Human resources management systemic deficiencies and propaganda. The miners of “Marbas”, Dimitrovgrad
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Date
2026-08-02
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Plovdiv University Press
Abstract
This study examines the management of the human factor in an industrial enterprise during
the communist era – the state-owned “Marishki Basin” mines in Dimitrovgrad. The research is based
on archival materials from the enterprise, held at the State Archives in Haskovo. The focus is on the
process of selecting and recruiting workers, which was supported by the establishment of a number of
services providing adequate living conditions and social services to the miners. Difficulties in delivering
the promised social benefits and privileges led to constant employee turnover at the enterprise. The
analysis examines the problems with personnel management as a consequence of the systemic
shortcomings of the planned economy during the communist era. These shortcomings are
insurmountable but manageable through the use of propaganda tools. The work of the propaganda
organization at Marbas cannot stop worker turnover or ensure the optimal level and scope of social
welfare, but it can conceal the problems and present an idealized picture of miners’ lives as reality. The
case presented here is an example of the implementation of the communist state’s personnel policy in
an industrial context, with the data interpreted within the conceptual framework defined by the
specific characteristics of the historical period (communism) and the characteristics of the location
(Dimitrovgrad).
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Keywords
miners, recruitment, social benefits, turnover, propaganda, Marbas, communism, Dimitrovgrad