Managers are becoming more aware of the value that investment in human resources, as opposed to expenses in intangible assets can produce at the company level and that human resource activities can focus on key business concerns, and in turn drive greater growth and eventually higher market value. In this frame-work, the core-competency perspective focuses attention on the importance of knowledge creation and learning processes for building and maintaining competitive advantage in a world defined by globalization, demographic change, and the rise of the knowledge worker. The effective management of Romanian companies can represent an advantage in a competitive business environment, shaped by the end of transition, the EU membership and the globalization process. Our paper explores the major shifts that are occurring in one critical activity related to human resources, and looks to management education as a solution for current per- formance business issues for Romanian companies.