Essay: Application of Competency in HRM Literature

Sample Essay

In the HRM practices, the concept of competence remains one of the most diffuse term in the organizational, occupational and production literature. Whenever the term competency is applied in HRM literature the outstanding question remains the meaning rather than the existence of competencies necessary to produce for an organization. Burke and Allen (2006) acknowledges that concept of individual competence is widely used in human resource management theories and practices. In this regard, Dubois (2008) defines competency as a set of skills that an individual must possess in order to be capable of satisfactorily performing a specified task, in order to realize organizational objectives and goals.

However, despite the pretty definition offered by many scholars (Burke and Allen, 2006) admits that the definitional scope of the term competency lacks precise meaning. It is on this diversion on the definition issue that Robotham and Jubb (1996) and McCauley (1994) adopted a job based competency which can be applied to any business venture (Dubois, 2008). In this sense, job based competency invokes competence-based system that identifies key activities and the behaviors of staff involved in doing the job. Amidst this scholarly debate, Belasco Ralph (1993) suggests that the best way to look and approach the concept of competence and competency is through viewing competence as a skill and the standard of performance, while competency as behavior by which it is achieved. Thus, the distinction and relatedness between competence and competency is in the sense that competence describes what workforces do and competency describes how workforces do it.

These are just excerpts of essays for you to view. Please click on Order Now for custom essays, research papers, term papers, thesis, dissertations, case studies and book reports.