Economic and Business Horizon
Vol. 5 No. 5 (2026): September

Determinants of MSME Employee Economic Value: Human Resource Accounting and Human Capital Investment through Human Capital

Surya Anggraeni Sayitno (Universitas Kristen Indonesia Paulus, Indonesia)
Joan Gabriella Palebangan (Universitas Kristen Indonesia Paulus, Indonesia)
Revita Dwi Aviani Pagiling (Universitas Kristen Indonesia Paulus, Indonesia)
Maiercherinra Daud (Universitas Kristen Indonesia Paulus, Indonesia)



Article Info

Publish Date
25 Sep 2026

Abstract

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) rely on effective management of human resources to generate greater employee economic value. Human resource accounting and human capital investment provide mechanisms for recognizing, developing, and utilizing employee capabilities, while human capital explains how these practices translate into economic value. This study examines the effects of human resource accounting and human capital investment on employee economic value, with human capital as a mediator. An explanatory quantitative design was applied to 300 MSME employees selected through stratified purposive sampling. Data were collected using structured five-point Likert-scale questionnaires and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares with SmartPLS 4.0. The findings show that human resource accounting positively affects human capital and employee economic value, while human capital investment positively affects human capital but does not directly affect employee economic value. Human capital positively affects employee economic value and mediates both relationships. Mediation is weak for human resource accounting and indirect-only with inconsistent effects for human capital investment, highlighting human capital’s role in translating investment into sustainable economic value. These findings imply that MSMEs should prioritize human capital development to maximize the economic value generated from human resource practices and investments.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ebh

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

Economic and Business Horizon (EBH) is an open access journal that publishes multidisciplinary economic and business research in an inclusive scope and format. It allows academics, scholars, and researchers with different backgrounds to share useful research results in the fields of management, ...