Human capital accumulation: the role of human resource development

Introduces the special issue “Human resource development: sectoral and invention‐level evidence of human capital accumulation”. Reviews the concepts and definitions of intellectual and human capital. Considers human capital from individual (employability, performance and career development) and organization (investment, ownership, skills and knowledge management) perspectives. Looks at each of the papers in the special issue, relating them to its theme. Highlights the implications for human resource development, both at individual and organizational levels.