PME I J http://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/IJPME International Journal of Production Management and Engineering https://doi.org/10.4995/ijpme.2022.17946 Received: 2022-06-27 Accepted: 2022-07-18 The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty Kovtunenko, K.V. a1 , Kovtunenko Yu.V. a2 , Fomina N.M. a3* , Kovalchuk O.V. a4 , Kovtunenko D.Yu. a5 a IMI department, Odessа Polytechnic National University, Odessa, Shevchenko av., 1, 65044, Ukraine. a1 k.v.kovtunenko@op.edu.ua, a2 y.v.kovtunenko@op.edu.ua, a3 nfomina@epsa.upv.es, a4 kovalchuk.o.v@op.edu.ua, a5 9391661@stud.op.edu.ua Abstract: Personnel competitiveness has always been one of the main advantages of any manufacturing enterprise. Therefore, competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel is one of the most foreground types of management. The article covers the most widespread issues and difficulties of personnel management implementation nowadays, considering current complicated conditions of uncertainty, which become increasingly sophisticated every time. Moreover, our study demonstrates some possible ways for manufacturing enterprises to overcome existing obstacles and become ready for new ones in conditions of uncertainty. As COVID-19 and martial law in Ukraine with their restrictions have contributed to the way of personnel management realization, many manufacturing enterprises have been suffering because of that and have been forced to change their management principles to meet the new conditions. Therefore, the latest theories of personnel competitiveness management are introduced in our science study to help manufacturing enterprises cope with the changing conditions of uncertainty in the modern world. Key words: Competitiveness, personnel competitiveness, manufacturing enterprise, uncertainty, COVID-19, martial law in Ukraine. 1. Introduction In  the  modern  realities  of  the  development  of  industrial  enterprises  in  the  world,  a  new  type  of  society  is  formed  based  on  knowledge  and  information. It adheres to the vector of  innovative  development. Usually, in the international market, the  competitive advantage is given to the manufacturing  company that has managed to adapt its development  strategy to the external environment, has succeeded  in  implementing  innovations  and  usually  applies  the  latest  theories  of  personnel  management  and  competitiveness. Thus, it is worth noting that in the  process of forming the competitiveness of personnel  of modern manufacturing enterprises, many features  must be taken into account by entrepreneurs to ensure  their effective operation in conditions of uncertainty.  In  2022  conditions  of  uncertainty  are  still  caused  by  the  COVID-19  pandemic  and  exacerbated  by  military actions in Ukraine. In general, the conditions of uncertainty are faced by  more and more personnel of industrial enterprises in  Ukraine. It certainly affects the entire global personnel  market because, due to the escalation of the military  conflict,  much  talented  personnel  are  migrating  To cite this article: Kovtunenko, K.V., Kovtunenko, Yu.V., Fomina, N.M., Kovalchuk, O.V., Kovtunenko, D.Yu. (2022). The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty. International Journal of Production Management and Engineering, 10(2), 225-235. https://doi.org/10.4995/ijpme.2022.17946 Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International 225 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3759-7950 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8528-605X https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2334-8267 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7324-0828 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8567-8504 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ across  Europe,  allowing  industrial  enterprises  to  increase  their  competitiveness  staff  from  Ukraine.  The labour market in current conditions is constantly  changing  and  introducing  the  latest  management  theories is the main task of every manager. In today’s  needs, to increase the competitiveness of staff, it is  necessary to implement the latest and most effective  management theories to keep up with uncertainty. However,  given  the  crucial  importance  of  this  economic  category,  a  comprehensive  theoretical  justification of  the role of staff competitiveness  in  the further effective development of  the enterprise  in  conditions  of  uncertainty  remains  relevant.  Furthermore,  it  determines  the  need  for  further  research in this area. 2. Methodology and literature review 2.1. Methodological framework Since the topic of our scientific work has not only a  three-dimensional theoretical basis but also extensive  application in practice, we used such a method of  theoretical and empirical research, including analysis  and  synthesis,  comparison  and  generalization.  Furthermore,  modern  computer  technology  was  used for data processing. After defining the topic, the  following systematic work was carried out, which  consisted of several stages. The  first  stage  was  the  collection  of  data  on  the  topic,  searching  for  statistical  and  analytical  sources  of  information,  and  separating  those  data  that may be useful for the study. The second stage  was  forming  and  structuring  data  according  to  the  criteria  of  conciseness  and  logic.  The  main  stage was analysing and synthesizing  the received  information and discussing the main problems and  obstacles to their solution. Then all the received data  were supplemented, clarified and edited, as well as  the elimination of  redundant  information. The  last  stage was the generalization of information, i.e. the  formation of conclusions based on the study’s results. 2.2. Literature review The information base of the study consisted of works  of domestic and foreign scientists, practitioners on  the  management  of  competitiveness  of  personnel  of  the  manufacturing  enterprise  in  conditions  of  uncertainty,  current  legislation,  analytical  and  statistical  data  of  domestic  and  international  open  sources and the results of their research. As  issues  covered  in  our  article  are  standard  worldwide,  the  study  was  carried  out  using  the  results  of  previous  scientific  works.  Among  the  foreign  authors  should  be  noted  the  contribution  of Drucker P., Porter M., Strickland A., Thompson  A., etc. The theoretical and methodological bases of  personnel competitiveness management are devoted  to the works of Boginya (2003), Buchynska (2016), Kozak (2011), Marchenko  (2015), Dunska  (2012), Filyppova (2019), Kovalenko (2020), etc. 3. Analysis, results and discussion 3.1. Personnel competitiveness In  this context,  it  is first appropriate  to define  the  concept  of  “staff  competitiveness”  and  consider  its  components.  Staff  competitiveness  is  a  multi- component  and  complex  economic  category.  Competitiveness is formed as an integral indicator  of those qualities due to which a particular employee  is  better  than  others  for  a  specific  position  (from  the enterprise’s point of view and due to which the  enterprise  gives  it  an  advantage)  (Nesterenko  and  Chernyakova, 2011). Personnel  competitiveness  is  a  complex  economic  category,  the  essence  of  which  is  revealed  by  the  following conceptual approaches to its definition: 1.  The  ability  of  managers,  practitioners  and  professionals  to  generate  ideas  using  all  the  opportunities  that  arise  in  the  external  and  internal  environment;  timely  identify  threats  to  the  enterprise;  solve  problems;  invent  and  implement  innovations  faster  than  competitors  at all stages of the product life cycle; to ensure  the  achievement  of  goals  and  fulfilment  of  its  mission; 2.  Ability  to  effectively  perform  management  functions  and  timely  make  qualified  decisions  to  develop,  manufacture  and  sell  high-quality  products  with  unique  consumer  properties  (services) with the most efficient use of resources; 3.  The  ability  to  more  fully,  compared  to  other  candidates  for  vacant  positions,  meet  the  requirements of employers in terms of knowledge,  skills and abilities; Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Kovtunenko et al. 226 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ 4.  Ability to show their personal, professional and  business  qualities  faster  and  better  than  other  employees to realize their potential under specific  conditions  prevailing  in  the  enterprise,  which  allows them to receive appropriate remuneration,  achieve  appropriate  social  status  and  ensure  professional growth (Halaz, 2008). Thus, the personnel is the “driver” of any enterprise.  Without the human factor, the effective functioning  of the organization is impossible. Without qualified  specialists,  no  firm  can  achieve  its  goal.  The  experience of many foreign companies from Ukraine,  Germany, Canada, etc. shows the strengthening of the  role of human resource management in the system  of factors that ensure competitiveness. To achieve a  more stable competitive position, the company must  constantly  develop  staff  development  programs  to  provide  employees  with  many  necessities,  development  and  improvement  professional  and  general education. Intangible  assets  should  be  included  as  one  of  the  modern  components  of  staff  competitiveness.  Successful  intangible assets are  the result of well- planned  strategic  activities  of  the  enterprise.  An  experienced  leader,  first  of  all,  is  engaged  in  improving the knowledge base of his subordinates.  It  increases  the  intellectual  value  and  potential  of  the  enterprise  as  a  whole.  Nowadays,  not  many  experienced professionals create specific resources  for the company in which they work. Thanks to such  “specific personnel”,  the value of  the enterprise  is  completed,  and  the  so-called  “competitiveness  of  the  enterprise  personnel”  is  formed  (Kovtunenko,  2013). The essence of  the expansion of  intangible  assets  is  to  turn  ordinary  people  into  experienced  “generators”  of  ideas,  i.e.  “specific  resources”  for  this company. As a result, such innovators can bring  additional profits to the company. The ongoing development of modern technologies  and  the  IT  sector  plays  a  significant  role  in  the  process  of  intellectualization  of  personnel.  It  also  affects the process of managing the competitiveness  of  personnel  of  modern  enterprises.  Most  modern  manufacturing  companies  are  increasingly  beginning to implement new IT departments in their  organizational structure that specialize in optimizing  the enterprise’s business processes and increasing its  competitiveness. Examples of so-called optimization  processes are the introduction of intelligent document  management  or  modern  agile  methodologies  that  allow to manage production cycles of the enterprise  with  special  software  and  achieve  the  desired  goals  faster.  The  development  of  such  advanced  technologies, of course, affects the competitiveness  of staff in general, as new professionals are involved,  and improves the skills of existing personnel. 3.2. Lifelong learning concept Influential  aspects  of  staff  competitiveness  also  include  the  concept  of  lifelong  learning,  which  is  becoming  more  relevant  and  aware  among  young  people  and  professionals  in  various  fields.  In  addition, the desire to develop and be one step ahead  of its competitors is a great driving force and “spark”  that motivates staff to build their personality further  and work tirelessly on themselves. The concept of lifelong learning is one of the most  popular trends, which more and more professionals  seek  from  around  the  world  at  the  present  stage.  Awareness  and  constantly  learning  new  things  are  becoming  a  fashion  trend  in  today’s  society.  The  concept  of  continuing  education  means  conscious  continuous  improvement  and  holistic  development  of  the  specialist  throughout  life,  increasing  opportunities  for  work  and  social  adaptation  in  a  changing world. In general,  this concept first appeared in  the early  20th  century.  The  reason  for  its  emergence  was  the rapid development of society and the need for  a  more  skilled  workforce.  However,  this  concept  did  not  receive  approval  for  a  long  time  until,  in  1975, it was adopted by UNESCO. The concept of  lifelong learning allows us to act in a new situation,  using  all  our  experiences  together,  and  to  update  and  transform  it  in  terms  of  our  own  beliefs  and  values,  as  well  as  feelings,  feelings  and  emotions  that  are  manifested  concerning  this  situation  and  its solution. Therefore, adherence to this concept in  managing personnel  competitiveness,  especially  in  conditions of uncertainty -  is essential for modern  manufacturing enterprises. 3.3. Personnel evaluation Of  course,  the  timely  assessment  also  plays  an  essential  role  in  managing  staff  competitiveness.  Personnel  appraisal  is  a  procedure  of  checking  employees’ work for compliance with specific criteria  for the effectiveness of certain actions within the job  responsibilities within the company. Most companies  have their employee appraisal system, according to  which  employees  are  appraised  regularly.  It  is  an  Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty 227 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ opportunity to assess the employee’s progress, praise  his/her achievements and work together to achieve  goals  to  increase  staff  competitiveness  and  help  achieve the company’s goals. Evaluation results are  often critical in raising career ladders, bonuses, pay  raises,  and  so  on.  In  addition,  regular  evaluations  help employees better understand what is expected of  them, improve communication between management  and employees, giving employees proper recognition  of  their  work  because  the  assessment  of  staff  allows  concluding  the  professional  development  of a particular employee and promptly offering the  necessary training or retraining. Employee  evaluation  has  several  goals  aimed  at  increasing  the  competitiveness  of  staff.  The  advantages of professional assessment of employees  include (Martynenko et al., 2013): - helping  employees  better  understand  what  is  expected of them; - an  opportunity  for  the  manager  to  better  understand  the  strengths  and  motivation  of  employees; - providing employees with valuable feedback on  how they can improve their work in the future; - assistance to the employee and the manager in  planning the future career of the employee; - objective  reviews  of  people  based  on  standard  indicators can be helpful for a fair assessment of  promotion, promotion and bonuses. Currently,  many  methods  are  used  for  business  evaluation of personnel  in personnel management,  each of which is relevant at a particular enterprise  stage.  However,  the  whole  evaluation  system  is  effective  only  in  a  comprehensive  assessment,  the  structure  of  which  can  be  represented  as  a  model  (Figure 1), combining three groups of characteristics,  including  employee  quality,  work  behaviour  and  performance. From  the  presented  model,  it  is  seen  that  the  characteristics  of  the  three  groups  are  closely  related.  It  is  not  surprising  because  the  quality  of  the employee is the basis for the formation of labour  activity, which at the same time serves as a process  for the construction of performance. There  are  many  methods  of  personnel  evaluation  used  by  enterprises  and  organizations.  However,  they are conventionally divided into traditional and  modern.  Traditional  methods  are  focused  on  the  individual employee and based only on the subjective  assessment of the head as a result of the analysis of  the achievements of the employee. The disadvantage  of this method is to provide an evaluation, ignoring  the company’s goals and prospects and colleagues’  opinions,  which  makes  it  relevant  only  for  large  enterprises  with  a  stable  external  environment.  Traditional methods include: - biographical method; - ranking; - the method of a given score; - graphic profile method; - method of pairwise comparisons; - evaluation by results. Figure 1. Model of comprehensive employee evaluation. Source: authors’ own development. Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Kovtunenko et al. 228 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Modern methods are focused on the organization’s  future and assess the employees’ effectiveness in the  group and their ability to develop and master new  knowledge and processes. They include: - situation modelling method; - committee method; - method of 360 degrees; - method of business games; - goal management method; - method of solving situations; - method of assessment centre; - analysis of human resources. 3.4. Factors of personnel competitiveness Thus, the components influencing the formation of  staff competitiveness should include local (internal to  the manufacturing enterprise) factors (organization  of the day, organization of the workplace, working  conditions,  wages,  labour  evaluation,  training,  incentives  and  motivation)  and  personal  elements  (development  of  unique  qualities,  self-education,  physical  and  spiritual  growth,  self-esteem,  self- improvement).  The  main  factors  influencing  staff  competitiveness  should  be  shown  graphically  in  Figure 2. 3.5. Conditions of uncertainty. COVID-19. Martial law in Ukraine Since  the  main  features  of  the  formation  of  staff  competitiveness  have  already  been  mentioned,  it  is  advisable  to  shift  the  focus  to  managing  the  competitiveness  of  personnel  of  manufacturing  enterprises under conditions of uncertainty. However,  before considering the conditions of uncertainty, we  propose to dwell on the definition of uncertainty and  separate  its  significance  in  the  modern  world  for  manufacturing enterprises. Uncertainty  is  the  incompleteness or  inaccuracy  of  information,  which  is  the  main  obstacle  to  developing  the  manufacturing  enterprise.  Unfortunately, uncertainty is gaining momentum  with  each  passing  day.  Uncertainty  haunts  everyone now, and all because of  the factors of  uncertainty, which are increasing with each passing  day.  These  factors  destabilize  confidence  in  the  economy, business, and the international market.  But every business needs this confidence because  the  company’s  stability  guarantees  its  existence  and is the foundation for the future development  of the manufacturing enterprise. The  conditions  of  uncertainty  include  any  changes,  usually  in  the  external  environment  of  the manufacturing enterprise, to which it is almost  urgent to adapt. In the world, there are many factors  Figure 2. Factors affecting staff competitiveness. Source: authors’ own development. Competitiveness of staff socio- psychological climate of the enterprise formation and development of a strong and healthy corporate culture stimulation of innovations, active innovation policy efficiency of the enterprise as a whole increase productivity improving the system of motivation and remuneration, evaluation and development of employees providing an appropriate social package for employees Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty 229 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ and  conditions  of  uncertainty,  and  it  is  suggested  to note  the main ones, Figure 3. One of  the most  severe  and  urgent  factors  of  uncertainty  today  is  the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and  the war  in Ukraine, leaving a fatal and inevitable mark on  history and causing a critical situation in the world  economy. In this context, it  is advisable to consider in more  detail COVID-19, which forced the world to become  more digitalized. Modern manufacturing companies  survived the crisis and could only survive those who  could effectively manage the competitiveness of their  staff and transfer business processes online. During  COVID-19,  managers  were  forced  to  encourage  employees to expand their capabilities and do any  variety of work if necessary - and employees adapted  to these changes, understanding the critical situation  and the needs of enterprises. The staff used their capabilities in a new way. This  crisis  during  the  pandemic  showed  that  by  giving  employees a chance in a difficult economic situation  to support the needs of the enterprise, employees use  their potential and show themselves to the best of their  ability. Employees began to use their opportunities to  the maximum, and managers would never know the  employee’s full potential without giving him such an  opportunity (Social report, 2021). As  a  result  of  COVID-19,  many  manufacturing  companies have been challenged to rapidly change  working  conditions  for  staff  in  the  context  of  digitalization. As a result, managers were forced to  make a large number of new implementations in a  brief period, namely: - review  and  change  the  load  on  different  departments of the enterprise in connection with  changing needs of the population; - dismiss  staff  from  some  positions  that  are  not  relevant during the pandemic; - hire more people in the delivery department due  to the heavy workload; - monitor the health of staff and prevent the spread  of the disease; - organize safety in the workplace by conducting  periodic  disinfection  and  providing  staff  with  masks, gloves, antiseptics, etc.; - ensure the implementation of established plans,  even if most employees are ill; - to  train  staff  to  work  in  new  conditions  of  digitalization by establishing round-the-clock IT  support; - organize  online  courses  for  those  who  find  it  challenging to master online work; - provide  staff  with  appropriate  conditions  for  online work (create online databases and online  services and provide staff with proper gadgets); - transfer staff to work online; - ensure  stable  and  preferably  accessible  communication of staff with managers; - organize periodic meetings and rallies to discuss  complaints and suggestions for new theories of  personnel management; - monitor the efficiency of the personnel at home; - make many reports to monitor the effectiveness  of  the  latest  personnel  management  theories  constantly. Figure 3. The main current factors of uncertainty. Source: authors’ own development. Economic crisis Migration of population Inflation COVID-19 pandemic Martial law in Ukraine Natural disasters Opaque tax system Digitalization Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Kovtunenko et al. 230 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ We  can  conclude  that  managers  had  to  reconsider  their views on outdated management methods and  act  quickly  using  the  latest  management  theories.  Currently, managers face a new challenge – the need  to restore staff competitiveness following the effects  of  COVID-19  and  adapt  to  the  new  conditions  of  uncertainty  that  are  presently  suffering  from  hostilities in Ukraine. The  martial  law  in  Ukraine,  which  began  on  February 24, 2022, due to the invasion of the Russian  Federation,  destroyed  the  economic  component  of  Ukraine and had a tremendous negative impact on the  world economy. Due to a large number of occupied  cities,  destroyed  infrastructure,  and  refugees  to  neighbouring  countries,  many  small  and  medium- sized  businesses,  especially  in  the  manufacturing  sector,  were  forced  to  close  their  businesses.  The  martial law in Ukraine creates new problems for the  global economic environment and risks hampering  the  restoration  of  confidence  in  investment  in  Ukraine’s manufacturing enterprises. The war has also affected international manufacturing  companies  with  the  imposition  of  large-scale  economic sanctions, which have restricted access to  energy resources and thus raised prices for materials,  manufacture and, as a  result,  the  transportation of  products around the world. Due to the global increase  in  prices,  managers  of  manufacturing  enterprises  were forced to reduce the staff or increase the amount  of work while maintaining pre-war wages or even  reducing them. Due  to  the  hostilities  in  Ukraine,  a  large  number  of people (approximately 4.4 million) were forced  to leave the country and leave their jobs. It means  that  Ukraine’s  financial  security  has  significantly  decreased  due  to  the  migration  of  the  working  population abroad. Because all the money received  by  Ukrainian  migrants  remains  in  the  country  of  migration and does not raise the economy of Ukraine,  the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted several  legislative acts to stabilize the situation and reduce  the consequences of the war. Given the above, we offer the following ways and  methods of organizing personnel management of a  manufacturing enterprise in a state of war: - if possible, provide housing for displaced persons  as one of the types of assistance and employment  bonuses; - hire a psychotherapist or apply to the appropriate  company to provide psychological assistance to  employees and do so regularly; - offer  health  insurance,  which  must  cover  the  services of a psychotherapist; - constantly organize webinars and psychological  training; - transfer to remote work all employees who have  the  opportunity  to  work  from  home. After  all,  it will save jobs even when a person has been  forced to go abroad and reduce travel, energy and  safety of workers; - provide  employees  with  the  constant  communication so that employees have access to  contact in case of emergency; - reduce the working day. Speaking of international manufacturing companies,  we offer the following recommendations: - simplify obtaining the right to work for migrants  from Ukraine; - facilitate  the  bureaucracy  process  and  reduce  time and procedures. Society  must  understand  that  the  consequences  of  hostilities  in  Ukraine  have  already  reached  the  whole  world.  In  case  of  prolongation,  the  conflict  will  only  intensify  in  the  territory  of  Ukraine  and  all  over  the  world.  Therefore,  following  the  proposed recommendations, personnel managers at  manufacturing  plants  will  be  able  to  stabilize  the  situation in the uncertain environment. Managers  are  changing  organizational  thinking,  overcoming  uncertainty,  and  investing  in  building  trust with staff to develop an action plan to restore  staff  competitiveness  that  will  provide  a  solid  foundation for the future in today’s uncertainty. The  primary purpose of developing the latest theories of  personnel management should be – a shift in thinking:  from  today  to  tomorrow.  The  effectiveness  of  managers’ use of the basic principles of development  of  the  latest  theories  of  personnel  management  in  conditions  of  uncertainty  will  depend  on  the  competitiveness of personnel and the growth of the  manufacturing enterprise in general (Figure 4). All the principles in the diagram are indicated in the  same percentage (25% out of 100%). That is, all the  principles  are  equally  important  and  not  applying  only  one  of  them  reduces  the  effectiveness  of  Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty 231 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ personnel management in conditions of uncertainty  by as much as 25%. That is why modern managers  should  review  management  policies  and  make  necessary changes based on these principles. In  the  modern  sense,  staff  competitiveness  is  a  concept  that  reveals  the  nature  of  the  processes  of  competition  from  the  standpoint  of  advantage  and  leadership.  The  latest  theories  of  personnel  competitiveness management have long been studied  and developed by various authors. First, however, it  is necessary to pay attention to competitiveness as  a  purely  practical  phenomenon,  as  long-term  and  sustainable development of the enterprise will be a  reward for ensuring the competitiveness of staff in  the context of digitalization (Dobrianska, 2017). On the way to adapting to uncertainties, managers  who  know  their  business  must  inspire  their  staff  to  overcome  all  obstacles  during  this  period.  But  excellent personnel management requires even more  followers - and trust nurtures devotion. As a result,  many  managers  have  amassed  a  significant  bank  of  faith,  skillfully  overcoming  the  first  crazy  and  unpredictable stages of the crisis in the context of  digitalization (Dobrianska, 2015). While some may  think of  trust as an abstract, unearthly concept,  in  reality, it is a concrete foundation needed to validate  strong  relationships  with  stakeholders  in  effective  governance. Two attributes of trust are fundamental  in this regard. First,  trust  is  an  actual  exchange  of  values.  Trust  is valuable only in interaction with others when its  meaning is revealed, for example, with customers,  suppliers, employees, investors and team members.  Similarly, trust is built only in a relationship where  actual compromises provide mutual value. Trust also  promotes growth: if invested wisely and prudently,  it  grows  through  the  confirmation  of  repetitive  experiences;  poor  investment  in  trust  quickly  depreciates.  In  addition,  research  shows  that  trust  also yields economic growth and shareholder value,  increased innovation, increased social stability and  even improved health. Second, trust is most effective  in many ways. Trust between stakeholders is formed  in  four  areas:  physical,  emotional,  financial  and  digital (Figure 5). It  is  worth  noting  that  trust  begins  to  form  on  a  human,  interpersonal  level.  COVID-19  has  increased  the  sensitivity  of  stakeholders  to  these  four parameters and opened up more opportunities  for  action  to  strengthen  or  lose  staff  confidence  in  their  manager  in  digitalization.  For  example,  employees’  trust  in  management  may  arise  when  managers  think  carefully  about  reorganizing  a  manufacturing  enterprise’s  manufacture  process  through  digitalization  (to  provide  individual  staff  with appropriate devices and transfer them to remote  work, so it will be possible to reconfigure the space  on-premises  for  another  team,  taking  into  account  social distancing). Another  example  of  trust  management,  where  managers  do  their  best  to  save  as  many  jobs  as  possible,  valuing  their  staff  and  their  contribution  to the company, rather than laying off most workers  Figure 4. The share of the basic principles of development of the latest theories of personnel management in conditions of uncertainty. Source: authors’ own development. Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Kovtunenko et al. 232 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ to save profits in the short term, is not aware of the  dire consequences. Actions in the future. Similarly,  customers  can  build  trust  when  businesses  add  additional  security  measures  to  protect  customer  data from cyber threats. After all, in the context of  global digitalization, cybersecurity is also becoming  a  significant  issue  for  managers,  which  requires  finance and constant monitoring. After analysing Figure 4, we can safely say that staff  trust is a multidimensional concept. If the manager  wants  to  unleash  the  potential  of  his  staff  to  the  maximum, he must ensure the staff’s trust in him,  taking into account all four points of faith. After all,  to  effectively  manage  a  team’s  competitiveness  in  conditions of uncertainty, which affects the overall  management  of  the  enterprise,  adapting  to  these  conditions, a professional manager must understand  that staff need support and ensure the four dimensions  of human trust. To do this, effective managers need  to consider the following issues: - What parameters of the company’s activities in  conditions  of  uncertainty  are  most  important  for  each  of  the  stakeholders,  and  what  will  be  essential for them when we move to the result of  the prosperity of our business? - Do we communicate our intentions and actions to  staff clearly and transparently, even if we do not  have answers? - Can we competently fulfil what we promise our  staff? - How do we track and measure our progress in  meeting stakeholder needs in the four dimensions  of trust? Managers of the enterprise, who will be able to show  loyalty to their staff even in difficult times of crisis  and thus confirm that human resources are significant  to  them, will  leave the company in high positions  in  the  market.  Manufacturing  companies  that  are  focused  on  people  (on  their  staff)  and  improving  working  conditions  can  count  on  the  appropriate  loyalty  and  trust  not  only  of  their  employees  but  also customers. For this purpose, the manager needs  to  develop  the  newest  theories  of  management  of  competitiveness  of  the  personnel  based  on  trust,  provide  the  personnel  with  constant  professional  support and organize uninterrupted work, even in the  conditions of uncertainty (Prodius, 2009). In  current  conditions,  the  latest  management  theories are becoming the foundation of leadership,  characterized by increasing staff competitiveness due  to the spread of digitalization. Also, in these conditions,  the volume of  intellectualization of work increases,  which is why the presence of highly qualified staff in  the team is considered the most  important strategic  resource.  It  is  also  facilitated  by  uniting  European  states into the European Union and its globalization  policy. As a result, there are changes in the workload  distribution from physical to intellectual. Therefore,  more critical  in personnel management  is assessing  its  intellectual  potential.  Today,  more  than  ever,  managers  are  interested  in  forming  a  reliable  and  professional staff motivated  to grow personal skills  and qualifications and improve their contribution to  achieving  the  ultimate  goals  of  the  manufacturing  enterprise (Prodius and Alekseev, 2015). The COVID-19 pandemic, as a factor of uncertainty,  has  radically  changed  our  way  of  life.  It  forced  Figure 5. The main components of staff confidence. Source: authors’ own development. Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty 233 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ us  to  take  a  step  towards  the  digitalization  of  the  personnel of modern enterprises. Nevertheless,  the  opportunity hypothesis in a crisis remains as accurate  as ever. History has repeatedly shown that problems  stimulate  innovation  and  the  development  of  the  latest  management  theories.  Whether  technical,  scientific or product related  to business models or  public  institutions,  all  such  innovations  have  one  thing in common: they solve problems. The most striking example of the use of innovation  in conditions of uncertainty is  the development of  digitalization during a pandemic as a major factor  in  staff  competitiveness.  COVID-19  accelerates  digital transformation in “seven-mile increments”. In  response to restrictions imposed to slow the spread of  the virus, businesses have switched to digitalization  at  a  rate  far  above  that  achieved  by  all  previous  corporate  investments  and  government  quarantine  programs.  Although  the  logic  of  digitalization  remains the same as in the past, three reasons behind  this active perception come to mind: - As always, demand is determined by customer  needs.  When  there  is  no  alternative  to  online  services,  customers  often  focus  on  solutions  that support some semblance of normal business  conduct and are willing to accept them, even if  they are still developing. - Opportunities  for  supply  are  increasing,  so  companies  are  focused  on  the  future  and  act  quickly. As a result, minor issues are deprived of  priority, allowing companies to work much more  efficiently as bureaucracy is eliminated suddenly. - Regulators  create  encouraging  conditions  for  transparent  business.  Governments  intervene  through laws, regulations, and support programs,  prioritizing crisis response through digitalization.  Everyone adopts these regulations because now  the  public  benefit  to  society  is  placed  above  individual considerations. 4. Conclusion After  analysing  the  impact  of  uncertainty  on  the  management  of  competitiveness  of  manufacturing  personnel, we can say that managers today need to be  more decisive than ever and make quick decisions.  Due to the constantly changing economic situation  in the world, manufacturing companies must meet  the requirements of today to continue to conduct and  develop their business. It is appropriate to note that manufacturing companies  in  all  countries  must  understand  the  causal  links  between conditions of uncertainty (such as martial  law in Ukraine or the COVID-19 pandemic) and the  world economic situation. As well as must realize  that joining forces will help to cope with most factors  of uncertainty to establish the financial process in the  world  and  the  organization  of  stable  management  of  staff  competitiveness,  based  on  international  standards and principles. Managers  must  always  consider  human  resource  management’s  peculiarities,  namely  their  psychological component. Up to it depends on the  personnel  and  the  enterprise’s  competitiveness.  Therefore,  enterprises  must  take  appropriate  measures  to  maintain  the  psychologically  healthy  condition of  the staff. Examples are psychological  pieces  of  training,  webinars,  seminars,  etc.  Furthermore,  enterprises  should  organize  constant  psychological assistance to employees. As a result,  the  potential  of  the  staff  will  be  revealed,  the  competitiveness of the team will increase, and as a  result, the profit of the manufacturing enterprise will  increase.  Managers  should  always  keep  humanity  and  friendliness  when  organizing  the  process  of  managing  the  competitiveness  of  manufacturing  staff.  The  trust  of  staff,  and  as  a  consequence  of  customer  trust,  is  based  on  the  reputation  of  the  manufacturing enterprise, i.e., its methods and ways  of personnel management. In  addition,  speaking  of  digitalization,  it  should  be noted that the capabilities of man and machine  are  most  productively  used  in  the  development  of  systems  in  which  people  and  machines  work  together, complementing each other’s strengths and  balancing  each  other’s  limitations.  Therefore,  the  personnel  management  scheme  will  be  the  most  effective  because  the  importance  of  information  technology and digitalization should not be seen as  an obstacle but as an opportunity for improvement. References Boginya,  D.P.  (2003).  Competitiveness of the labour force in the system of social and labour relations.  Institute  of  Economics. 213 p. [in Ukrainian]. Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235 Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Kovtunenko et al. 234 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Buchynska, T.V. (2016). Scientific Bulletin of Uzhhorod National University. Series: International Economic Relations and  the World Economy, 10(1). 74-77. [in Ukrainian]. Dobrianska, N.A. (2015), Theoretical foundations of enterprise competitiveness management. Investments: practice and experience. pp. 84-87. [in Ukrainian]. Dobrianska,  N.A.  (2017).  Scientific  -  theoretical  foundations  of  the  competitiveness  of  an  enterprise.  Theoretical, methodological and practical aspects of enterprise competitiveness, Monograph. pp. 29-37. [in Ukrainian]. Dunska, A.R. (2012). International competitiveness management at national enterprises on innovative grounds, Econom. Enterp. Managm., 7(133), 104-109 [in Ukrainian] Filyppova, S.V., Kochevoi, M.M., Androsenko, V.D. (2019). Strategic priorities for reinforcing the competitiveness of  Ukraine in the context of the European Integration. Economy: the realities of time. Scientific Journal, 1(41), 57-65.  Available at https://economics.opu.ua/files/archive/2019/No1/57.pdf Halaz, L.V. (2008). The role of competitive labour potential in the innovative development of the enterprise. Bulletin of the National University “Lviv Polytechnic”. 162-169. Available at http://vlp.com.ua/files/25_24.pdf Kovalenko, O.M., Stanislavyk, O.V.  (2020). Preconditions of ensuring  the competitiveness of modern manufacturing  enterprise. (p. 113-118). The world economy and international economic relations. International Scientific Collection.  Volume III. Scientific editors: Y. Kozak, T. Shengelia, A.Gribincea. Kyiv: CUL, 126p. Available at https://ibn.idsi.md/ sites/default/files/imag_file/World_economy_Valume_3_2020_Kozak_%25D0%2592%25D0%25A1%25D0%2595_ %25D0%25905.pdf Kovtunenko, K.V. (2013). The laws and the main dominants of machine-building enterprises development in conditions  of  strategic  changes.  Economic Annals-XXI.  Scopus, 5-6(1),  pp.  75-78 Available  at  http://soskin.info/ea/2013/5- 6/201326.html Kozak, K.B. (2011). Research of personnel management problems at modern enterprises. Edition 4 pp. 52-55. [in Ukrainian] Marchenko, V.M. (2015). Scientific support of enterprise competitiveness. National Aviation University. Economic sciences.  “Young scientist”. Edition 1 (16), 15-17. [in Ukrainian]. Martynenko, V.M., Dreval, Yu. D., Konotoptseva, Yu. V. et al. (2013). Modern technology for assessing the staff and human  resources of the organization and its socio-psychological aspect: science. development: K.: NAPA. 52 p. Available at  https://mmgh.kname.edu.ua/images/Gayduchenko/Gaydu_1.pdf [in Ukrainian]. Nesterenko L.O., Chernyakova A.I. (2011) The role of staff in increasing the competitiveness of the enterprise. URL: http:  //www.rusnauka.com/8_NND_2011/Economics/10_81252.doc.htm [in Ukrainian]. Prodius, I.P. (2009). The main mechanisms of personnel management  in a crisis.  Proceedings of Odessa Polytechnic University, 1(31), 181-184. [in Ukrainian]. Prodius, O., Alekseev, M. (2015). Motivation of staff as the main factor in improving the efficiency of the enterprise.  Scientific Bulletin of Odessa National Economic University, 12, 188-200. [in Ukrainian]. The social enterprise in a world disrupted. Leading the shift from survive to thrive (2021). Deloitte Global Human Capital  Trends:  Special  report.  Available  at  https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/6935_2021-HC- Trends/di_human-capital-trends.pdf Int. J. Prod. Manag. Eng. (2022) 10(2), 225-235Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International The factors of competitiveness management of manufacturing enterprise personnel in conditions of uncertainty 235 https://economics.opu.ua/files/archive/2019/No1/57.pdf http://vlp.com.ua/files/25_24.pdf https://ibn.idsi.md/sites/default/files/imag_file/World_economy_Valume_3_2020_Kozak_%25D0%2592%25D0%25A1%25D0%2595_%25D0%25905.pdf https://ibn.idsi.md/sites/default/files/imag_file/World_economy_Valume_3_2020_Kozak_%25D0%2592%25D0%25A1%25D0%2595_%25D0%25905.pdf https://ibn.idsi.md/sites/default/files/imag_file/World_economy_Valume_3_2020_Kozak_%25D0%2592%25D0%25A1%25D0%2595_%25D0%25905.pdf http://soskin.info/ea/2013/5-6/201326.html http://soskin.info/ea/2013/5-6/201326.html https://mmgh.kname.edu.ua/images/Gayduchenko/Gaydu_1.pdf https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/6935_2021-HC-Trends/di_human-capital-trends.pdf https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/insights/us/articles/6935_2021-HC-Trends/di_human-capital-trends.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/