1807: HR Systems and Human Capital Resource Emergence (15138)

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Resource complementarity/synergy, which is defined as conditions where the return of one resource increases in the presence of the other resource(s), is frequently suggested to play a critical role in the development of sustained competitive advantage. However, given that complementarities/synergies emerge through interrelationships between multiple elements of a system and their fit with contextual factors, there are an array of complex factors involved that make them inherently challenging to measure. It is thus no surprise that researchers often face challenges in representing complementarities/synergies associated with resources in empirical studies. In general, there is a lack of understanding of approaches to empirically capture and represent complementarities and the broader notion of synergy. To make progress on this issue, this essay will conduct a systematic review of the empirical studies published in organizational sciences that use the notion of complementaries/synergies and also include an exploratory interdisciplinary aspect by having discussions with researchers in a variety of other disciplines about how they measure or otherwise empirically capture the notion of synergy and complementarities.

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