CC BY
2ECONOMIC SCIENCES
UDC: 330.65.005.95/.96
Krasnyak Olena
Candidate of economic sciences, docent, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics and International Relations Vinnytsia Institute of Trade and Economics of State University of Trade and Economics
ORCID: 0000-0003-1645-1431 Vinnytsia, Ukraine DOI: 10.24412/2520-6990-2023-11170-67-73 INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL OF THE ENTERPRISE AND PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE OF THE
STAFF
Abstract.
The article examines the essence of the intellectual capital category. The main system-forming characteristics, which depend on the potential for the formation of the enterprise's intellectual capital and its growth rates, have been studied. The essence of the concept of professionalism, which allows solving the task of developing personal and professional skills to the level of skill of an employee, is revealed. The factors that ensure the growth of the organization's intellectual capital, its relationship with the professional competence of the staff are highlighted. Areas of implementation ofprofessional development programs have been determined.
Keywords: intellectual capital, professional competence, development, formation, personnel.
Introduction. The category "intellectual capital" is not a purely theoretical term of management theory. Behind this concept is the evaluation of the real intellectual property of the organization, which can be considered as a set of knowledge that the staff has and the results of using this knowledge by employees in the process of performing their professional duties.
The allocation of intellectual capital as an independent object of management within the system management of the organization is the most important condition for effective functioning and production growth. Financial analysts, as well as experts in the field of the theory of management of economic systems, attach increasing importance to the quality of management of intellectual property and intellectual resources, and evaluate them together with material assets and characteristics of the enterprise as parameters for evaluating its position on the market. Experts predict that companies that manage their intellectual capital well will become market leaders in the coming years, regardless of their current position.
Recently, foreign and domestic researchers considered the theoretical and methodological foundations of the concept of "intellectual capital" and professional competence, namely: V. Hudson, M. Armstrong, A. Ward, L. Edinson, J. Fitzenz, E. Ammann, O. Butnik -Siverskyi, V. Gaets, V. Pozhev and others. However, the lack of a unified approach to defining the concept of intellectual capital and professional competence of the company's personnel is still debatable.
The purpose of the work. The purpose of the article is to analyze existing research on the essence of intellectual capital and professional competence of the company's personnel.
Results and discussion. Intellectual capital is a relatively new concept, so there is no single definition of this category in economic literature. However, the scientific interpretation of the concept varies.
L. Edvinsson defined human intellectual capital as
a combination of genetic heritage, artistic upbringing, experience, attitude to life and business [5, p. 46].
J. Fitzenz states that intellectual capital is the "intellectual property" of the company and is a chain of processes associated with a network of various types of relationships and human capital [6, p. 23].
A. Ammann considered nine main variants of the forms of conversion of intellectual capital - this is the transfer of knowledge to employees of the organization in the form of new ideas, experience, technologies from suppliers, customers or the local community [7, p. 183— 186].
A. Ward emphasized that intellectual capital is the sum of "islands of knowledge" that exist within one company, and it is the duty of managers to fully coordinate the knowledge of their employees to formulate the company's economic strategy [5, p. 58].
The expediency of the allocation of intellectual capital is due to the increased role in modern production of the qualifications, abilities and knowledge of personnel, the rapid change in product technologies, which increases the value of intellectual property (patents, know-how, commercial secrets, etc.).
As noted by O. Butnik-Siverskyi, intellectual capital is a created or purchased intellectual product that has a cost estimate, objectified and identified (separated from the enterprise), held by the enterprise (business entity) for the purpose of the probability of obtaining profit (additional value ) [1].
V. Gaets notes that intellectual capital is formed by people and the knowledge they possess, their skills, abilities and everything that helps to use them effectively in the production process; this concept includes intangible values that affect the market value of enterprises, increasing it [2, p. 114].
In the scientific environment, it is customary to define the essence of intellectual capital as a set of knowledge, skills and experience of employees (human
assets), as well as intangible assets (patents, information databases, software, etc.), which increases the value and capabilities of the enterprise.
V.I. Pozhev believes that intellectual capital is based on connections of structured knowledge and abilities that have the potential for development and value creation [3].
R. Mansfield defines competence as skills and traits necessary for an employee to perform work effectively [8].
A number of authors [9] note that competence is any knowledge, skills or abilities, personal qualities that are demonstrated through behavior and result in remarkable achievements at work.
Specialists in personnel management already understand the need to capitalize on the knowledge, abilities, skills and experience necessary for the implementation of labor functions by personnel, trying to introduce a competence approach into the practice of domestic enterprises. The main advantages of the latter are as follows: it is based on the selection of competencies that differ from knowledge in the form of professional activity, and not only in the form of theoretical information about it; Competencies differ from the classical understanding of skills by being transferred to different objects of influence; skills in the competence approach are considered as awareness that allows a person to act even in non-standard situations [4, p. 19].
This functional definition of intellectual capital must be supplemented with a structural one, since restructured knowledge cannot be realized in competition: intellectual capital is intellectual material that is formalized, recorded and applied to obtain more valuable products for the organization.
Presenting main material. By intellectual capital, we mean two structured components: the employee's competencies and his desire to use this competency in the best way for the benefit of the organization to achieve its goals.
Intellectual capital accumulates throughout life and depends on socio-economic conditions and professional status of a person, rates of moral depreciation of knowledge, experience, and skills. The essential difference between human capital and physical capital in this case is that after the end of the labor process, intellectual capital does not lose its significance. A number of other characteristics should be considered system-forming:
Firstly, intellectual capital does not lose its value, and is even able to increase it, while buildings, equipment and technologies begin to depreciate from the moment of their acquisition, because it is always yesterday;
Secondly, given the current situation in our economy, the growth of intellectual capital is the main component of the consumer value of the service;
Thirdly, employees with high intellectual capital are more competitive, so the key motive for their activity is satisfaction with work results rather than material reward;
Fourthly, staff turnover is based on a high load on the performer, and intellectual capital allows the em-
ployee to bear high loads thanks to the formed "ideological" internal motive (inspiration);
Fifth, research has shown that there is a direct relationship between employees' attitudes toward an organization and customers' attitudes toward that organization. And the basis of employees' loyalty to the organization is their devotion to the idea (a component of intellectual capital).
The basic factors on which the possibility of building up intellectual capital and the pace of its growth depend include:
- formation of a team of employees that make up the basis of the organization's human capital, through systematic search, selection, selection, motivation and stimulation of the organization's personnel;
- the creation of a healthy moral and psychological climate in the organization, that is, the creation of an environment in which employees feel useful and satisfied with the results of their activities, there is a desire for learning and interchangeability in working with clients;
- completion of the knowledge bank, which includes own research and development; accumulated experience, knowledge and skills in the form of methodical or guiding materials, marketing research, etc.;
- creation of a positive image and reputation of the organization through advertising and promotion of the trademark and trademark, development of the organization's brand that has a market value.
The development and use of the intellectual abilities of employees allows you to quickly respond to market requirements and effectively implement strategies ensuring the development and reproduction of the enterprise's capital. Ensuring such behavior is possible only if the work of each employee in the organization is considered as a unique activity that must be encouraged and constantly improved, taking into account the changes in the changing external environment.
The key condition for the formation of the organization's intellectual capital is the level of professional competence of the staff.
Professionalism is the core of human capital development. If by professionalization we understand the process of transformation of various types of human activity in relation to the sphere of professional work, then two aspects can be regulated within its framework:
1) social - emergence of new professions and specialties as a result of division of labor, development of specialization, change of previously non-professional areas;
2) individual - increasing the professional mobility of employees, expanding the range of specialization.
David McClelland distinguishes competence as the ability of the company and its personnel to perform the necessary functional duties in accordance with a certain vision, mission and values. Each competence, as a unity of three components: cognitive (availability of a system of professional and special subject knowledge), functional (possession of methods, technologies, algorithms for performing actions), personal component (ethical and social positions and attitudes, attitude to the performance of actions) [9].
From the perspective of the management of pro-fessionalization processes both at the level of society and individual organizations, it is necessary to take into account the dynamics of a number of processes characteristic of the modern stage of the development of social and labor relations:
- socio-economic - change in forms of ownership, development of entrepreneurial activity, stratification of society;
- technological - stagnation and destruction of old technologies, aging of the equipment park, as well as the introduction of computer systems, changes in the content of work and working hours;
- personnel - loss of qualifications and experience; emergence of new market professions; entrepreneur-ship; deficit and structural unemployment; sedentary nature of professional structures;
- legal - changes in legislation, including labor and pension legislation, destruction of old criteria and standards of quality and qualification.
The blurring and vagueness of the conceptual apparatus in many ways hinders the construction of a single system of managing the professionalism of the country's human resources, overcoming the narrow framework of individual organizations in the process of forming the country's intellectual capital. Concepts such as "professionalism", "professional competence", "qualification", "professional-qualification potential", "professional development" and others, in the interpretation of which there is a big difference today. In the conditions of a market economy, this problem is aggravated by the fact that competing foreign enterprises occupy an increasingly strong position in the job market. Differences in the level and list of requirements placed on the employee by domestic and foreign employers require Ukrainian enterprises to seriously adjust the forms and methods of personnel management.
Since each level of professionalism (other things being equal) corresponds to the level of the price of the individual labor power of a specific employee, then with the picture observed today in the labor market, the differentiation of wage levels between Ukrainian and
foreign firms, it can be assumed that this differentiation confidently turns into a factor, which contributes to the flow of intellectual capital of the country beyond its borders. However, depending on the priorities of a person's values, stages of his life and career, the preferences of employees in matters of employment may change.
Recently, professionalism has come to be considered as a regulation of behavior and professional activity, which imposes certain strict obligations on the subject of work.
Mastery and professionalism are necessarily related to self-realization in work, and this, in turn, implies a high level of motivation for achievements in work. The ability of a specialist to work effectively in difficult conditions or in extreme conditions is very important. In such cases, the professional includes his reserve capabilities and maintains the stability of high performance results. In other words, a professional is a master of his craft; he is always limited by the framework of high standards.
Professionalism has certain meanings and is an important category of work psychology, as an individual style of activity, which is understood as a system of methods, skills and methods for achieving a goal specific to an individual. Individual style is nothing but the manifestation of the individual (individual) in skill and professionalism.
We are used to improving our qualifications, having in mind the expansion of functional knowledge, abilities and skills, but few of us specifically develop our personal abilities. And the essence of professionalism lies, first of all, in the employee's ability to determine, taking into account the conditions and real opportunities, the most promising ways and methods of implementing the tasks set before him within the limits of his powers.
A generalized characteristic of professionalism should provide for the dialectical unity of the manifestations of active and personal aspects, that is, the professionalism of activity and the professionalism of the individual should be distinguished (Fig. 1).
Professionalism
Professionalism of the individual Professionalism of activity
o o
- expansion of the range of interests; - high productivity;
- change of motives and needs; - high level of qualification and professional compe-
- growing need for self-realization; tence;
- increasing competence and abilities; - optimal intensity and tension;
- development and expansion of abilities and - high accuracy and reliability;
skills; - high organization;
- mastering new methods of solving production - low indirectness;
tasks; - possession of modern content and modern means of
- development of personal and business qualities; solving professional tasks;
- development of professionally important quali- - stability of high quality indicators;
ties for the employee; - focus on achieving positive socially significant
- increasing psychological readiness for innova- goals.
tions.
Fig. 1. Functional structure of professionalism
Professionalism of activity is a qualitative characteristic of the subject of activity, which reflects his high qualification and competence, a variety of effective skills and abilities, mastery of temporary algorithms and methods of solving professional tasks, which allows working with high productivity.
Professionalism of the individual means a high
level of development of professionally important personal and business qualities of the subject of work, the motivational sphere and value orientations are aimed at his constant development as a specialist.
This understanding of the essence of professionalism allows solving the task of developing personal and professional skills to the level of mastery (Fig. 2).
«coyyomum-jmtmal» #1w7©), mm / economic sciences
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Fig. 2. The main components of the development ofprofessionalism
Thus, professionalism is formed on the basis of professional development. In professional development, it is customary to distinguish two sides:
- professional and qualification development, mainly related to training and self-education, acquisition of new knowledge and experience;
- professional development, mainly related to the rational placement of personnel, based on the professional potential of the employee and his professional growth.
Analyzing the specificity of professionalism and noting its qualities such as social and professional significance, we will highlight the levels of complexity of its research:
Civil. No matter what position a citizen holds in society, his activities are regulated by the Constitution, laws that rule morally. This is the basic level, on which all other levels of professionalism are built.
Professional. Speaking about professionalism, one should, first of all, distinguish the field of activity (labor, engineering and technical employees, management apparatus, employees) and consider them together with the qualification or level of management (lower, middle, higher).
Political. This level is the most complex in content and execution. A modern worker - a member of the labor team must be critical of the existing realities, constantly improve his professional knowledge. The highest level of competence - political - is inextricably
linked with the first two levels, but qualitatively differs from them in terms of responsibility, multifacetedness, and universality. Professional managers become involved in politics, and political values begin to permeate management.
Active learning of new knowledge, skills, abilities, new types of activities, expansion of the sphere of professional competence, change of job and social status - all this requires the employee to develop personal and professional qualities, more fully reveal creative potential, change the system of motivation and professional standards. This, in turn, actualizes the problem of personnel development through the system of optimization of professional competence as the basis of professional qualification and professional development.
The problem has exceptional scientific and practical significance due to the fact that a significant part of a person's life is dedicated to professional activity, it is in it that the main forms of activity of the subject of work, the ability to meet needs and realize his potential are manifested.
New concepts in management treat a person not as an entity that reacts to stimuli, but as an active individual who strives for certain goals and results. Human activity acquires meaning only with the appearance of a goal.
Development-oriented employees strive to master professional skills, take pride in the ability to apply
their skills to solve complex problems: when faced with obstacles, they usually do not act "head on" but try to show ingenuity. The most important thing is that they know how to analyze the acquired experience and constantly improve their professional level. The basis of their high responsibility is the desire to experience the feeling of internal satisfaction arising from the performance of a task at the highest level, and the assessment they receive from competent people (employees, customers, managers).
In order to achieve mastery in professional activity, it is necessary to have starting capabilities - abilities, knowledge, skills, qualifications, competence, skills and high motivation. In this sense, professionalism can be considered as a higher standard of activity.
Professional development is a process of training employees to perform new production functions, occupy responsible positions, solve tasks aimed at overcoming the discrepancy between the requirements for an employee and the qualities of a real person.
The need for professional development of personnel is due to:
- firstly, by changing the content and nature of work, its professionalization. Professional development should not be an end in itself, it should be closely related to the conditions and quality of work defined for a specific group of positions, the organization as a whole;
- secondly, the structure of motivation of the population working in various organizations or temporarily unemployed in production. Some people, for example, seek to realize themselves in the field of management, others - to solve their material problems, others - to make a career, establish connections with people useful for life, etc. Motives here can also be the desire to master a new job as soon as possible , to keep the former or get a higher position, to ensure the stabilization or growth of incomes, to acquire knowledge, to expand contacts, to become more independent from employers and competitive in the labor market. The structure of motives for the professional development of personnel is dynamic and complex, but its identification is determined by the needs of practice. All the listed motives act as driving forces in the professional development of people; they cannot be discounted in the practice of career management;
- thirdly, by the temporary limitations of the cycle of a person's active professional life and the constant need of the organization to ensure its development. It is important not only to have a constant turnover of personnel capable of replacing positions in the organizational structure, but also the ability of personnel to do work better and better than their predecessors did, to increase their personal professional experience, and therefore the experience of the organization. The rate of increase in the professional experience of personnel in the organization is the most important factor in its stable dynamic development. This also applies to society as a whole.
Another aspect of this problem is that the ability to perceive new information declines with age. An organization interested in the professional development of its employees must sensitively catch the period of
decline in the employee's business activity, help him overcome disappointment when there is a discrepancy between what is desired and what is real, and when he loses professional interest. It is necessary to rotate the employee to a new area of work or send him to improve his qualifications.
The most important means of professional development of personnel is professional training, the process of direct transfer of new professional skills or knowledge to employees. An example can be courses for learning new computer programs, special classes for individual categories of personnel, etc.
Formally, professional development is broader than professional training and often includes the latter, but in real life the difference between them is purely conditional, since both serve the same purpose - to prepare personnel for the successful performance of assigned tasks. In addition to the direct impact on the financial results of the organization, investments in professional development contribute to the creation of a favorable climate in the team, increase the motivation of employees and their commitment to the company, and ensure continuity in management.
Professional development has a positive effect on the employees themselves. By improving their qualifications and acquiring new skills, they become more competitive in the labor market and receive additional opportunities for professional growth both within and outside their organization. This is especially important in modern conditions, when professional knowledge quickly becomes obsolete. Professional training contributes to the general intellectual development of a person, expands his erudition and circle of communication, strengthens self-confidence. It is no coincidence that the possibility of professional training in one's own company is highly valued by employees.
Society as a whole benefits from intra-organiza-tional professional development, receiving more qualified personnel and higher productivity of public work without additional costs. It is clear that the training of qualified personnel is especially effective if the costs associated with it are lower than the costs of other areas of increasing labor productivity. From an economic point of view, it is important to decide whether the training of qualified personnel should be narrowly specialized or oriented to a wide range. If you limit training to the minimally necessary, very narrow area (usually the workplace), then this, although it will be profitable in the near future, is associated with the danger of losing relevance when job requirements change. Moreover, it is necessary to stimulate the complex interdependence of employees, their ability to work independently, improve cooperation, and expand responsibility.
The efficiency of investments in human capital, in particular the improvement of skills or education of employees, can be considered similarly to the efficiency of investments in new technologies, equipment, securities, etc. Such investments can be made by individuals, organizations, and the state as a whole. In any case, you should compare the amount of education costs and possible benefits from the one who acts as an investor.
Representing a complex, continuous process, professional development includes determining the needs of personnel development, drawing up an appropriate budget.
The needs of personnel development are revealed by taking into account the analysis of the correspondence between the competence that the personnel must possess to realize the organization's goals (today and in the future) and the knowledge and skills that they actually possess. The sources of information here are individual development plans; applications and wishes of the employees themselves; development strategy.
Determining the professional development needs of an individual employee requires the joint efforts of the personnel management service, the employee himself, and his manager. Each of the parties brings its own vision of this issue. Each of the participating parties must understand under the influence of what factors the needs of the organization in the development of its personnel are formed. These factors include:
- dynamics of the external environment (consumers, competitors, suppliers, the state);
- technical and technological progress, which entails the emergence of new products, services and production methods;
- changing the organization's development strategy;
- creation of a new organizational structure;
- mastering new methods of activity.
Traditional methods of determining and registering needs for professional development are certification and preparation of an individual development plan. Attestation is a process of assessment by the immediate supervisor of the employee's performance of his duties. During the certification, the employee discusses the prospects of his professional development with the manager. The result of this discussion is an individual development plan, which is forwarded to the HR department. Specialists in professional development evaluate the plan from the point of view of its realism, feasibility, compliance with the needs of the organization, its financial capabilities and make the necessary adjustments to it. Combined employee development plans become a professional development program for the organization's personnel. This program defines the goals of professional development, the goals of their achievement and funding.
Professional development is associated with significant material costs, therefore the formation and control over the implementation of the budget are the most important elements of professional development management. Two factors affect the size of the budget - the organization's training needs and its financial condition. Senior management determines how much can be spent on professional development during the coming year and, comparing the size of the budget with the identified needs, sets priorities.
Based on the analysis of identified needs, the personnel management service forms the goals of each development program. These goals should be specific, oriented towards obtaining the necessary skills and
abilities, and practically significant for the general development of an employee studying in a certain field of knowledge.
Conclusion. So, summing up, it can be stated that the evaluation of the effectiveness of training programs is a central link in the management of professional development of a modern organization, taking into account the main categories of effects that can be measured: reaction - assess whether employees like this program, whether they consider it useful; degree of assimilation - employees are tested to determine whether they have managed to fully master the basic principles, as well as acquire the necessary skills; relation - they find out whether the employee's work at the workplace has changed thanks to the training; labor efficiency - according to criteria differentiated by personnel categories, which determine the increase in labor productivity.
In our opinion, personnel development through the system of optimizing the professional competence of each employee will contribute to increasing the organization's intellectual capital and increasing the efficiency of its use.
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