Each month, we select up to 10 publications from those that have recently been entered into the Literature Database.

A year ago, there were approximately 6,240 citations in the Literature Database. As of December 2005, we now have over 6,900 citations.

Click here for a direct link to the Sloan Literature Update articles in the Literature Database.

Global Perspectives- Black, S.E. & Lynch, L.M. (2004). What’s driving the new economy?: The benefits of workplace innovation. The Economic Journal, 114(493), F97-F116.
This paper argues that the increase in labor and manufacturing productivity in the United States from 1993-1996 is due not only to an increase in computer usage, but more significantly because of changes in workplace organization, including re-engineering, teams, incentive pay and employee involvement in decision making. The authors constructed a panel of 766 workplaces after two rounds of interviews by the EQW National Employers Survey and found that workplace innovation is positively related to production, particularly when employees are unionized. Productivity benefits are also strongly associated with joint decision making and problem solving between managers and employees. Differences between American and British workplaces are examined.

Global Perspectives-  Bosma, N., Van Praag, M., Thurik, R. & De Wit, G. (2004). The value of human and social capital investments for the business performance of start-ups. Small Business Economics, 23(4), 227-236.
The authors investigate general, industry-specific and entrepreneurship-specific investments in human and social capital to determine the effects of this type of investment on entrepreneurial performance. This study is based on data from 1,000 Dutch new business founders. Findings demonstrate that investments in human and social capital improve start-ups’ survival, profits and generated employment. Specific human and social capital variables as well as recommendations for future research are discussed.

Dimov, D.P. & Shepherd, D.A. (2005). Human capital theory and venture capital firms: Exploring “home runs” and “strike outs.” Journal of Business Venturing, 20, 1-21.
This paper studies the relationship between the education and experience levels of management teams of venture capital firms and the firms’ performance levels. Findings show that general human capital (i.e. education in humanities or science along with entrepreneurial experience) had a positive association with the proportion of portfolio companies going public, specific human capital (i.e. education at a masters’ level in business or law along with industry experience in law, finance or consulting) did not. However, specific human capital was negatively associated with the proportion of companies declaring bankruptcy.

Kor, Y. & Leblebici, H. (2005). How do interdependencies among human-capital deployment, development, and diversification strategies affect firms’ financial performance? Strategic Management Journal, 26(10), 967-985.
This article examines 105 large U.S. law firms and tests the authors’ theory of how firms can leverage human capital while managing geographical diversification strategies as well as lateral hiring. Findings suggest that all three strategies offer economic benefits to firms, but when pursued simultaneously, they negatively affect profitability. The authors emphasize the importance of understanding interdependencies among human-capital deployment and diversification strategies and managing these strategies properly to obtain superior financial returns.

Global Perspectives- Rauch, A., Frese, M. & Utsch, A. (2005). Effects of human capital and long-term human resources and development and utilization of employment growth of small-scale businesses: A causal analysis. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29(6), 681-698.
This study looks at human capital of business employees, human capital of employees, and human resource development to see how these variables affect employment growth of small-scale businesses. Longitudinal data from 119 German business owners support the hypothesis that these variables positively affect growth. Findings suggest that the attention paid to personnel issues returns positive results for small business owners and professionals.

Global Perspectives- Rubery, J., Ward, K., Grimshaw, D., & Beynon, H. (2005). Working time, industrial relations and the employment relationship. Time & Society, 14(1), 89-111.
The study explores the changing working time model in the UK and the impact this has on the employment relationship. The authors argue that ‘time’ and its meaning are core to the standard employment relationship and that the traditional model of working time in the UK has provided temporal boundaries for ‘public’ or working time and ‘private’ or personal time. The paper compares three modes of working time of today’s industrialized economies: the ‘employer-led’ model, the ‘European industrial relations’ model, and the ‘traditional UK industrial relations’ model. Qualitative data from six UK organizations for case studies are drawn upon to examine how working time is currently organized. The findings reveal that there is a process of transition from the traditional UK model towards an employer-led working time model, where there is a gradual removal or erosion of temporal boundaries between public and private time across the six organizations. The authors posit that while there are clear intrusions into private and family life as a result of increasing employer flexibility demand and that the employer-led model is increasingly at odds with the needs of advanced societies of dual earner households, employers are unlikely to implement voluntary change without the re-regulation of working time system in the UK. The authors assert that re-regulation is essential for rebalancing power relations with employment relationship, for providing compatibility between the demands of work and personal and family life, and above all, for societal sustainability. Annotated by Uracha Chatrakul Na Ayudhya, Doctoral Researcher, Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom.

Subramaniam, M. & Youndt, M.A. (2005). The influence of intellectual capital on the types of innovative capabilities. Academy of Management Journal, 48(3), 450-463.
This article examines the link between organizational knowledge and the specific types of innovative capabilities possessed by organizations. The authors studied 93 organizations and measured the influence that human, organizational and social capital has on incremental innovative capabilities and radical innovative capabilities. Findings reveal that all forms of capital, alone and in tandem with one another, exert positive influences on both types of innovation, with the exception of human capital alone, which on its own negatively influenced radical innovation. The article concludes with possibilities for future research.

Hopkins, W.E., Hopkins, S.A. & Gross, M.A. (2005). Cultural diversity recomposition and effectiveness in monoculture work groups. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(8), 949-964.
This article examines different types of cultural diversity recomposition that can transpire in monoculture work groups and the impact this can have on workplace effectiveness. The authors define different types of diversity and propose various interactions different groups may have in the workplace. Findings reveal that monoculture work groups are becoming less common, particularly in the United States, and the authors suggest that deductions made from studying this specific context of cultural diversity recomposition will further the understanding of its impact on the effectiveness of groups in general. Implications for practice and research are discussed.