Employee self-concepts, voluntary learning behavior, and perceived employability

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 264-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sungjun Kim ◽  
Hacksoo Kim ◽  
Jinkyu Lee

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents of employees’ perceived employability based on both self-concept and human capital theory. The study tested the relationship between employees’ self-concepts and perceived employability by using organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and role-breadth self-efficacy. This study also examined the interactive relationship between self-concepts and voluntary leaning behavior, which can be viewed as a means of enhancing human capital. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 301 employees of an organization in Korea. Findings – The results demonstrated that OBSE and its interaction with voluntary learning behavior were positively correlated with perceived employability. Research limitations/implications – The data were cross-sectional. Causal inferences should be made with caution. Originality/value – Unlike previous literature that has relied primarily on human capital theory, this study draws on self-concept theory to show that employee self-concept can be an antecedent of perceived employability. Furthermore, this study argues that employees’ perceived employability may be more fully understood through the lenses of both self-concept and human capital theories.

2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 420-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asher Pericles Rospigliosi ◽  
Sue Greener ◽  
Tom Bourner ◽  
Maura Sheehan

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to revisit the debate on the contribution of higher education (HE) to the economy which has been dominated by human capital theory and signalling theory. Human capital theory contends that HE contributes by adding to the potential productivity of graduate employees. Signalling theory, asserts that HE contributes by enabling employers to differentiate potentially productive graduate employees. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses recent advances in our understanding of the graduate employability to reassess the two theories. Most graduate job vacancies are open to graduates of any subject and the key to employment in such jobs appears to be the graduate propensity to learn in employment. Findings – HE both increases students’ propensity to learn in employment and signals to employers that graduates are people with a high propensity to learn in employment. Practical implications – The conclusion is that for the four key stakeholder groups, the economic value of a university education can best be explained with the concept of “graduate propensity to learn”. Social implications – Employers, government, existing students and potential students and universities benefit from the propensity to learn, which is the most important economic outcome of a university education. Originality/value – The paper resolves the choice between human capital and signalling theories as a false dichotomy as HE both develops students’ powers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Karim Rabiul ◽  
Ahmad Edwin Mohamed ◽  
Ataul Karim Patwary ◽  
Tan Fee Yean ◽  
Siti Zaitun Osman

PurposeDrawing on self-concept theory, this study evaluates the mediating effects of employees' psychological states on the relationship between human resources (HR) practices and employee engagement.Design/methodology/approachThrough random sampling, 434 customer-contact frontline employees from five-star hotels in Malaysia participated in the cross-sectional survey.FindingsThe results produced by the Smart-PLS (partial least squares) indicate that HR practices positively and significantly influence employees' psychological states of safety, meaningfulness and availability. All these psychological states also exert positive influences on employee engagement (organisational and work engagement). Safety and availability mediate the links between HR practices and employee engagement, but not meaningfulness.Practical implicationsHR practices and employees' psychological states are necessary in ensuring positive employee outcomes and improving customer service provision.Originality/valueThe findings contribute to the further extension of self-concept theory and employee engagement by incorporating the mediating roles of employees' psychological states in the relationships between HR practices and employee engagement.研究目的以自我概念理論為依據,本研究擬評估僱員的心理狀態、如何在人力資源做法與員工敬業度之間的聯繫上起著仲介的效應。研究方法透過隨機抽樣法,434名在馬來西亞五星級酒店工作、接觸顧客的一線員工被選參與一個橫斷面調查。研究結果以SmartPLS (偏最小平方)取得的研究結果顯示、人力資源做法正面地影響著員工的安全感、工作給予的意義和感知的組織支援;而且,這些心理狀態,均會對員工的敬業度(對組織的自豪感及對工作的投入)起著正面的影響。另外,安全感和感知的組織支援在人力資源做法與員工敬業度之間的聯繫上、起著仲介之效應;唯工作給予的意義則沒有這個效應。研究的原創性研究結果進一步伸展了自我概念理論及員工敬業度方面的論述,這是由於本研究把員工心理狀態所扮演的中介角色,納入人力資源做法與員工敬業度的聯繫中。研究給予的啓示若要確保積極的員工成果及提供更佳的顧客服務,有效的人力資源做法和正面的員工心理狀態是不可或缺的。


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean B. O’Hagan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the impact that women who sit on boards of directors, as well as women that are part of an interlocking directorate, have on corporate performance. The investigation is placed within the literature on human capital theory and resource dependency as an argument for gender diversity and boards of directors. Design/methodology/approach A director data set for over 32,000 firms based in the USA, composed of 6,218 women and 54,932 men, is utilized. From this, regression and network analysis were utilized. Findings It is found that female directors’ participation in interlocking directorates translates into greater corporate performance when compared to simply examining female representation on boards of directors. Additionally, women involved in interlocks translated into greater corporate performance when compared to men. These results support the resource dependency approach. Practical/implications Results of this study suggest that when considering female directors, corporate performance is enhanced when female directors already sit on the boards of other firms. Originality/value This study highlights external network connections to differentiate between human capital theory and resource dependency as an argument for gender diversity and boards of directors.


2006 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 988-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Philpot ◽  
Craig A. Peterson

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of individual manager characteristics on real estate mutual fund (REMF) performance. Human capital theory predicts that factors like education, experience and professional certifications improve skill sets and thus performance. Conversely, capital markets theory suggests that these things may be irrelevant in the management of mutual funds.Design/methodology/approachA total of 63 REMFs were sampled over the period 2001‐2003 and equations were estimate regressing, alternatively, risk‐adjusted return, market risk and management fees on a series of fund variables and manager characteristics including the manager's tenure, whether the fund manager holds a professional certification, whether the manager has specific real estate experience, and whether the fund is team‐managed.FindingsModest evidence is found that team‐managed funds have lower risk‐adjusted returns than solo‐managed funds. Managers with longer tenure tend to pursue higher market risk levels, and there is no relation between manager characteristics and management fees.Research limitations/implicationsThis study considers only one cross‐sectional time period. Future research might use longitudinal data.Practical implicationsDespite real estate being a specialized field of finance, there is little if any support for the predictions of human capital theory that experience, education and training result in greater performance among managers of REMFs.Originality/valueThis paper extends prior work in mutual fund management characteristics and fund performance to real estate funds.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 1685-1706 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Turro ◽  
Maria Noguera ◽  
David Urbano

PurposeThe objective of this article is to examine the extent to which the antecedents of entrepreneurial employee activity differ by gender across countries.Design/methodology/approachGeneralised linear multilevel logistic regression is applied to data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) with a sample of 60 countries for the period 2014–2016. This data is complemented with data from the World Governance Indicators (WGI) project and from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).FindingsUsing human capital theory (for individual-related antecedents) and institutional economics (for environmental related antecedents), the results show that the antecedents of entrepreneurial employee activity differ by gender. Specifically, being in contact with other entrepreneurs, and the quality of government regulations condition entrepreneurial employee activity and have a different intensity depending on gender.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature about entrepreneurial initiatives and gender by providing insights that add to the literature on why men and women have different entrepreneurial behaviours. In addition, this study also contributes to human capital theory and institutional economics as their role in the relation between entrepreneurial employee activity and gender has not been studied in detail in previous research. Finally, the promotion of female intrapreneurial activity is a key policy for most public bodies and organisations in developed countries.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akuraun Shadrach Iyortsuun ◽  
Meshach G. Goyit ◽  
Reuel J. Dakung

Purpose Drawing on the human capital theory and the dual model of passion, this study aims to explore the mediating role of passion on the relationship between entrepreneurship education programme and students’ attitude towards self-employment (SE). Design/methodology/approach The proposed research framework was tested on a sample of 445 higher education students in four universities in North-Central Nigeria. Findings The results indicated that learning and inspiration account for the variation in students’ attitude towards SE. Furthermore, the study revealed that harmonious and obsessive passion largely mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship education programme and attitude towards SE. Practical implications The policy implication is the scaling of policies targeted at encouraging the development of passion given its significant role in the entrepreneurship education programme and attitude towards SE link. Originality/value The study has established the importance of human capital theory in explaining the attitude towards SE phenomenon using a multi-theoretical approach and has advanced the theoretical field of affect and its relevance in the field of entrepreneurship.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connie Zheng

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the Chinese indigenous concept of suzhi (素质) by analyzing its historical evolution and its contemporary implications for human resource management (HRM) research and practice at the national and organizational levels. Design/methodology/approach – An integrated review of literatures in sinology, political science, anthropology and sociology concerned with suzhi-related research, combined with recent incidents associated with suzhi. Findings – Suzhi is an indigenous concept embedded in the centuries-long historical context of China. Suzhi development has been focused on three key dimensions, moral, physical and mental, as a way of building quality employees and citizens. Yet developing and quantifying the moral aspects of suzhi is more challenging than measuring its physical and mental dimensions. Linking suzhi development to human capital theory enriches the understanding of this indigenous concept at both organizational and national levels. Research limitations/implications – By analyzing a three-dimensional suzhi composite, the article offers an example of how suzhi may be linked to human capital theory and identifies directions for future research. Originality/value – By analyzing suzhi at organizational and national levels for HRM purposes, this article broadens the suzhi literature from its place in the political sciences and social anthropology to encompass a theoretical analysis in HRM and development for the benefit of organizations and the society.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramlee Ismail ◽  
Marinah Awang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the quality of teachers based on education and training provided under new reform policies in Malaysia affects their earnings outcomes. The study conducted a benefit and returns analysis guided by human capital theory. Design/methodology/approach The study used survey research methods to investigate human capital formation in the teaching profession using teachers’ qualifications, benefits and private rate of returns as key variables in the estimation. Findings Earnings and experience levels were highly correlated with teachers’ education levels, as suggested by human capital theory. The private rate of returns in earnings for each additional year of schooling of teachers was found to lie between 3 and 4 per cent per year. Discrepancies were apparent in teachers’ qualifications and licensure levels regionally and at academic levels, as expected. These correlated with earning levels. Practical implications Improvements in teachers’ salary and employment opportunities will attract higher quality graduates to the teaching profession. Teachers’ annual earnings in Malaysia are comparable to other public sector and private professional jobs in the nation but lag far behind those of the world’s top education systems. Increasing teachers’ earnings will attract better qualified teachers. Policymakers could address these issues. Originality/value This paper demonstrates the utility of economic analyses in terms of earnings returns, to evaluate the Malaysian policy of upgrading teachers’ qualifications as a mechanism to improve the overall quality of schooling. Such studies are rare but needed to understand the benefits and returns of policy-driven teacher education and training investments. This study provides new evidence of schooling returns using a recent, national data set.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven McCartney ◽  
Caroline Murphy ◽  
Jean Mccarthy

PurposeDrawing on human capital theory and the human capital resources framework, this study explores the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics (KSAOs) required by the emerging role of human resource (HR) analysts. This study aims to systematically identify the key KSAOs and develop a competency model for HR Analysts amid the growing digitalization of work.Design/methodology/approachAdopting best practices for competency modeling set out by Campion et al. (2011), this study first analyzes 110 HR analyst job advertisements collected from five countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the USA. Second a thematic analysis of 12 in-depth semistructured interviews with HR analytics professionals from Canada and Ireland is then conducted to develop a novel competency model for HR Analysts.FindingsThis study adds to the developing and fast-growing field of HR analytics literature by offering evidence supporting a set of six distinct competencies required by HR Analysts including: consulting, technical knowledge, data fluency and data analysis, HR and business acumen, research and discovery and storytelling and communication.Practical implicationsThe research findings have several practical implications, specifically in recruitment and selection, HR development and HR system alignment.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the evolving HR analytics literature in two ways. First, the study links the role of HR Analysts to human capital theory and the human capital resource framework. Second, it offers a timely and empirically driven competency model for the emerging role of HR Analysts.


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