Sabotaging the Benefits of Our Own Human Capital: Work Unit Characteristics and Sleep

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Barnes, Christopher M.; Jiang, Kaifeng; Lepak, David P.
• 署名单位: University of Washington; University of Washington Seattle; University of Notre Dame; Rutgers University System; Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0000042
• 发表日期: 2016
• 页码: 209-221
• 关键词: Human capital; Strategic Human Resource Management; sleep; ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

摘要

The strategic human capital literature indicates the importance of human capital to work unit performance. However, we argue that human capital only aids performance when it is translated into actions beneficial to the unit. We examine a set of common human capital leveraging characteristics (including the use of extended shifts, night shifts, shift flexibility, norms for work as a priority over sleep, and norms for constant connectivity) as factors that enhance the effect of human capital on human capital utilization. We also draw from the 2-process model of sleep regulation to examine how these characteristics undermine employee sleep, and thus weaken the link between human capital and work unit performance efficiency. Overall, we propose that human capital leveraging strategies initially enhance the effect of human capital on work unit performance, but over time weaken the effect of human capital on work unit performance efficiency. Thus, strategies intended to enhance the beneficial effect of human capital on work unit performance can end up doing the opposite.