Journal of the National Research University Higher School of Economics

One of the main sources of competitiveness on the modern economy are the  intangible assets of companies. In the structure of the intellectual capital assigned to human resources and human capital,  the knowledge, skills, creativity, and employees’ motivation play a special role. The quality of human resources affects the value of the company and human resource management practices, which in turn affect the quality of its human resources.

The article focuses on a resource-based view of the firm and human capital theory as fundamental perspectives, linking human resources to achieving a sustainable competitive advantage for the company.

The empirical study tested the assumption that Russian companies, the leaders on the world economy, implement management strategies and practices that facilitate the efficient use of human resources in order to achieve one’s main goals, which distinguishes them from companies that have not reached a level of international competitiveness. The main tool for research is a questionnaire – the standard “Investors in People” survey — that is used to assess the effectiveness of policies and practices of the management and development of human resources at companies. The survey involved representatives in executive management positions at 41 public Russian companies; 14 of the surveyed companies were included on the Forbes Global 2000 (2014) and possessed the traits of competitiveness.

The results showed that at companies with competitive features, there is a pronounced tendency for the greater involvement of employees in the process of goal-setting and decision-making. There were also some differences in the practice of management personnel between companies with and without indicators of competitiveness. In general, the assumption that Russian companies have reached a level of leadership at a global level, using more effective policies and management practices, and the development of human resources to achieve its goals, as a result of the study, is confirmed.