Title: Measuring human capital – a scientific utopia?

Authors: Irina Ion

Addresses: Business and Economics Department, Faculty of International Economic Affairs, Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest, Str. Piata Romana nr. 6, OP 22, Bucuresti, Romania

Abstract: The need for quantifying human capital emerged naturally with its use in economic research, but so did problems of measurement. The objective of this article is to analyse the most common difficulties in quantifying and defining human capital. This paper will offer a qualitative survey of the literature in order to understand the depth and range of the measurement difficulties. Although there is no simple answer to the question posited in this paper|s title, human capital must be re-evaluated with a more pluralistic view, incorporating refined measures from psychology and sociology.

Keywords: human capital theory; human capital measurement; education; quantification; abilities; pluralism; literature review.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2011.041696

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2011 Vol.2 No.2, pp.162 - 169

Published online: 29 Jan 2015 *

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