Galina Napreeva
EURO Consult LLC.
Minsk
BELARUS
ABSTRACT:
The present paper focuses on the divergent human resource practices in different segments of Belarusian economics. Belarus is characterized as one of the post – Soviet countries which is in the painful transition period to a new market economy. The process is rather slow, many factors are at play, the most serious restraining factors being stagnating economics, dominating government control, underdeveloped organization structure and culture as the legacy of property , inflation and devaluation of labour, etc. These factors are reflected in the divergent HR practices in different sectors of economics. To illustrate this, the author seeks to analyze different HR rhetoric and practices in three segments belonging to the so called private sector of economics. The official understanding of the sector as a homogenous one is questioned and the three segment model is described which is different for the officially accepted model. The three segments have divergent characteristics and tendencies. Different HR core functions and dimensions (role and place of HR in three types of organisations, recruitment personnel and development practices, choice of professions and occupation titles) are compared, each having its own pro and contra. While comparing the three segments the author undertakes to show the evolution of HR practices and concepts in the Belarusian context, tracing it from the most outdated characteristic of the pseudo–private segment outnumbering all others to the most advanced one from the point of view of HRM, i.e. the foreign companies segment. The latter is practically negligible because of its small share
(0,6%) and can be considered as a model for further development. The paper concludes with a discussion of results, the implications of the divergent HR practices for future development, identifies the areas for future consideration and briefly outlines the potential solution undermining the destructive effects of mismanagement and dominating philosophy of employee control.
KEY WORDS: human resource practices, Belarusian economics, HR rhetoric and practices, HR core functions and dimensions, recruitment personnel, development practices.
