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International audience; This chapter focuses on examining the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices that are used in Human Capital-Intensive Firms (HCIFs). In the specialized literature on HCIFs, Human Resources (HR) are recognized as constituting an infinite value potential. Nevertheless, we know little in the literature about “how to manage” these HR in the specific context of HCIFs. First of all, in this chapter, a literature review provides a clarification of the HR’s key concepts (human capital, competence and talent) on the one hand, and introduces the relevance to study HRM practices underlying human capital management on the other hand. Then, based on the case study of IBM Corporation, a synthesis of the wide variety of HRM practices is proposed into three processes: identifying, assessing & developing, and finally motivating & retaining human capital. The IBM case is representative of the HCIFs in so far as the company puts its human capital at the heart of its overall strategy and in order to do this, provides a sophisticated HRM policy and in addition has implemented formalized HRM practices. For IBM, the aim is to improve resource assets of its employees, necessary to generate innovation, value and performance.

The aim of this paper is to study the process of symbolic value creation of human capital-intensive firms. Human capital is a critical resource for firms’ activities. Nevertheless, this dimension is often obscured by industrial economists. In the light of critical resource theory, we analyze how taking into account the inalienable and inimitable nature of specific human capital entails a reconsideration of the role and boundaries of the firm. We show that the firm seeks to coordinate the specialization of its key partners within the frame of its economic boundaries to ensure the long-term optimization of its potential of value. Therefore, the value of the firm depends on all the resources that the firm coordinates. Then we focus on the way HCIF can create different values. We suggest that the firm builds its competitive advantage on different forms of values, in particular the symbolic value incorporated in human capital. Finally, on the basis of these considerations, we identify the wealth included in the critical resources of the firm and to bring to light the process of symbolic value creation associated with it. We suggest that the firm is the value creating entity and the customer both recognizes and derives the value created from whatever it is that the firm provides. We propose a definition of this value and a schema of its creation process based on management works attempts. We conclude by proposing paths of research that could fruitfully be explored to further develop this new subject.