Opening remarks

Dear reader!

This is the new special issue of the Electronic Journal of the Faculty of Economics of Lomonosov Moscow State University.

It presents articles that discuss the most acute matters within the world of work and its future perspectives in Russia and worldwide.

The article “Workers with Specialized or Universal Skills: Who are most Successful on the Domestic Labor Market?” focuses on the impact of skills development on career growth within the organizations. The domestic labor market creates favorable conditions for specialists with transferrable skills. In addition, transferrable skills increase the employee's chances of promotion. Combining classic career models on the domestic labor market with the results of modern research in the field of human and social capital, the author offers an original model describing the relationship of vertical, horizontal and centripetal staff mobility and demonstrates intricate mechanisms behind various career paths.

The article “Opportunistic Behavior and Employee Competitiveness in a Modern Organization” deals with models of human behavior that can increase workers competitiveness and thereby ensure the organization’s competitiveness. To increase their own competitiveness, workers often resort to opportunistic behavior. Generally, opportunism is seen as a negative phenomenon. The authors of the article try to answer the question: “Does the employee always consciously choose an opportunistic behavior model to the detriment of his labor duties?” Researchers conclude that opportunistic actions cannot be ruled out due to the complexity of human nature and economic mechanisms. A substantive knowledge of the employee’s characteristics allows for choosing jobs in which the employee will be able to fully realize their potential, increase their competitiveness and minimize costs for the organizations and society.

The article "Perception of Labor Individual in the Terminology of the Modern Economic Science" emphasizes the role of the modern labor economy definitions of a labor individual in changing economic reality. The study was based on the assumption that modern description of a labor person is more realistic than the same description provided by neoclassical economists. To confirm this assumption, the author compares ideas about a labor person and explains causes of their difference.

The article “Labor Conflicts in Russia: Current Trends” analyzes and summarizes information on labor conflicts in the Russian Federation over the past few years. Based on this analysis the author was able to identify main trends for the past three years and assess the possible causes of conflicts, as well as suggest basic measures of conflict resolution while taking into account the role of the state and trade unions.

The article “Additional Professional Education as an Instrument for Implementing the Lifelong Learning Approach” demonstrates the major role of the upskilling and reskilling in eliminating the contradictions between supply and demand on the labor market. The case study of an MBA program demonstrates that programs of this type could lead to positive changes in the employee's career. Furthermore, state initiatives confirm the positive effect of additional professional education on the economic and social development of society.

The author of the article “Managerial Work and the Role of Managers in Russia’s Digital Economy” reveals the main tasks faced by managers in the digital economy in Russia. The article shows that digitalization sharpens a number of challenges: the increase of structural unemployment and employee turnover, the decrease of employer’s responsibility to employees, the emergence of socio-economic tension in society, etc. Manager’s role and the competencies that one must have in order cope with both positive and negative consequences of the digital economy in Russia are substantially changing. One has to make optimal management decisions while taking into account uncertainty, introduction of the new technologies, spread of robotics and virtual employment. This all shapes the human capital development trends.

We are looking forward to your feedback on the articles published in this issue and welcome possible future cooperation.