Human capital resources and quality of work life of marketers: FSQCA and SEM findings

Abstract

Marketers, in everyday work, often cope with a greater degree of adversity, uncertainty and challenges because their activities mainly deal with external environments such as customers and competitors. What enhances the quality of work life (QWL) of marketers therefore is an issue that deserves to be addressed. Based on the principle of goal selection and key resource theories, this study proposes that combinations of marketing capital (MarCap) and psychological capital (PsyCap) will enhance the QWL of marketers. This hypothesis was tested with a sample of 396 marketers working in various firms in Ho Chi Minh City using fuzzy-set qualitative analysis (fsQCA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM shows that only two components of PsyCap (hope and optimism) have positive effects on QWL. FsQCA findings, at a consistency threshold of 0.85, reveal that no component of both PsyCap and MarCap is a sufficient condition for QWL. Combinations of PsCap and MarCap components however form an INUS (insufficient but necessary part of a condition which is itself unnecessary but sufficient for the result) condition for QWL. Overall, this study sheds light on human capital resources by addressing the importance of fit between MarCap and PsyCap in serving as sufficient conditions for the QWL of marketers.