Marketers' human capital resources and job performance

Abstract

Purpose: Positing that human capital resources of marketers comprise both psychological capital (PsyCap) and marketing capital (MarCap), and that PsyCap in combination with MarCap will have a synergistic effect on marketers’ job performance, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the configurational roles of PsyCap and MarCap in marketers’ job performance. Design/methodology/approach: Using a survey data set collected from 472 marketers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the study tested the net effects of PsyCap and MarCap on job performance using structural equation modeling (SEM). Then, the study investigated the configurational roles of PsyCap and MarCap in job performance employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). Findings: SEM results show that two components of PsyCap (efficacy and optimism) and one component of MarCap (organizational MarCap) have positive effects on job performance. fsQCA findings reveal that, except hope, combinations of PsyCap and MarCap components form several sufficient conditions for job performance. Research limitations/implications: The focus of this study is on marketers, that is, at the individual level. Future research should examine both PsyCap and MarCap at a higher level, such as the team, unit, or firm level. Practical implications: The study’s findings suggest that firms should pay attention not only to the net effect but also to the configuration of PsyCap and MarCap when designing and implementing their human resource strategies and policies. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on human capital resources by confirming the configurational roles of PsyCap and MarCap in marketers’ job performance.