Human-centered indicators as a tool for developing human capital in agriculture

L. V. Akifyeva

Nizhny Novgorod State Engineering and Economic University, Knyaginino, Nizhny Novgorod region, Russia

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Volume 26 No. 8

Date of paper submission: 21.05.2026, date of review: 24.06.2026, date of acceptance: 08.07.2026. 

Published: 08/31/2026

Abstract. The purpose of the study is to determine and theoretically substantiate the importance of human-centeredness as a key factor in the development of human capital in the agricultural sector, as well as to develop and test a tool for its quantitative assessment based on a system of interrelated indicators and an integral index. Methods. The study is based on the methods of economic analysis, normalization, and aggregation of indicators, the index method, and elements of factor analysis. The calculation of the integral index of human-centeredness is based on the conversion of the initial indicators into a comparable form, followed by their integration, which ensures the comprehensiveness and comparability of the results. During the testing process, methods were used to group and interpret data at the municipal level. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the formation of the author’s system of indicators for assessing human-centeredness in the agricultural sector, which takes into account labor productivity, the efficiency of managerial capital, the payroll fund, and the coefficient of return on human capital. A methodology for calculating the integral index of human-centeredness has been proposed, which allows for the multidimensional nature of the processes of human capital formation and utilization. The possibility of using the index as a tool for interregional comparisons and management decisions has been substantiated. Results. The conducted approbation of the methodology at the municipal level allowed to identify a significant differentiation in the levels of human-centeredness and to establish the key factors of its formation. It was determined that the indicators of the efficiency of the use of labor resources and investments in the development of human capital have the greatest impact. It is concluded that it is necessary to strengthen the human-centered approach in the management of the agricultural sector, which implies a reorientation of management practices towards the development of human potential as a strategic resource for the sustainable growth of the agricultural sector.

Keywords: human capital, human-centered approach, agricultural sector, agriculture, labor productivity, managerial capital efficiency, labor fund, integral index, econometric model, investment in human capital

For citation: Akifyeva L. V. Human-centered indicators as a tool for developing human capital in agriculture. Agrarian Bulletin of the Urals. 2026; 26 (08): 1550‒1559. https://doi.org/10.32417/1997-4868-2026-26-08-1550-1559 

 

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