Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005 Slide 17.1 Meaning of Competence and Competencies Terms pervade.

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.1

Meaning of Competence and Competencies

• Terms pervade much of HRM literature

• Terms are often used confusingly

• Competence – ability to carry out a specific task

• Competency – refers to behaviour

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.2

Government Initiatives

• Investors in people

• Sector Skills Councils (SSCs)

• Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.3

Competence Movement

• Tension between what a trainee knows and

what they can do after training

• Knowledge rather than practical skills carries status

• Government policy around schools – heightened emphasis on practical vocational skills

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.4

NVQs

• Bringing together a range of vocational qualifications

• Developed for all occupational areas

• Five levels – basic to more complex

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.5

Training for Competence

• Criterion related

• Developing ability of trainees to perform tasks related to job

• Expressed in terms of performance outcomes and specific indicators

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.6

NVQ Standards

Divided into job roles

Key roles then subdivided into units of competence

Then subdivision into elements of competence with attached performance criteria and range statements

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.7 Example – Level Three Management Standards

Table 17.1  Level three management standards

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.8

Principles of Competencies Leading to National Qualifications (1 of 2)

1. Open access2. Focus on what people can do3. Qualification same wherever training takes

place4. Feature performance standards as basis of

assessment5. Flexibility and modularisation6. Accreditation of prior experience and learning

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.9

Principles of Competencies Leading to National Qualifications (2 of 2)

7. Establishment of learning contract8. Flexibility in assessment achieved by the

portfolio principle9. Continuous development10.Standards determined by designated lead

bodies11.Assessment12.GNVQs

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.10

Problematic Aspects of NVQs (1 of 2)

1. Assessment process can be laborious2. A lot of terminology around NVQs3. Generality of standards leads employers to

modify for own use4. Difficult to measure satisfactory quality of

assessment5. Standards are reductionist6. Functional approach can be narrow

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.11

Problematic Aspects of NVQs (2 of 2)

7. Early management standards gave

incomplete representation of management8. Lack of attention to learning and cognitive

processes9. May not stimulate further development10. Some resistance to idea that educators are

not competent to set the training agenda

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.12

Characteristics of Behavioural Competencies

• Trait• Motive• Skill• Self image• Social role

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.13

Threshold Competencies (1 of 2)

Table 17.2  The seven threshold competencies identified by Richard BoyatzisSource: R. Boyatzis (1982) The Competent Manager. New York: John Wiley.

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.14

Threshold Competencies (2 of 2)

Table 17.2  The seven threshold competencies identified by Richard BoyatzisSource: R. Boyatzis (1982) The Competent Manager. New York: John Wiley.

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.15

Clusters of Management Competencies

• Goal and action• Leadership• Human resourcing• Focus on others• Directing subordinates

(Boyatzis, 1982)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.16

Goal & Action Cluster

• Concern with impact• Diagnostic use of concepts• Efficiency orientation• Proactivity

(Boyatzis, 1982)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.17

Leadership Cluster

• Conceptualisation• Self confidence• Oral presentations

(Boyatzis, 1982)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.18

Human Resource Management Cluster

• Use of socialised power• Managing group processes

(Boyatzis, 1982)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.19

Focus on Others Cluster

• Perceptual objectivity• Self control• Stamina and adaptability

(Boyatzis, 1982)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.20

Directing Subordinates Cluster

• Developing others• Spontaneity• Use of unilateral power

(Boyatzis, 1982)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.21 Typical Content of a Competency Framework

Figure 17.1 Typical content of a competency framework (Source: This material is adapted from The Competencies Handbook by S. Whiddett and S. Hollyforde (1999), p. 14, with the permission of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD House, Camp Road, London, SW19 4UX.)

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.22

Advantages of Behavioural Competencies

• Way of expressing what is valued by an organisation

• Provide a critical mechanism for integrating HR practices to strategic approach to HR

• Competency framework can be used across HR practices

• Employees can be given a consistent message about what is valued and expected

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.23

Problematic Aspects of Behavioural Competencies

• Complex research processes required • Due to research process competencies will be

backward looking• May not include every aspect critical to

superior performance • A wider perspective needs to be taken• People’s behaviour may not always be

consistent

Torrington, Hall & Taylor, Human Resource Management 6e, © Pearson Education Limited 2005

Slide 17.24

Summary

• IIP, SSCs and LSCs encourage the competence movement and NVQs

• Competence is concerned with job standards and output

• Competency refers to behaviour or input• Main vehicle for learning to achieve

competence is NVQs• NVQs continually criticised