Firm-Specific Human Capital: A Skill-Weights Approach

S-Tier
Journal: Journal of Political Economy
Year: 2009
Volume: 117
Issue: 5
Pages: 914-940

Authors (1)

Score contribution per author:

8.043 = (α=2.01 / 1 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The theory of human capital is agnostic on what constitutes firm-specific skills. The theory specifies that specific skills contribute to productivity only at the current firm. A broader approach lets all skills be general, but firms use them with different weights attached. For example, computer programming, economics, and accounting are general skills, but there may be only one firm that wants workers trained in all three. One implication is that wage profiles and the split of human capital costs depend on thickness of the market. Another is that firms pay for what appears to be general training. (c) 2009 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:jpolec:v:117:y:2009:i:5:p:914-940
Journal Field
General
Author Count
1
Added to Database
2026-01-25