Acquiring and Developing Human Capital in Service Contexts: The Interconnectedness of Human Capital Resources

Abstract

Past research has not adequately considered the importance of interconnected human capital resources. Drawing on the resource-based view, we propose a dynamic model in which changes in generic human capital (personality and cognitive ability) lead to changes in unit-specific human capital (advanced training and experience), which in turn lead to changes in unit service performance behavior and effectiveness. We examined 238 units in a restaurant chain using data from different sources spanning ten quarters. The hypothesized causal sequence among the constructs was supported. These findings advance resource-based scholarship and highlight the value of understanding the relationships among human capital resources.