HUMAN CAPITAL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO TALENT MANAGEMENT AND VALUE CREATION

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32782/2413-9971/2026-61-13

Keywords:

human capital, human assets, intangible assets, talent management, international business, organisational culture, value creation

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of human capital as a key intangible asset of international business in the context of transformation of the global economy and digitalisation. It reveals the conceptual foundations of understanding people as a strategic asset that shapes companies’ advantages through innovation, creativity and adaptability. The study highlights the relevance of integrated approaches to talent management, employee experience, engagement, and organisational culture. Particular attention is paid to the role of trust, purpose, and co-creation in shaping adaptive and innovative organisations. An analysis of international trends and barriers affecting effective human asset management is conducted, in particular high staff turnover, short-term management orientation and a “culture of usage”. As a result, the article outlines contemporary managerial approaches that enable the conversion of individual potential into collective and organisational value, emphasising the strategic importance of human capital for sustainable long-term growth.

References

Charan, R., Barton, D., & Carey, D. (2015). People before strategy: A new role for the CHRO. Harvard Business Review, vol. 93, no. 7-8, pp. 62-71. Available at: https://hbr.org/2015/07/people-before-strategy-a-new-role-for-the-chro

Brodzik C., Cantrell S., Eaton K., Forsythe J., Griffiths M., Hatfield S., Kirby L., Mallon D., Poynton S., Scoble-Williams N., Stephane J., Van Durme Y. (2023). 2023 Global Human Capital Trends: New Fundamentals for a Boundaryless World. Deloitte Insights. Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/human-capital-trends/2023.html

Kolo P., Baier J., Breitling F., Ruan F., Shah S., Low P.K., Ariganello A., Troncoso A., van Wees L., Dufrane A., Brix U.S., Helfritz K. (2026). Four Power Moves for the CHRO: Creating People Advantage 2026. Boston Consulting Group and World Federation of People Management Associations. Available at: https://web-assets.bcg.com/89/ff/e32161f94b24b52632c7389deba9/creating-people-advantage-report-mar-2026-edit.pdf

Whitehouse, T. (2024). Tight Job Market? Maybe It’s Time for a New Talent Approach. Deloitte Executive Perspectives in The Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://deloitte.wsj.com/cmo/tight-job-market-maybe-its-time-for-a-new-talent-approach-418a2ba1

PwC. (2025). 2025 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey: Rewiring the future of work. Available at: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/workforce/hopes-and-fears.html

Dash P., Dorling G., Linzer K., Ramdorai A., Remes J., Rutter K.-A., Singhal S. (2020). How prioritizing health could help rebuild economies. McKinsey Global Institute. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare/our-insights/how-prioritizing-health-could-help-rebuild-economies

Poynton, S., Flynn, J., Scoble-Williams, N., Reyes, V., Mallon, D., & Cantrell, S. (2026). From tensions to tipping points: Choosing the human advantage. 2026 Global Human Capital Trends. Deloitte Insights. Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/articles/2026/us188555_ghct2026_introduction/pdf/DI_2026-Global-Human-Capital-Trends.pdf

PwC. (2021). Global Culture Survey 2021. Available at: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/upskilling/global-culture-survey-2020/pwc-global-culture-survey-2021.pdf

Ulrich, D., & Brockbank, W. (2009). The HR business-partner model: Past learnings and future challenges. People & Strategy, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 5-7.

Hwang, C. Y., Kang, S.-W., & Choi, S. B. (2023). Coaching leadership and creative performance: A serial mediation model of psychological empowerment and constructive voice behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, article 1077594. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1077594

Dhingra, N., & Schaninger, B. (2021). The search for purpose at work [Podcast and edited transcript]. McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-search-for-purpose-at-work

Dhingra, N., Samo, A., Schaninger, B., & Schrimper, M. (2021). Help your employees find purpose - or watch them leave. McKinsey & Company. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/help-your-employees-find-purpose-or-watch-them-leave

PwC. (2016). Putting purpose to work: A study of purpose in the workplace. Available at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/about-us/corporate-responsibility/assets/pwc-putting-purpose-to-work-purpose-survey-report.pdf

Accenture. (2020). Care to do better: Building trust to leave your people and your business Net Better Off. Available at: https://www.accenture.com/content/dam/accenture/final/a-com-migration/thought-leadership-assets/accenture-care-to-do-better-report.pdf

Johnson, M. (2026). Ocean Tomo releases 2025 Intangible Asset Market Value Study results. Ocean Tomo. Available at: https://oceantomo.com/insights/ocean-tomo-releases-2025-intangible-asset-market-value-study-results/

International Valuation Standards Council. (2022). Time to get tangible about intangible assets. Part 2: Human capital introspective [Perspectives Paper]. Available at: https://ivsc.org/pdfviewer/perspectives-paper-human-capital/

Deloitte. (2024). The impact of intangibles - unlock unseen value. Available at: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/services/legal/perspectives/the-impact-of-intangibles.html

LaPrade, A., Mertens, J., Moore, T., & Wright, A. (2019). The enterprise guide to closing the skills gap: Strategies for building and maintaining a skilled workforce. IBM Institute for Business Value. Available at: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/report/closing-skills-gap

Gallup. (2026). State of the Global Workplace: 2026 Report. Gallup, Inc. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/file/workplace/707798/state-of-the-global-workplace-2026-download.pdf

Collings, D. G., & Mellahi, K. (2009). Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 304-313. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2009.04.001

Dery, K., & Sebastian, I. M. (2017). Building business value with employee experience. MIT Sloan CISR Research Briefing, vol. XVII, no. 6. Available at: https://cisr.mit.edu/publication/2017_0601_EmployeeExperience_DerySebastian

Morelli, D. (2025). The boss factor: Why coaching cultures aren’t a luxury - they’re a leadership imperative. OwlHub. Available at: https://www.owlhub.com/blog/the-boss-factor-why-coaching-cultures-arent-a-luxury

Berger, L. A., & Berger, D. R. (Eds.). (2003). The talent management handbook: Creating organizational excellence by identifying, developing, and promoting your best people. McGraw-Hill. Available at: https://books.google.com/books?id=V7YS8eyAtMQC

Gallup. (n.d.). The Q12: The World's Leading Employee Engagement Survey. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/q12-employee-engagement-survey/

Harter, J. K., Tatel, C. E., Agrawal, S., Blue, A., Plowman, S. K., Asplund, J., Yu, S., & Kemp, A. (2024). The relationship between engagement at work and organizational outcomes: Q12 meta-analysis (11th ed.). Gallup. Available at: https://www.gallup.com/file/workplace/645380/Q12%202024%20Q12%20Meta-Analysis.pdf

Acemoglu D., Autor D. (2012). What Does Human Capital Do? A Review of Goldin and Katz’s The Race between Education and Technology. Journal of Economic Literature, vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 426-463. Available at: https://economics.mit.edu/sites/default/files/publications/What%20Does%20Human%20Capital%20Do.pdf

Goldin, C. (2016). Human Capital. In: C. Diebolt & M. Haupert (Eds.) Handbook of Cliometrics (pp. 55-86). Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40406-1_23

Downloads

##article.numberofviews## 3

Published

2026-09-07