Microfoundations of firm performance: three essays examining how human capital affects firm performance across strategy and entrepreneurship

This dissertation examines how an individual's collection of knowledge, skills, and abilities impacts the performance of firms. I look across two contexts, professional sports and mobile application developers, to investigate several aspects of this relationship. I first examine the mobility of star performers in professional sports and how these individuals impact their new colleagues, leading to increases in firm performance. I then examine how the portfolio of human capital investments for mobile app developers help them improve the performance of their latest application. Finally, I examine how experienced and novice entrepreneurs' actions impact the performance of their latest mobile applications.