Features of the European style of management as core competences of managers

Abstract

The paper reveals features of a European style of management as the competencies of top managers of international companies enabling them to better understand the processes taking place in modern business environment and to employ them in gaining competitive advantage. The precondition of this kind of management is based on historically formed specific features of social communication in Europe, social changes of recent decades, as well as the processes of integration, highlighting and strengthening other aspects of economy and social development. The paper consists of the introduction, two parts and the summary. The first part deals with the elements of the European management style, as distinguished by the researchers of this area, and the main aspects of international business, in which these elements manifest themselves, are identified. The second part substantiates understanding of the elements of the European style of management as the competencies of the top managers of international enterprises, based on the statements of the resource-based approach and the conception of basic competencies. The summary suggests that the elements of European management style, as the managers’ competences, can operate as leverage enabling better exploitation of resources (especially, human) and opportunities emerging in a business environment.