Debbi Gordon Article 2(完整).docVIP

Positive psychological capital: Beyond human and social capital Fred Luthans Distinguished Professor of Management, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska (fluthans@) Kyle W. Luthans Associate Professor of Management, University of Nebraska-Kearney (luthanskw@) Brett C. Luthans Associate Professor of Management, Missouri Western State College, St. Joseph, Missouri (luthans@) With the rising recognition of human resources as a competitive advantage in today’s global economy, human capital and, more recently, social capital are being touted in both theory, research, and practice. To date, however, positive psychological capital has been virtually ignored by both business academics and practitioners.?Who I am” is every bit as important as “what I know” and “who I know.” By eschewing a preoccupation with personal shortcomings and dysfunctions and focusing instead on personal strengths and good qualities, today’s leaders and their associates can develop confidence, hope, optimism, and resilience, thereby improving both individual and organizational performance. For years, business academics and practitioners have operated in the belief that sustained competitive advantage could accrue from a variety of industry-level entry barriers, such as technological supremacy, patent protections, and government regulations. However, technological change and diffusion, rapid innovation, and deregulation have eroded these widely recognized barriers. In today’s environment, which requires flexibility, innovation, and speed-to-market, effectively developing and managing employees’ knowledge, experiences, skills, and expertise—collectively defined as “human capital”—has become a key success factor for sustained organizational performance. Traditionally, economic capital (both financial and tangible assets such as plant and equipment) has received all the attention. But enlightened managers today recognize the importance not only of tangible assets, data, and physical resources