The Mechanism of Personnel Support for Heavy and Defense Industry Enterprises (1946–1950)

Abstract

Introduction. The concept of “mechanism” is widely used in modern economic research. The mechanism of staffing is a set of forms and methods of forming the necessary quantitative and qualitative composition of the organization’s personnel. The purpose of the article is to identify the mechanism of staffing used in the period 1946–1950 at the enterprises of heavy and defense industry, to disclose the industry specifics of its implementation. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the research is the modernization historical paradigm. When writing the article, the author was guided by the principles of historicism and objectivity. Work with historical sources was carried out through general scientific and historical methods. Results and Discussion. The mechanisms of solving personnel problems used at defense and heavy industry enterprises aimed at replenishing the workforce (transfer of employees, training of specialists in educational institutions, voluntary hiring, mobilization, use of labor of a special agent (prisoners, special settlers, prisoners of war)), securing personnel at enterprises (administrative and legal regulation and control of labor discipline, financial incentives for employees). Conclusion. The industry specifics consisted in a higher intensity of application of positive (benefits, financial incentives for employees) and negative (administrative coercion, control of labor discipline) forms of staffing at enterprises of priority industry objects. The use of mobilization tools made it possible to overcome the personnel shortage, accumulate labor resources for the development of priority industries.