Competence management models: A longitudinal study in an auto company

Abstract

Competency management models (CMMs) are designed to align people management practices with each other and with the organizational strategy. However, such models can differ significantly from each other, depending on whether or not they incorporate strategic elements, such as organizational skills. This case study analyzed such issues in the implantation and subsequent revisions of a CMM in a multinational automobile firm. The methodology consisted of a qualitative study, analyzing the different moments of this implantation in a longitudinal analysis from 1999 to 2019. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. It was observed that the use of strategic references as organizational competencies provides vertical integration between people management processes and strategy; the concepts of individual competences influenced the breadth and applicability of the CMM; organizational processes favor greater or lesser assimilation of the CMM; and that the time spent on implementation was important.

Keywords

• personnel management
• professional competence
• strategies