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 6 February 2023

Daisy Singh and Pulak Mishra

The notion of sustainability broadly builds upon the development of the present without hampering the needs of the future generation. Accordingly, the contemporary development…

Abstract

The notion of sustainability broadly builds upon the development of the present without hampering the needs of the future generation. Accordingly, the contemporary development programmes, in general, emphasise on minimising the adverse bearings of climate change and arresting the irreversible ecological degradation following the implementation of the growth-oriented economic models. While such idea of sustainable development is expected to be applied across different sectors, the traditional urban development projects such as the Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns (IDSMT) (1979), the Mega-City Scheme (1993), and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) (2005) focussed mainly on physical infrastructure with inadequate emphasis on the ecological aspects and sustainability. However, with the experiences of globalisation and the negative impact of changing climate, the recent urban development initiatives across the world have gone through considerable redesigning, and the idea of eco-city, compact city, sustainable city, etc., have taken the central place in the project proposals. In this connection, the Smart City Mission (SCM) (2015) of the Government of India has emerged as an important initiative to facilitate improvement in the standard of living along with economic growth through the development of urban infrastructure and integration with intelligent technologies. This chapter attempts to understand how the projects under the SCM have incorporated various ecological aspects to transform the cities into liveable and sustainable ones for the future generation. Using secondary data and carrying out a comparative analysis of selected smart city proposals, this chapter finds that there is still a lack of adequate emphasis on ecological sustainability in many smart city proposals. This chapter suggests revisiting the smart city proposals, and initiatives should be made towards the development of urban areas in a sustainable way.

Details

The Impact of Environmental Emissions and Aggregate Economic Activity on Industry: Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-577-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 June 2021

Muhammad Ali, Syed Ali Ali Raza, Chin-Hong Puah and Shamim Samdani

This research aims to explain the effect of financial indicators and economic growth on human capital in low-income countries.

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to explain the effect of financial indicators and economic growth on human capital in low-income countries.

Design/methodology/approach

We gathered balanced panel data from 1980 to 2016 over a sample of 12 low-income countries categorized by World Development Indicators. The data stationary properties were analyzed by unit root test while the existence of a long-run relationship among the variables was confirmed by cointegration test. We performed Hausman test to differentiate between the fixed effect and random effect model. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results.

Findings

Our findings indicated that broad money supply and private sector credit has a positive and significant impact on human capital. Interestingly, bank credit showed a negative and significant effect on human capital. We also found a significant positive relationship between human capital and economic growth in the study sample.

Originality/value

This is a preliminary study using financial development and human capital in low-income countries with panel econometric techniques as an analysis tool. Overall, we suggest a policy to focus on the financial sector development and economic growth to produce sustainable human capital.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 48 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

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