Human capital and export performance in the Spanish manufacturing firms

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of firms’ general and specific human capital on the export propensity and intensity.

Design/methodology/approach

The resource-based view of the firm provides the theoretical background to examine export performance. Empirical analysis is carried out using a national representative sample of Spanish manufacturing firms and employing Logit and Tobit models. Export performance is evaluated in a dual way, as export propensity and export intensity. In relation to human capital a distinction is made between general and specific human capital.

Findings

The results shown that differences exist in the effect of general and specific human capital. While the firms’ general human capital (education of the firm’s employees) affects both export propensity and intensity, only some dimensions of specific human capital (employees’ experience at the workplace) affects export propensity and intensity but no the employees’ training. Moreover, the firms’ general human capital generates greater changes than the effect of specific human capital on the export behavior.

Originality/value

This paper extends a line of research underexplored in the literature by analyzing the effect of organizational human capital on the firm’s export performance; moreover, it is the first study for Spanish manufacturing firms; the distinction between general and specific human capital enhances our comprehension of the human capital as a determinant of export performance. In relation to the specific human capital, besides training, we add a new variable related to experience at the workplace.

Citation

López Rodríguez, J. and Serrano Orellana, B. (2020), "Human capital and export performance in the Spanish manufacturing firms", Baltic Journal of Management, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 99-119. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-04-2019-0143