Sustaining the human enterprise in the geosciences

Human capital — defined as knowledge, experiences and skills of an individual — focuses on the importance of human capabilities. In contrast, human enterprise — defined as engaging in systematic, purposeful activity that may be daring or difficult — incorporates the important role of human aspirations in both shaping and benefiting from human capabilities. In this thought piece, I articulate some preliminary ideas, informed by recent work on the role of individual enterprise in nascent firms and industries, for how scholarship in strategy and entrepreneurship may benefit from expanding our conceptualization of individuals in the workplace beyond “human capital” to “human enterprise.”