Public Defence of Tuğçe Yerlitaş’ Doctoral Dissertation

HUMAN CAPITAL SUSTAINABILITY AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN AN ORGANIZATION

Prof. Dr. Ilona Bučiūnienė (ISM University of Management and Economics, Social Sciences, Management – S 003) supervised the dissertation from 2020 to 2025.

The doctoral dissertation will be defended at the Scientific Council of Management at ISM University of Management and Economics on June 4, 2025, at 11 A.M in ISM room 210.

Summary:

The thesis explores how human capital sustainability is understood within organizations and how it can be maintained. In the theoretical part, using an interdisciplinary perspective, the concept of human capital is analyzed, the concept of human capital erosion is conceptualized, the antecedents of human capital unsustainability are systematized, and a typology of these antecedents is developed. In the empirical part of the thesis, an interpretivist qualitative research method is employed, involving interviews with human resource managers working in companies operating in different industries across various European countries. The empirical research led to the development of a human capital sustainability model, which incorporates not only employee competencies but also health, diversity, and well-being as key drivers of long-term value creation. The thesis extends the studies on human capital in the strategic human resource management literature by revealing a holistic, people-centered approach that combines long-term organizational growth with human sustainability and promotes mutual benefits for both employees and organizations. The empirical research led to the formulation of four main human capital management pillars that contribute to the maintenance of human capital in an organization and to the creation of mutual value for employees and the organization.

Defence council:

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