Specialized Human Capital in Professional Services: Task Specificity and Firm Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 21430
Author(s):  
Ryan Cooper ◽  
Timothy Gubler
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Professional Services ◽  
Task Specificity ◽  
Specialized Human Capital

Moderating Effect of Access to Finance and Competitive Environment on Human Capital, Knowledge Management, Market Orientation and SMES Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-105
Author(s):  
Mohd Noor Mohd Shariff ◽  
Khansa Masood ◽  
Halim Mad Lazim
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
Competitive Environment ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Access To Finance ◽  
Economic Development And Growth ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
The Relationship

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered as foundation stones of economic development and growth of any economy (Centobelli, Cerchione, & Esposito, 2019). Performance of SMEs is of fundamental significance for all developed as well as developing nations. Similarly, Pakistan is no exception to aforementioned fact. The economic development and growth of Pakistan depend on the performance of SMEs to a great extent. Like, most countries in the world, SMEs comprise more than 90% of total business entities in Pakistan (Degong et al., 2018; Waqas & Nawaz, 2019) and leather industry in one that is attracted by the researchers of present study. Constraints in the growth of leather industry of Pakistan include, lack of skilled human capital, rising cost of production, lack of modern-day knowledge about new products and processes, low profitability and lack of capability to penetrate into international markets, lack of market research, access to finance, intensive competitive rivalry (Khalique et al., 2011; Daily Times, 2016, Awan et al., 2019). Few studies have revealed mixed findings regarding the relationship between knowledge management and firm performance and there is abundance of literature that demonstrates the presence of significant and positive relationship between Market Orientation and Firm performance (Slater & Narver , 1995; Baker & Sinkula, 2009; Udriyah, Tham, & Azam, 2019). On the other hand, some studies have argued that there is no direct and significant relationship between Market Orientation and Firm Performance (Polat & Mutlu, 2012; Shehu & Mahmood, 2014). Moreover, keeping in view the mixed and inconclusive findings regarding the relationship between cause and effect variables, it is appropriate to introduce moderating variables that can significantly influence the relationship between independent and dependent variables as recommended by Baron and Kenny (1986). Access to Finance and Competitive Environment can be served as prospective moderators which are quite appropriately related to proposed variables of the study (Prajogo & Oke, 2016; Rogo et al., 2016; Jaworski & Kohli, 1993) which are quite appropriately related to selected variables of the study. Thus, the research problem expressed that "Access to finance and competitive environment can potentially moderates and affect the relationship between independent and dependent variables. Hence, based on the past literature and aforementioned discussion, the present study intended to examine the moderating effects of Access to Finance and Competitive Environment on the Relationship between Human Capital, Knowledge Management, Market Orientation and SMEs Performance in Leather Industry of Pakistan". Keywords: Small medium enterprise, performance, access to finance, competitive environment

Immigrant Entrepreneurship: The Effect of Early Career Immigration Constraints on New Venture Formation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajshree Agarwal ◽  
Martin Ganco ◽  
Joseph Raffiee
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
The United States ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Opportunity Costs ◽  
Paid Employment ◽  
Specialized Human Capital ◽  
New Venture Formation

We examine how institutional factors may affect microlevel career decisions by individuals to create new firms by impacting their ability to exercise entrepreneurial preferences, their accumulation of human capital, and the opportunity costs associated with new venture formation. We focus on an important institutional factor—immigration-related work constraints—given that technologically intensive firms in the United States not only draw upon immigrants as knowledge workers but also because such firms are disproportionately founded by immigrants. We examine the implications of these constraints using the National Science Foundation’s Scientists and Engineers Statistical Data System, which tracks the careers of science and engineering graduates from U.S. universities. Relative to natives, we theorize and show that immigration-related work constraints in the United States suppress entrepreneurship as an early career choice of immigrants by restricting labor market options to paid employment jobs in organizational contexts tightly matched with the immigrant’s educational training (job-education match). Work experience in paid employment job-education match is associated with the accumulation of specialized human capital and increased opportunity costs associated with new venture formation. Consistent with immigration-related work constraints inhibiting individuals with entrepreneurial preferences from engaging in entrepreneurship, we show that when the immigration-related work constraints are released, immigrants in job-education match are more likely than comparable natives to found incorporated employer firms. Incorporated employer firms can both leverage specialized human capital and provide the expected returns needed to justify the increased opportunity costs associated with entrepreneurial entry. We discuss our study’s contributions to theory and practice.

The Impact of Social Capital, Managerial Human Capital and Managerial Knowledge Structure on Firm Performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 95-113
Author(s):  
Abdulkareem Salameh Awwad ◽  
Mamoun Nadim Akroush ◽  
Majdy Issa Zuriekat ◽  
Yassir Yahya Al Masoudi
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Knowledge Structure ◽  
Knowledge Structures ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Telecommunications Sector ◽  
Managerial Knowledge ◽  
The Impact

This article aims to examine the relationships between external and internal social capital, managerial human capital, and managerial knowledge structures, respectively. It also examines the effect of managerial human capital and managerial knowledge structures on firm performance in the telecommunications sector in Jordan. A questionnaire was distributed to 250 managers in the telecommunications sector in Jordan. Utilizing structural equation modeling, it was found that external social capital has a positive significant effect on internal social capital and managerial human capital. Internal social capital has positively and significantly affected managerial knowledge structures. Furthermore, both managerial human capital and managerial knowledge structure had affected firm performance positively. As technology is expanding in this sector, relevant knowledge and information is becoming a source of competitive advantage, thus managers in this sector should build beneficial ties that might enhance human resources' capabilities that benefit the decision-making processes.

Entrepreneurial actions: implications for firm performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 706-725
Author(s):  
Curtis Sproul ◽  
Kevin Cox ◽  
Amanda Ross
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Firm Performance ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Competitive Dynamics ◽  
Human Capital Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Action ◽  
Capital Development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate different types of investment actions undertaken by entrepreneurial firms to determine how these actions influence performance. Specifically, the effects of entrepreneurial action with regards to investments in human capital, the capabilities of the firm and the competitive dynamics of the business relative to other firms are examined. These actions are examined in conjunction with the offering of products, services or both, to determine the benefits of specific actions for firms. Design/methodology/approach The sample is taken from the confidential version of the Kauffman Firm Survey (KFS). The data are analyzed using a fixed effects model. Findings Results show that investment in human capital development actions and capability development actions improve firm performance. Further, investment in human capital development actions is shown to have the largest positive impact on the performance of firms that offer products only. Competitive positions actions have the greatest positive impact on firms that offer products and services. Research limitations/implications Results contribute to multiple theoretical lenses within the context of entrepreneurship and demonstrate applicability of theory related to entrepreneurial action to other established theories. Findings also demonstrate that different entrepreneurial actions benefit firms that offer products or services in different ways. Limitations of the study are those associated with survey research generally, such as self-reported measures, non-response bias and the KFS specifically such as survivorship bias and variance in survey items across years. Originality/value The consideration of firms whose primary focus is the selling of products compared to services and how they moderate specific actions is novel and valuable. Theoretical development tying human capital, competitive dynamics and dynamic capabilities to entrepreneurial action creates new avenues for inquiry.

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