Integrating the strategic choice and the institutional perspectives, we provide a contextualized analysis of human resource (HR) development investment in Chinese private firms. Based on a nation-wide survey of domestic private firms, we found that strategic choice variables (i.e., private entrepreneurs’ education and governance team completeness) are positively related to HR development investment. Perceived government support for private business strengthened the positive relationships between strategic choice variables and HR development investment. Furthermore, institutional variables (i.e., owners’ political affiliation and firms’ former state ownership) explained additional variance in HR development investment above and beyond strategic choice variables. Perceived government support negatively moderated the relationship between former state ownership and HR development investment. Theoretical and policy implications were discussed at the end.
