Human Capital Development at Higher Education Institutions

Abstract Research purpose. Currently, higher education institutions (HEIs) are faced with new challenges. They have to compete globally and take into account modern trends in education and science. Human capital becomes one of the most significant resources for HEI performance. The purpose of the study is to determine which factors influence human capital development at HEI. Design / Methodology / Approach. Selected human capital development factors were analyzed at Latvian HEIs. Factors including existing laws and conformity assessment procedures and requirements were considered. A survey was utilized to determine the most influential factors in human capital development at Latvian HEIs. The survey results were analyzed by implementing CATPCA to identify the most critical factors. Findings. The results show that essential elements of human capital at HEI are the pedagogical competence of the academic staff, their scientific competence, and the number of professionals from industry that are part of the academic staff. The CATPCA results revealed four main factors influencing human capital development at HEI, which could be divided into 1) staff competence and motivation; 2) legislation and development strategy; 3) availability of resources; 3) cooperation. Originality / Value / Practical implications. Human capital is one of the key factors for the sustainability of HEIs in Latvia. By accounting for the factors that influence the development of human capital in HEIs, institutions can more effectively and proactively develop human capital management strategies, which allow the institutions to achieve performance in the long term.