The Structure and Function of Human Capital Emergence: a Multilevel Examination of the Attraction-Selection-Attrition Model

Abstract

Integrating multilevel theory and the attraction-selection-attrition model, we conceptualized personality homogeneity as human capital emergence containing both composition (aggregate mean) and compilation (aggregate standard deviation) components. Sampling service employees, jobs, and organizations, we analyzed relationships across levels using random coefficient modeling. Individual-, job-, and organization-level mean personality were related to job satisfaction and performance. Job- and organization-level variances were frequently negatively related to satisfaction and performance, and job- and organization-level means and variances sometimes interacted. Our results support a multilevel interpretation of the ASA model and suggest human capital manifests multiple structures having different functional consequences across levels.