Agentic capabilities as predictors of psychological capital, job performance, and social capital over time

The present two-wave study, conducted on 456 employees, investigates the mediating role of psychological capital (PsyCap) in the relationships between agentic capabilities (i.e., forethought, self-regulation, and self-reflection) and three outcomes, namely job performance, rated by supervisors, and two forms of social capital, namely vertical social capital (i.e., the perceptions of relationship with the supervisor), and horizontal social capital (i.e., the perceptions of positive relationships with colleagues). The results confirmed the positive prediction of PsyCap by agentic capabilities, emphasizing its agentic nature. Moreover, PsyCap fully mediated the positive effect of agentic capabilities on the three outcomes (i.e., job performance, positive perceptions of supervisors, and positive perceptions of colleagues), revealing its key role in translating basic cognitive capabilities related to human agency in job performance and both vertical and horizontal social capital. Future research directions and practical implications are discussed.