The conceptual framework for developing workforce competitiveness

The objective of this paper is the analysis of the theoretical frameworks for developing workforce competitiveness and the formulation of recommendations on improving the effectiveness of this process. Firstly, we discuss the relation of competitiveness of subjects of different levels. The emphasis is laid on the key role of worker competitiveness in enabling enterprise competitiveness. Subsequently, we analyze the concepts of "competition" and "worker competitiveness". We determine the substantial elements of competition, such as environment and its conditions, actors and factors of their internal environment, interaction between actors. The phenomenon of competition is impossible to exist without these three elements. The further analysis of the essence of "worker competitiveness" reveals the fact that the three elements of competition are an ontological criterion for a subject's being competitive. In reality, this enables us to differentiate the process of developing worker competitiveness from the process of worker development and thus to ensure that companies implement their human resource strategy more effectively. Next, we consider the relation between worker competitiveness, enterprise competitiveness and competitiveness of goods. This relation can be presented as the so called "triangle of competitiveness", where each of the sides can be changed only if the two other sides are changed too. Evidently, we infer that there is need for a systematic approach to developing competitiveness. Finally, make recommendations on improving the effectiveness of developing worker competitiveness based on the project-based approach. This approach takes into account both the substantive features of the phenomenon of competitiveness and the systemic nature of its development. We consider the definition of "project" and "project team" as the key production unit in modern enterprises. We substantiate the hypothesis that the project team exhibits competitiveness and plays an important role in developing individual worker competitiveness and the competitiveness of the whole company. We conclude that further studies on theoretical and methodological aspects of the process of developing workforce competitiveness should improve the efficiency of this process.

Keywords

Authors

References