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In this research, we examine how restrictive policy influenced performance in human embryonic stem cell research (hESC) between 1998 and 2008. In previous research, researchers argued whether restrictive policy decreased the performance of stem cell research in some nations, especially in the US. Here, we hypothesize that this policy influenced specific subfields of the hESC research. To investigate the selective policy effects, we categorize hESC research publications into three subfields—derivation, differentiation, and medical application research. Our analysis shows that restrictive policy had different effects on different subfields. In general, the US outperformed in overall hESC research throughout these periods. In the derivation of hESC, however, the US almost lost its competence under restrictive policy. Interestingly, the US scientific community showed prominent resilience in hESC research through international collaboration. We concluded that the US resilience and performance stemmed from the wide breadth of research portfolio of US scientists across the hESC subfields, combined with their strategic efforts to collaborate internationally on derivation research.

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We examine the job design decision in the context of skill development and bargaining power. The choice between specialization and multitasking requires employees to develop either specialized or varied task-specific skills. Employees' (i.e., the owners of the acquired skills) bargaining power depends on their skill sets, which differentiate their ability to hold up production and threaten to leave a firm. When a firm cannot meaningfully elicit skill investments through job design, it will pursue inefficient multitasking to reduce production holdups or inefficient specialization to prevent skilled employees from leaving. We obtain inefficient job design results only for mediocre ability workers.

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