Human capital resources: a convergence of questions but divergence of answers

Abstract

The chapters in this volume demonstrate that scholarly interest in human capital resources (HCR) is vibrant and growing. This volume unites 51 scholars steeped in sociology, economics, strategy, labor economics, human resources, organizational behavior, and psychology. The range of experience contributes to differing views about HCR: what they are, what they do, and how they are formed. When looking across chapters, one may wonder how we can reach an understanding of HCR when leading scholars have such different views. How can there be scientific advancement of HCR if there is such a broad diversity of expert opinion? We argue such a view is unnecessarily pessimistic and misses the point of this book, and the efforts of so many extraordinary researchers. We are encouraged to see researchers exploring the nuances of HCR from a variety of scholarly domains, theoretical perspectives, and academic disciplines. It is through the variability and diversity of these different perspectives that we can understand the multiple dimensions of the HCR construct. Moreover, this volume demonstrates commonalities in the types of questions scholars ask: how human capital (HC) becomes a human capital resource (HCR); how an HCR becomes strategic human capital resource (SHCR); the factors that shape the process of HCR formation; and how HCRs affect outcomes across organizational levels.