Managing Human Capital of an Organization: Sociological Analysis of Conceptual Approaches

The article is focused on the analysis of the development of conceptual approaches to the management of human capital of an organization, as a lead to the conclusion that the differences in the models of human capital management of an organization occur in the chain of theoretical discrepancies. The starting point is the ambiguity of interpretation of the basic concept of “human capital”, which is mainly caused by scientific specialization of researchers of this phenomenon. The author argues that the concept of “human capital” is based on the concept of “human potential”, which under particular circumstances is transformed into human resources that that in market environment become a commodity. The next level of theoretical divergence linked to the definition of human capital at the organizational level. The author provides arguments for the necessity of applying an approach that integrates the analysis of human capital at the individual, the level of organizational units and the organization as a whole. The third level of debate relates to the choice of human capital management models, which relies on the application of various theories of the firm. The article proves the feasibility of applying the stakeholder theory to build a human capital management system consisting of four subsystems: the subsystem of corporate identity and value, the subsystem of work with personnel, the subsystem of personnel development, and the subsystem of HR-analytics. The digital transformation of socio-economic life leads to the emergence of the concept of "digital human capital", which meets the requirements of the digital economy. The management of digital human capital requires the widespread use of digital technologies and tools for working with personnel, as well as the restructuring of organizational relations. The author highlights the role of human capital analytics based on the application of a wide range of digital technologies and tools, and underlines the trend towards a gradual transition to a human capital management model based on aligning the interests of the firm's key stakeholders.