Human Capital Resource Development: Antecedents and Consequences of Human Capital Resources in Teams

Abstract

Although a large body of human capital research supports the critical role of human capital resource (HCR) in unit performance, very little research has paid attention to where HCR originates and how HCR influences team performance. Drawing on human capital, faultline, and multilevel theories, we build on two forms of a team’s KSAOs that capture the level and configuration of the KSAOs (i.e., the mean level of KSAOs and KSAO-based faultlines). We examine how both the mean level of KSAOs and KSAO-based faultlines influence HCR, how team processes (i.e., communication, transactive memory system, and team positive affect) affect these relationships, and how HCR impacts team performance. Using a sample of 268 undergraduate students in 66 teams, we find that the mean level of KSAOs and KSAO-based faultlines significantly interact to influence HCR. The conceptual arguments and empirical findings developed in this study contribute to the human capital literature by building knowledge about a team’s KSAOs, HCR, team processes, and team performance.