Core employee based human capital and revenue productivity in small firms: An empirical investigation

The human capital of a firm, as manifested by the experience and education of its workforce, represents a key resource that improves firm productivity. The current study proposes that task-specific experience is a significant organizational resource for small firms seeking productivity. Utilizing objective data from 1572 core-employees representing 100 small firms in two different industries, this study examines how two types of experience (task-specific and firm-specific) interact with education to influence firm productivity. Results show that the relationship between task-specific experience and productivity is stronger in firms with higher levels of core employee education than in firms with lower levels of core employee education. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Inc.