摘 要

本研究以資源基礎觀點探討人力資源投資與組織層次的人力資本及組織績效之間的關係。本研究認為組織的人力資源投資會透過組織人力資本的中介效果對組織績效產生正向的影響。除了這三個變數之間關係的整體效果的假說，本研究進一步提出更細膩的假說，以試圖闡述不同的人力資源投資組合將如何影響不同構面的組織人力資本及組織績效。對人力資本這個概念的文獻探討顯示過去在組織層次的人力資本研究有許多概念衡量與方法上的問題，因此本研究由文獻焠取了四個新的潛在構念來衡量組織層級的人力資本，分別是人力資本量、人力資本適配度、人力資本相輔性、與人力資本專質性。本研究以這個新的組織層次人力資本衡量模式進行資料收集與假設驗證，以高階主管填答問卷作為資料收集工具，資料來自105家美國與台灣知識密集產業的公司，例如專業(工商)服務、研發、金融投資、高科技銷售服務、與高科技製造業等。新發展的構念測量模式先以LISREL進行驗證性因素分析來測試是否具備信、效度，假說的驗證則以層級迴歸進行。迴歸驗證的結果顯示人力資源投資確實會影響組織人力資本的蓄積，而且人力資源投資會透過組織人力資本的中介效果對組織績效產生正面的影響。本研究並驗證兩種人力資源投資組合與四個組織人力資本構面之間，以及這四個組織人力資本構面與三種不同組織績效指標之間的關係。結果顯示組織在員工徵選活動的投資可以提升人力資本適配度、人力資本相輔性、與人力資本專質性，但更顯著的是組織在員工培育活動的投資不但可以大幅提升這三個人力資本構面，更對人力資本量有正面的影響。此外，除了人力資本量，組織層次人力資本的各個構面皆對各項組織績效指標產生正面的影響。

Abstract

This research attempted to explain the relationship among HR investment, organizational human capital and firm performance. A positive link between a firm’s HR investment and its performance through the mediating effect of overall human capital was proposed. Alternative hypotheses were presented to test the effect of different HR investment portfolios on various human capital dimensions, as well as the link between these human capital dimensions and firm performance outcomes. A review on the concept of human capital revealed several problems in the research of human capital at organizational level. Four new latent constructs (quantity of human capital, human capital-organization fit, complementarity of human capital, and specificity of human capital) were extracted from the literature to form a new paradigm in the measurement of organizational level human capital. This new paradigm represented a resource-based perspective.

Data were collected from top executives of 105 companies located in the US and in Taiwan in the knowledge-intensive industry segments such as professional service, financial service, R&D, and hi-tech manufacturing, etc. Survey questionnaires were used as data collection instrument. Confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL was performed to test validity and reliability of new measurement scales. Hierarchical regression statistics were used to test the hypotheses.

The results showed that HR investment had significant positive impact on firm performance and was significantly related to higher level of human capital in a firm as measured by the quantity of human capital, human capital-organization fit, complementarity of human capital, and specificity of human capital. Further, the mediating effect of firm-level human capital between HR investment and firm performance was substantiated. This study also tested a more complex model linking two HR investment portfolios to four dimensions of human capital and firm performance outcomes. The findings showed that higher level of acquisition investment was linked to higher level of human capital-organization fit, complementarity of human capital, and specificity of human capital. More significantly, a higher level of development investment was linked to higher levels of all four dimensions of human capital. In addition, each individual dimension of human capital, except the quantity of it, was found to positively predict firm performance outcomes.

Table of Contents

Chapter I: Introduction 1
Rationales of the Study 2
Research Questions 5
Research Objectives 6
Chapter II: Literature Review 8
Resource-Based View of the Firm 8
Strategic Human Resource Management 11
Human Capital as a Black Box between HRM and Firm Performance 18
Summary 40
Chapter III: Theoretical Framework & Hypotheses 41
Universalistic Model of HR ROI 42
Configurational Model of HR ROI 46
Summary 52
Chapter IV: Methodology 54
Research Design 54
Variable Definition and Measurement 62
Scale Validation 67
Summary 83
Chapter V: Analysis and Results 84
Correlations 84
Hierarchical Regression 86
Summary 94
Chapter VI: Discussions and Conclusions 96
Discussions 96
Implications 100
Contributions 104
Limitations 105
Future Research Suggestions 107
Conclusions 109
References 111
Appendix I 121
Appendix II 126
Appendix III 127

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