Qualitative Features of Human Capital in the Formation of Enterprise Agility. Research Results in Polish Enterprises

Abstract

Unpredictability is a crucial feature of the modern environment. It is a characteristic that gives the organization both opportunities and threats. The enterprises’ success is determined by their ability to adjust efficiently their activity and potential to changes and challenges that appear in the environment. Companies that aim to stay on the market and act efficiently must become agile organizations. It means that they must be able to identify opportunities fast and use them for their own development. The estimation whether the appearing situation is recognized and assessed as favorable by the organization is determined by the potential and assets that it possesses or can potentially possess. Human capital is the superior factor that generates the potential of the organization and that integrates all other assets. Each action initiated by the organization is connected with involving human capital both in a causative and executive approach. The more the organization provides a good configuration of human capital features for the maximization of its quality, the better the results of its actions will be.

The aim of this paper is to present the results of research on a group of Polish enterprises that examined the qualitative features of human capital that affect the formation (stimulation) of enterprise agility. It has been chosen from a group of factors describing qualitative features of the human capital to point at characteristics that significantly contribute into the upgrading the level of agility of enterprises by identifying and reaching for opportunities. Qualitative features have been grouped into four groups: competences, interpersonal relations and contacts, culture and organizational climate. The results obtained from the research initiated a selection of a set of qualitative features of human capital that represent crucial importance for enterprise agility.