IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/soinre/v164y2022i3d10.1007_s11205-022-02973-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Measuring human capital in South Africa across socioeconomic subgroups using a latent-variable approach

Author

Listed:
  • TJ Friderichs

    (Rhodes University)

  • F. M. Correa

    (Rhodes University)

Abstract

Human capital is a complex concept to measure given it is an unobserved latent construct. Education is a fundamental dimension of human capital and thus an education-based approach is the one most widely used. However, the international literature recommends a latent-variable approach to measuring human capital. This study thus aims to measure human capital in South Africa, a country experiencing extreme earnings and education inequalities, using a latent-variable approach and the National Income Dynamic Study (NIDS) dataset. The findings are that parental education is associated with the largest amount of variance in (latent) human capital, while the health indicator captures the least variance. Furthermore, the (latent) human capital variable provides a valuable measure to profile the distribution of human capital by socioeconomic subgroups.

Suggested Citation

  • TJ Friderichs & F. M. Correa, 2022. "Measuring human capital in South Africa across socioeconomic subgroups using a latent-variable approach," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1161-1185, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:164:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-022-02973-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-022-02973-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11205-022-02973-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11205-022-02973-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Petter Lundborg & Martin Nordin & Dan Olof Rooth, 2018. "The intergenerational transmission of human capital: the role of skills and health," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 31(4), pages 1035-1065, October.
    2. Brent Kreider, 1999. "Latent Work Disability and Reporting Bias," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 34(4), pages 734-769.
    3. John Bound, 1991. "Self-Reported Versus Objective Measures of Health in Retirement Models," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 26(1), pages 106-138.
    4. Bowles, Samuel & Gintis, Herbert, 1975. "The Problem with Human Capital Theory-A Marxian Critique," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 65(2), pages 74-82, May.
    5. Erik Mooi & Marko Sarstedt & Irma Mooi-Reci, 2018. "Principal Component and Factor Analysis," Springer Texts in Business and Economics, in: Market Research, chapter 8, pages 265-311, Springer.
    6. Dagum, Camilo & Slottje, Daniel J., 2000. "A new method to estimate the level and distribution of household human capital with application," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1-2), pages 67-94, July.
    7. Barro, Robert J. & Lee, Jong-Wha, 1993. "International comparisons of educational attainment," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 363-394, December.
    8. Pietro Giorgio Lovaglio, 2010. "The Estimation Of Human Capital By Administrative Archives In A Static And Longitudinal Perspective: The Case Of Milan," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 280-308, April.
    9. Lovaglio, Pietro Giorgio, 2008. "Process of accumulation of Italian human capital," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 342-356, December.
    10. Murray Leibbrandt & Arden Finn & Ingrid Woolard, 2012. "Describing and decomposing post-apartheid income inequality in South Africa," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 19-34, March.
    11. Servaas van der Berg, 2014. "Inequality, poverty and prospects for redistribution," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 197-218, March.
    12. Jacob Mincer, 1958. "Investment in Human Capital and Personal Income Distribution," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 66, pages 281-281.
    13. Servaas Van Der Berg & Megan Louw, 2004. "Changing Patterns Of South African Income Distribution: Towards Time Series Estimates Of Distribution And Poverty1," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 72(3), pages 546-572, September.
    14. Grossman, Michael, 2000. "The human capital model," Handbook of Health Economics, in: A. J. Culyer & J. P. Newhouse (ed.), Handbook of Health Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 7, pages 347-408, Elsevier.
    15. Coltman, Tim & Devinney, Timothy M. & Midgley, David F. & Venaik, Sunil, 2008. "Formative versus reflective measurement models: Two applications of formative measurement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(12), pages 1250-1262, December.
    16. Eisner, Robert, 1989. "The Total Incomes System of Accounts," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, edition 1, number 9780226196381, September.
    17. Vittadini, Giorgio & Lovaglio, Pietro Giorgio, 2007. "Evaluation of the Dagum-Slottje method to estimate household human capital," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 270-278, June.
    18. Jarvis, Cheryl Burke & MacKenzie, Scott B & Podsakoff, Philip M, 2003. "A Critical Review of Construct Indicators and Measurement Model Misspecification in Marketing and Consumer Research," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 30(2), pages 199-218, September.
    19. Servaas van der Berg, 2010. "Current poverty and income distribution in the context of South African history," Working Papers 22/2010, Stellenbosch University, Department of Economics.
    20. Giuseppe Folloni & Giorgio Vittadini, 2010. "Human Capital Measurement: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 248-279, April.
    21. Muhammad Chani & Sajjad Jan & Zahid Pervaiz & Amatul Chaudhary, 2014. "Human capital inequality and income inequality: testing for causality," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 149-156, January.
    22. Nicola Branson & Murray Leibbrandt, 2013. "Educational Attainment and Labour Market Outcomes in South Africa, 1994-2010," OECD Economics Department Working Papers 1022, OECD Publishing.
    23. Nicola Branson & Cally Ardington & David Lam & Murray Leibbrandt, 2013. "Changes in education, employment and earnings in South Africa – A cohort analysis," SALDRU Working Papers 105, Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Peiyu Zhao & Jiajun Xu, 2024. "Analysis of Residents’ Livelihoods in Transformed Shantytowns: A Case Study of a Resource-Based City in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-25, February.
    2. Salmon Likoko & Monica Ewomazino Akokuwebe & Godswill Nwabuisi Osuafor & Erhabor Sunday Idemudia, 2023. "“Health Outcomes of Grandparents Caring for Double Orphans in South Africa”: What Are the Determinants?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(24), pages 1-39, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Pietro Giorgio Lovaglio & Gianmarco Vacca & Stefano Verzillo, 2016. "Human capital estimation in higher education," Advances in Data Analysis and Classification, Springer;German Classification Society - Gesellschaft für Klassifikation (GfKl);Japanese Classification Society (JCS);Classification and Data Analysis Group of the Italian Statistical Society (CLADAG);International Federation of Classification Societies (IFCS), vol. 10(4), pages 465-489, December.
    2. Giuseppe Folloni & Giorgio Vittadini, 2010. "Human Capital Measurement: A Survey," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 248-279, April.
    3. Pietro Giorgio Lovaglio, 2010. "The Estimation Of Human Capital By Administrative Archives In A Static And Longitudinal Perspective: The Case Of Milan," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 280-308, April.
    4. Les OXxley & Ttrinh Le & John Gibson, 2008. "Measuring Human Capital: Alternative Methods and International Evidence," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 24, pages 283-344.
    5. Sarah Brown & Jennifer Roberts & Karl Taylor, 2010. "Reservation wages, labour market participation and health," Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A, Royal Statistical Society, vol. 173(3), pages 501-529, July.
    6. repec:cmj:networ:y:2013:i:1:p:12-25 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Gilberto Antonelli & Roberto Antonietti & Giovanni Guidetti, 2010. "Organizational Change, Skill Formation, Human Capital Measurement: Evidence From Italian Manufacturing Firms," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 206-247, April.
    8. Trofimov, Ivan D. & Baawi, Nurulhana A., 2020. "Human Capital: State of the Field and Ways to Extend the Concept," MPRA Paper 107039, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Silves J.C. Moreira & Pedro Cosme Vieira & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2014. "Estimating the human capital stock for Cape Verde, 1950-2012," FEP Working Papers 547, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    10. Bálint BALOGH, 2013. "How To Measure Human Capital: A Short Review," Network Intelligence Studies, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 1, pages 21-36, July.
    11. Beni­tez-Silva, Hugo & Ni, Huan, 2008. "Health status and health dynamics in an empirical model of expected longevity," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 564-584, May.
    12. Maria Rosa Trovato, 2020. "Human Capital Approach in the Economic Assessment of Interventions for the Reduction of Seismic Vulnerability in Historic Centres," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-33, September.
    13. Vittadini, Giorgio & Lovaglio, Pietro Giorgio, 2007. "Evaluation of the Dagum-Slottje method to estimate household human capital," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 270-278, June.
    14. Chijioke O. Nwosu, 2016. "The impact of health on the employment and earnings of young South Africans," Working Papers 601, Economic Research Southern Africa.
    15. Lovaglio, Pietro Giorgio, 2008. "Process of accumulation of Italian human capital," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 342-356, December.
    16. Trinh Le & John Gibson & Les Oxley, 2003. "Cost‐ and Income‐based Measures of Human Capital," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(3), pages 271-307, July.
    17. Finn, Arden & Leibbrandt, Murray & Oosthuizen, Morne, 2014. "Poverty, inequality, and prices in post-apartheid South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 127, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    18. Philip Kostov & Julie Le Gallo, 2018. "What role for human capital in the growth process: new evidence from endogenous latent factor panel quantile regressions," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 65(5), pages 501-527, November.
    19. Trinh Le & John Gibson & Les Oxley, 2005. "Measures of human capital: A review of the literature," Treasury Working Paper Series 05/10, New Zealand Treasury.
    20. Tansel, Aysit & Keskin, Halil Ibrahim, 2017. "Education Effects on Days Hospitalized and Days out of Work by Gender: Evidence from Turkey," IZA Discussion Papers 11210, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    21. Deng, Qian (Claire) & Messinger, Paul R., 2022. "Dimensions of brand-extension fit," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 764-787.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:164:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-022-02973-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.