Managing People and Resolving Differences

1
Managing People and Resolving Differences

• Lecture 3
• HRM and the Promotion of Competencies

2
HRM and The Promotion of Competencies

• Definition 1 output based
• An underlying characteristic of a person which
  results in effective and/or superior performance
  in a job
• Definition 2 behaviour based
• The knowledge, skills and personal qualities
  needed to carry out a task, and how such
  attributes are applied (Maud 2001)

3
Characteristics of a Competency Approach

• Criterion related
• Expressed in terms of performance outcomes and
  indicators

4
Seven Threshold of Behavioural Competencies
(Torrington et al 2002)

• Use of Unilateral Power (influencing to obtain
  compliance
• Accurate self assessment (having a realistic or
  grounded view of oneself)
• Positive regard (Belief in others, being
  optimistic and causing others to feel valued)
• Spontaneity (Being able to explore oneself freely
  and eaisly, making quick or snap decisions and
  quick thinking)

5
Seven Threshold of Behavioural Competencies
(Torrington et al 2002)

• Logical thought (being orderly and systematic)
• Specialised knowledge (having usable facts,
  theories, frameworks or models)
• Developing others (adopting the role of coach,
  using feedback skills in facilitating
  self-development in others

6
HRM and The Promotion of Competencies

• Competency is about the application of knowledge
  rather than the knowledge per se i.e. what the
  worker does with the knowledge

7
HRM and the Competency Concept

• Competence analysis - achieved through
  interviewing a number of job holders
• Different levels of competencies need to be
  identified
• Competencies are incorporated into the person
  spec and job description

8
Principles of Competencies

• Open access ( no artificial barriers to training)
• Focus on what people can do rather than on the
  process of learning
• National Vocational Qualification ( control is in
  the hands of the awarding body)
• Performance standards are the basis of assessment
  (not essays, but practical demonstrations in the
  work situation

9
Principles of Competencies

• Flexibility and modularisation (people must be
  able to transfer their learning, start and
  postpone learning towards a standard as it suits
• Accreditation of prior experience and learning
• Flexibility of assessment (achieved through
  protfolio principle)
• Continuous development

10
Principles of Competencies

• Standards determined by designated lead bodies
  (standards are decided by those in the workplace
  rather than those in the classroom)
• Assessment by qualified assessors
• General National Vocational Qualifications take
  the place of academic qualifications

11
Competency and Performance Management NVQs/MCI

• Level 1 (Competence in a wide range of work
  activities that are routine and predictable)
• Adapts positively to different/changing
  situations
• Responds positively to new work roles
• Copes with multiple tasks/activities
• Cooperates wit others to solve problems/complete
  tasks
• Readily contributes to work activity

12
Competency and Performance Management

• Level 2 (Recognises competence in a broader and
  more demanding range of activities some
  non-routine)
• Instigates and monitors changes in work practices
• Plans and facilitates change to successful
  conclusion
• Adjusts to fluctuating workloads and staffing
  levels
• Promotes changes in the workplace

13
Competency and Performance Management

• Level 3 (Broad range of work activities, complex
  and non-routine)
• Find ways of overcoming difficulties
• Willingness to challenge and breakdown existing
  barriers
• Deals positively with uncertainty and ambiguity
• Enthusiastically accepts change

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Competency and Performance Management

• Level 4
• Complex, technical and professional work
  activities, substantial degree of autonomy and
  responsibility (competence in allocating
  resources and in management or supervision)
• Level 5
• Competencies in applying fundamental principles
  and complex techniques across a wide range of
  unpredictable situations (Analyse, diagnose,
  plan, execute and evaluate issues and solutions

15
Competencies in Recruitment and Selection

• Communication Skills
• Listening Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Leadership Influencing
• Teamworking
• Planning Skills
• Presnetation Skills

16
SHRM and the Competency Concept

• Competency Frameworks
• Generic Competencies (Job family - apply to all
  people who work within a specific occupation I.e.
  management, teaching, sales, etc)
• Specific Competencies ( relate to a particular
  role - Managemant Charter Initiative (MCI)

17
SHRM Competency Concept Managers Competency Lists

• Managing own performance
• Planning and decision making and controlling
• Dealing with administration
• Financial awareness
• Organisational awareness
• Recruiting
• Appraising
• Education and training
• Managing staff performance
• Managing meetings, customer care, responding to
  complaints

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Competencies for Managers

• Leadership
• Personal Effectiveness
• Analytical Skills
• Task Achievement
• Creativity
• Planning and Organising
• Adaptability
• Teamwork
• Communication

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Competencies for Senior Management

• Strategic perspective rising above the detail to
  see the broader issues and implications
• Analysis and judgement seeks all relevant
  information, identifies problems and makes
  decisions based on logical assumptions
• Planning and organising plans priorities,
  assigns and allocates resources effeciently and
  effectively

20
Competencies for Senior Management

• Managing staff adopts appropriate style for
  achieving group activities
• Persuasiveness influences and persuades others
  to give their agreement and commitment
• Assertiveness decisiveness and ready to take
  decisions
• Interpersonal sensitivity shows consideration
  for the needs and feelings of others

21
Competencies for Senior Management

• Oral communications effective presentation and
  communication skills
• Resilience and adaptability maintains
  effectiveness in the face of adversity, adopts
  behaviour to new situations
• Energy and initiative makes a strong positive
  impression, actively influences events to achieve
  goals
• Achievement and motivation sets demanding and
  achievable goals for self and others

22
Problems with NVQ

• Laborious assessment system
• Bureaucracy n large number of performance
  indicators have to be performed, assessed and
  described
• Generality of standards employers tend to train
  for their own needs rather than national human
  resource needs
• Quality of standards difficult to ensure a
  satisfactory standard of assessment
• Reductionist attempting to describe management
  tasks looses the focus of the complexity of the
  work, resulting in incomplete representation

23
Problems with NVQ

• Lacks attention to cognitive processes emphasis
  is on doing rather than thinking and
  understanding
• Rubber stamps learning already achieved rather
  than stimulating further development

24
SHRM and the Competency Concept Behavioural
Competency Clusters (Boyatzis 1982)

• Goal and action management cluster
• Concern with impact - Concerned with symbols of
  power to have impact on others, concerned with
  status and reputation
• Diagnostic use of concepts - Identifying and
  recognising patterns from an assortment of
  information, by bringing a concept to the
  situation and attempting to interpret events
  through the concept

25
SHRM and the Competency Concept Behavioural
Competency Clusters (Boyatzis 1982)

• Efficiency orientation - Being concerned to do
  something better
• Proactivity - Being a disposition towards taking
  action to achieve

26
SHRM and the Competency Concept Behavioural
Competency Clusters (Boyatzis 1982)

• The Leadership Cluster
• Conceptualisation - Developing an concept that
  describes a pattern or structure perceived in a
  set of facts concept emerges from the
  information (Logical thought)
• Self confidence - Having decisiveness or
  presence knowing what you are doing and feeling
  that you are doing it well
• Oral presentation - Making effective verbal
  presentations in situations ranging from one to
  one to large groups

27
SHRM and the Competency Concept Behavioural
Competency Clusters (Boyatzis 1982)

• Human Resource Management Cluster
• Use of socialised power - Using forms of
  influence to build alliances, networks,
  coaliations and teams
• Managing group process - Stimulating others to
  work effectively in group settings, self
  assessment and positive regard

28
SHRM and the Competency Concept Behavioural
Competency Clusters (Boyatzis 1982)

• Other Clusters
• Perceptual Objectivity - being objective,
  avoiding bias or prejudice
• Self Control - Being able to inhibit personal
  needs or desires in service of organisational
  needs
• Stamina and ability - able to sustain long hours
  of work and have flexibility and orientation to
  adapt to changes in life and the organisational
  environment

29
SHRM and the Competency Concept Behavioural
Competency Clusters (Boyatzis 1982)

• Directing Subordinates Cluster
• Competencies of developing others, spontaneity
  and use of unilateral power

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Advantages of Behavioural Competencies

• Seen as a way of expressing what is valued by the
  organisation
• Indenifies characteristics related to superior
  performance

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Advantages of Behavioural Competencies

• Provides a mechanism for the integration of HR
  practices in strategic HRM
• Competency framework can be used for RS,
  performance management and remuneration
• Can be expressed as measurable behaviours

32
Disadvantages of Behavioural Competencies

• Complex process to research appropriate
  organisational competencies
• Competencies are backward looking rather than
  future orientated
• Competencies focus on what managers do rather
  than what what is needed to perform effectively
  in the future

33
Disadvantages of Behavioural Competencies

• Competency framework may not include every aspect
  critical to effective performance
• Changes in behaviour may not be related to
  competencies
• Competencies may be misleading if used alone

34
HRM and Development of Competencies

• New coaching role for managers
• Coaching takes place within the natural
  relationship that managers have with subordinates
• Coaching is continuous and based upon active give
  and take relationship between employees and
  managers

35
HRM and Development of Competencies

• Trust and confidence is central to the coaching
  role
• Coaching is based on enhancing the long-term
  potential of employees rather than securing short
  term performance targets

36
The Learning Organisation

• Flat non-hierarchical structure
• Independent problem solving by employees
• Continuous interaction used to discuss possible
  solutions to problems identified

37
The Learning Organisation

• Versatile workforce
• Greater importance attached to horizontal
  relations
• Networking removal of barriers between
  operational and office functions
• Greater worker participation and responsibility
  for work execution
• Quest for continuous improvement instead of
  repition

38
Competencies and the Learning Organisation

• Continuing sequential training formal and
  informal
• Heterogeneous skills - diverse range of
  competencies
• Specific personal competencies to enable mobility
  within the company
• Integrated thought and action problem solving

39
Employee skills in the Learning Organisation

• Understanding a wider range of work roles and
  activities
• Managing and interpreting greater levels of
  information flows
• Intellection speed (in terms of preception,
  reaction and coordination)
• Autonomy, initiative, responsibility and
  creativity in unfamiliar situations

40
Introduction of Competencies Success Factors

• Senior Management Commitment
• Simple Documentation
• A mix of specific, functional competencies and
  generic personal/management competencies
• Links between the output of competency assessment
  and pay
• Involving significant people in the design phase