Main drivers of human capital, learning and performance Nancy Vargas 1 • M. Begon ˜a Lloria 2 • Salvador Roig-Dobo ´n 3 Published online: 19 May 2016 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016 Abstract The aim of this study was to show the relationships between the enablers for knowledge creation and human capital (HC); the effect of HC on feedback and feedfor- ward; and the influence of these learning flows on organizational performance. To achieve this, we developed a novel theoretical model of relationships and tested this model empirically. We quantitatively test this model using data from firms in the Spanish biotechnology sector. Results show strong relationships between HC and enablers for knowledge creation (redundancy, trust, and autonomy); HC and learning flows (feedback and feedforward); and learning flows and organizational performance. The originality of this study lies in linking—theoretically, empirically, and through a novel model—inde- pendent theories of HC, learning, and knowledge creation. Keywords Human capital Á Knowledge creation Á Enablers Á Learning Á Performance JEL Classification O340 1 Introduction In an economic climate such as the present one, the development and exploitation of individual capabilities is essential for explaining business competitiveness, particularly in knowledge-intensive sectors (Garcia et al. 2008; Prashantham and Berry 2004; Elkjae & M. Begon ˜a Lloria Maria.B.lloria@uv.es 1 Proyectos Especiales y Consultorı ´a, Universidad de Santander, Carrera 29 No. 47-32, Bucaramanga, Colombia 2 Facultad de Economı ´a, Avenida los Naranjos S/N, Departamento de Direccio ´n de Empresas Juan Jose ´ Renau Piqueras, Universitat de Vale `ncia, 46022 Valencia, Spain 3 Facultad de Economı ´a, Avenida los naranjos S/N, Iudescoop-Universitat de Vale `ncia, Universitat de Vale `ncia, 46022 Valencia, Spain 123 J Technol Transf (2016) 41:961–978 DOI 10.1007/s10961-016-9483-6