Transfer kapitału ludzkiego z międzynarodowych centrów usług jako czynnik kształtowania konkurencyjności MMŚP w regionie zachodniopomorskim

Poland is currently at the forefront of places in Central and Eastern Europe, where international service centres are located. This shows the importance of analysing the impact they have on the development of the Polish economy. One of the important effects resulting from the presence of service centres is the flow of knowledge, including its transfer to the MSME sector – knowledge, which plays an increasingly important role in the process of shaping competitiveness, both in micro- and macroeconomic terms. The aim of the article is therefore to analyse the interactions between service centres with international coverage and smaller entities operating in local economies. Particular emphasis was placed on the flow of hidden knowledge resulting from the transfer of human capital between service centres and micro-, small- and medium enterprises located in the West Pomeranian region. The study uses quantitative research conducted in the years 2013–2016 on a representative sample of companies in the region. The research results indicate that there is a statistically significant relationship between the variables studied. They show that companies whose owners or employees have work experience in international service centres exhibit a more dynamic growth in turnover and bring more new products to the market. This has an impact on the competitiveness of these entities, also at the international arena.