Unit human capital resources (HCRs) are positively associated with unit performance and developing them is vital to sustaining unit performance. Yet, extant research has focused primarily on formal human resource methods of developing individual and group capacities (e.g., training) and given lesser attention to on-the-job mechanisms and processes impacting unit HCRs. We advance a theoretical framework featuring unit deployments, which reflect the formal or informal configuration of existing unit members’ assignments to unit-relevant tasks at a point in time, as a powerful tool for unit HCR development. We first articulate how deployments can enhance unit HCR by increasing members’ HCRs, cultivating members’ social capital resources, and influencing unit emergence enabling states. We then introduce four types of unit HCR portfolios that differ in resource and coordination flexibility and highlight how units can use distinct deployment strategies to cultivate each type of portfolio. We conclude by detailing when each unit HCR portfolio will likely generate the greatest return for units under varying task dynamism and complexity conditions.

单位人力资本资源 (HCR) 与单位绩效呈正相关，开发它们对于维持单位绩效至关重要。然而，现有的研究主要集中在发展个人和团体能力（例如培训）的正式人力资源方法上，而较少关注影响单位 HCR 的在职机制和流程。我们提出了一个以单位部署为特征的理论框架，它反映了现有单位成员在某个时间点对单位相关任务的正式或非正式配置，作为单位 HCR 开发的有力工具。我们首先阐明部署如何通过增加成员的 HCR、培养成员的社会资本资源和影响单元出现支持状态来增强单元 HCR。然后，我们介绍了四种类型的单位 HCR 组合，它们在资源和协调灵活性方面有所不同，并强调了单位如何使用不同的部署策略来培养每种类型的组合。最后，我们详细说明了每个单元 HCR 投资组合何时可能在不同的任务动态和复杂性条件下为单元产生最大回报。