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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 October 2021

Florian Fahrenbach

This paper aims to depart from the premise that human capital investments and human capital outcomes are often tacit – an aspect, which is often neglected in the current…

1138

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to depart from the premise that human capital investments and human capital outcomes are often tacit – an aspect, which is often neglected in the current literature on entrepreneurial human capital. The idea of this conceptual paper is to shed light on the social process of how human capital investments and human capital outcomes can be valued and made visible through the validation of prior learning. Thus, this study conceptualises the validation of prior learning as a post hoc, the reflective process through which an aspiring entrepreneur is guided.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual and introduces a process model.

Findings

Findings indicate that the process of the validation of prior learning is well-suitable to inform aspiring entrepreneurs of their investments into human capital and their human capital outcomes. The process results in a (partial) certified qualification that provides entrepreneurial legitimacy.

Research limitations/implications

Thus far, the model is conceptual and should be validated via interviews and further empirical studies in the field.

Practical implications

Literature in the field of entrepreneurial human capital suggests that human capital outcomes are more important for success than inputs. Furthermore, context-specific knowledge, skills and abilities are more important than generalised outcomes. These findings have implications for the design of validation procedures.

Originality/value

Human capital has only been recently conceptualised as consisting of human capital investments and outcomes of human capital investment. However, thus far the literature falls short in acknowledging the tacit nature of human capital investments and human capital outcomes. This paper contributes a structured process of how human capital investments and human capital outcomes are linked and assessed. In so doing, this study extends a recent model of human capital investments and outputs (Marvel et al., 2016, p. 616).

Details

European Journal of Training and Development, vol. 47 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-9012

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 October 2022

Olawale Daniel Akinyele, Olusola Mathew Oloba and Gisele Mah

African countries are endowed with both human and natural resources. These resources constitute integral components for any economic development due to the long-lasting…

1506

Abstract

Purpose

African countries are endowed with both human and natural resources. These resources constitute integral components for any economic development due to the long-lasting relationship with all sectors in an economy, yet there is an obvious disagreement between growing economy and employment generation in Africa. Though there has been a growing pattern of economic size, particularly the gross domestic product (GDP) among African countries, most of these economies are low in human development. The disagreement between economic growth and employment generation in Africa despite abundant natural resources located on the continent calls for public discourse among scholars. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to examine the peculiar drivers of unemployment intensity in a region characterized by endowed resources.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts two approaches; the authors employed the pooled mean group (PMG) estimator and utilised stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to generate a government efficiency index between the period 1991 and 2017 among sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries.

Findings

The empirical results through the single output-multiple inputs framework indicate that on average, there is a low level of government efficiency towards increasing the objective of human development in Africa. However, in the long run, natural resource endowment has a positive and significant relationship with employment generation for SSA. Hence, the study established that a low level of government efficiency has a long-lasting effect on low human development experienced in Africa.

Social implications

The need to improve the level of government efficiency towards economic development by making both human and physical capital more effective will spur the exploration of natural resources.

Originality/value

The paper provides an empirical study of the effectiveness and efficiency of government through PMG and SFA in establishing the relationship between government approaches and employment level in selected SSA countries.

Details

Review of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2356-9980

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Robert Ford and Lindsay Schakenbach Regele

This historical example of the creation of the arms industry in the Connecticut River Valley in the 1800s provides new insights into the value of government venture capital (GVC…

Abstract

Purpose

This historical example of the creation of the arms industry in the Connecticut River Valley in the 1800s provides new insights into the value of government venture capital (GVC) and government demand in creating a new industry. Since current theoretical explanations of the best uses of governmental venture capital are still under development, there is considerable need for further theory development to explain and predict the creation of an industry and especially those industries where failures in private capital supply necessitates governmental involvement in new firm creation. The purpose of this paper is to provide an in depth historical review of how the arms industry evolved spurred by GVC and government created demand.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses abductive inference as the best way to build and test emerging theories and advancing theoretical explanations of the best uses of GVC and governmental demand to achieve socially required outcomes.

Findings

By observing this specific historical example in detail, the authors add to the understanding of value creation caused by governmental venture capital funding of existing theory. A major contribution of this paper is to advance theory based on detailed observation.

Originality/value

The relatively limited research literature and theory development on governmental venture capital funding and the critical success factors in startups are enriched by this abductive investigation of the creation of the historically important arms industry and its spillover into creating the specialized machine industry.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 May 2023

Peter Wanke, Jorge Junio Moreira Antunes, Antônio L. L. Filgueira, Flavia Michelotto, Isadora G. E. Tardin and Yong Tan

This paper aims to investigate the performance of OECD countries' long-term productivity during the period of 1975–2018.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the performance of OECD countries' long-term productivity during the period of 1975–2018.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed different approaches to evaluate how efficiency scores vary with changes in inputs and outputs: Data Envelopment Analysis (CRS, VRS and FDH), TOPSIS and TOPSIS of these scores.

Findings

The findings suggest that, during the period of this study, countries with higher freedom of religion and with Presidential democracy regimes are positively associated with higher productivity.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that uses efficiency models to assess the productivity levels of OECD countries based on several contextual variables that can potentially affect it.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 July 2023

Puja Khatri, Sumedha Dutta, Preeti Kumari, Harshleen Kaur Duggal, Asha Thomas, Ilaria Cristillo and Silvio Nobis

Intrapreneurial ability (IA) of employees strengthens an organization's internal as well as external growth. Employees' IA makes innovation a continuous practice and augments…

Abstract

Purpose

Intrapreneurial ability (IA) of employees strengthens an organization's internal as well as external growth. Employees' IA makes innovation a continuous practice and augments organization's intellectual capital (IC). This intellectual capital-based intrapreneurial ability (ICIA) helps professionals to effectively handle changes in the business ecosystem by creating innovative solutions. The onus of assessing and inculcating ICIA is a joint responsibility of both academia and industry. In academia, teacher as a servant leader (TASL) contributes towards building ICIA of working professionals (WP) by enhancing their self-efficacy (SE). The paper aims to strengthen the industry–academia interface by analyzing the role of TASL and SE in influencing the ICIA of WP.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a stratified sampling technique, data from 387 WP is analyzed on SmartPLS-4 to study the interrelationship between the stated constructs and the role of SE as a mediator between TASL and ICIA. PLSpredict is used to study the predictive relevance of the proposed model.

Findings

High R2 = 0.654 shows that 65% of ICIA is determined by SE and TASL; reflecting model's robustness. SE partially mediates the relationship between TASL and ICIA. Results reported a higher ICIA of male WP than their female counterpart. The results indicate the low predictive accuracy of the model.

Practical implications

The proposed model of industry–academia partnership allows assessment of ICIA for enhancing corporate value in the present gig economy. The study also highlights the relevance of ICIA, particularly, for developing economies. In knowledge-driven economy, exploring the new ICIA will help organizations to draft a more robust performance measurement system.

Originality/value

This unique industry–academia partnership studies the role of TASL towards enhancing SE and ICIA of WP. The novelty of ICIA would enrich and provide a new perspective in IA literature. Additionally, the study also examines the role of gender in the ICIA of WP.

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2021

Sedat Alataş

This paper investigates income convergence using different convergence concepts and methodologies for 72 countries over the period between 1960 and 2010.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates income convergence using different convergence concepts and methodologies for 72 countries over the period between 1960 and 2010.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applies beta (β), sigma (s), stochastic and club convergence approaches. For β-convergence analysis, it derives the cross-country growth regressions of the Solow growth model under the basic and augmented Cobb–Douglass (CD) production functions and estimates them using cross-section and panel data estimators. While it employs both the widely used coefficient of variation and recently developed weak s-convergence approaches for s-convergence, it applies three different unit root tests for stochastic convergence. To test club convergence, it estimates the log-t regression.

Findings

The results reveal that (1) there exists conditional β-convergence, meaning that poorer countries grow faster than richer countries; (2) income per worker is not (weakly) s-converging, and cross-sectional variation does not tend to fall over the years; (3) stochastic convergence is not found and (4) countries in the sample do not converge to the unique equilibrium, and there exist five distinctive convergence clubs.

Research limitations/implications

The results clearly show that heavily relying on one of the convergence techniques might lead researchers to obtain misleading results regarding the existence of convergence. Therefore, to draw reliable inferences, the results should be checked using different convergence concepts and methodologies.

Originality/value

Contrary to the previous literature, which is generally restricted to testing the existence of absolute and conditional β-convergence between countries, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to consider and compare all originally and recently developed fundamental concepts of convergence altogether. Besides, it uses the Penn World Table (PWT) 9.1 and extends the period to 2010. From this point of view, this study is believed to provide the most up-to-date empirical evidence.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1026-4116

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Chia-Ning Chiu

The purpose of this paper is to investigate publicly traded restaurant companies and food & beverage companies from 2014 to 2019 in Taiwan to explore their human capital…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate publicly traded restaurant companies and food & beverage companies from 2014 to 2019 in Taiwan to explore their human capital efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach

According to the theoretical framework of human capital in micro and macro perspectives, the empirical model is built with two stages; the first stage is to examine the perspective of micro-level human capital theory through determining whether knowledge ability and working experience (proxies for micro-level human capital) can efficiently convert to employee-level output such as salary. The second stage is to test macro-level human capital theory through checking whether company inputs such as salary expenses and benefits expenditures can be efficiently transferred into enterprise annual revenues.

Findings

The results of this research reveal that the average efficiency score of stage 1 is 73.6% while that of stage 2 is 75.1%; this indicates that micro-level human capital has more room to improve than macro-level human capital. Meanwhile, the findings also demonstrate that there is negative relationship between efficiency score from stage 1 and turnover rate; this implies that companies with higher micro-human capital have lower turnover rates. Furthermore, there is significantly positive relationship between a company's efficiency score from stage 2 and its return on equity (ROE).

Originality/value

This study contributes to both academia and industry. From a theoretical perspective, the theory of strategic human resources management is applied through the methodology of production theory to examine human capital management efficiency in the restaurant and food and beverage industry. From a practical perspective, this study identifies the factors that assist the restaurant or food and beverage industry retain employees and gain a solid workforce, because manpower is the core resource for an industry and a country to grow sustainably.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 36 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2022

Jian Guan, Fang Deng and Dao Zhou

Focusing on the important representative of firm intellectual capital (IC), this research explores the effects of chief executive officer’s (CEOs') managerial human capitals on…

Abstract

Purpose

Focusing on the important representative of firm intellectual capital (IC), this research explores the effects of chief executive officer’s (CEOs') managerial human capitals on sustaining superior performance in Chinese transition economy to prove the dynamic and strategic value of IC and fulfill the gap of lacking emerging market studies in this research field.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on dynamic managerial capability theoretical framework, the authors propose a dynamic management path to analyze the influencing mechanism of CEOs' managerial human capitals to firm performance persistence and the moderating effect of environment uncertainty. Using a panel data of Chinese publicly listed firms from 2008 to 2017, it adopts dynamic first-order autoregressive models to examine these hypotheses. Several tests are conducted to further analyze and ensure that the results are robust and reliable.

Findings

These managerial human capitals reveal heterogenous impacts on sustaining superior performance, and environment uncertainty is a valid moderating variable to further distinguish their dynamic values. The supplementary analyses show the integrating effect of an MBA degree and output functional experience is positive and significant, and the results in Chinese state-owned and private firm subsamples are distinct.

Practical implications

It is beneficial for corporate stakeholders to judge and select CEOs and for policymakers to improve the efficiency advantage of IC in Chinese emerging market.

Originality/value

This study first explores the relationship between CEOs' managerial human capitals and superior performance persistence. Through introducing a dynamic perspective, it has extended existing performance persistence research into individual level and provided a new intellectual source of sustainable competitive advantages.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2023

Zihao Jiang and Jiarong Shi

As an emerging socio-technical paradigm, high-speed railways profoundly change individuals' lifestyle and allow for the shift toward a green transportation. Digital technologies…

Abstract

Purpose

As an emerging socio-technical paradigm, high-speed railways profoundly change individuals' lifestyle and allow for the shift toward a green transportation. Digital technologies open an opportunity window for the development of enterprises. This study aims to clarify the impact of firm digitalization on the innovation efficiency of the Chinese high-speed rail industry. In addition, human capital is the important non-physical capital of enterprises. The authors also elucidate the moderating role of human capital on the above relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the data of Chinese high-speed railway listed companies from 2015 to 2021, this study explores the impact of digital transformation on the innovation efficiency, and further clarifies the boundary role of human capital with two-way fixed effect regression models.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that digital transformation has a positive impact on the innovation efficiency of the Chinese high-speed railway enterprises. Furthermore, human capital significantly enhances the above relationship. In addition, digital transformation fosters the innovation efficiency of small- and medium-sized enterprises and private-owned enterprises, but the correlation coefficients between digital transformation and the innovation efficiency of large enterprises and state-owned enterprises are not significant.

Originality/value

This is one of the earliest studies to explore how digital technologies shape R&D activities. From the perspective of relative efficiency, this study evaluates the effectiveness of digital transformation and provides empirical evidence for the formulation and implementation of corporate digital strategies. Moreover, this study links human capital with digital transformation and identifies condition factors that affect the effectiveness of digital transformation, thereby supplementing existing knowledge.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

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. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

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