Competences Mapping Processes and Stages

Competences mapping processes and stages

1. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O LX
T H E P L A C E O F U S E F U L L E A R N I N G
MS925 Strategy Modelling and Management,
part 2
Competences
Dr Abigail Colson
[email protected]
Office Hours: Friday 1000-1200; if you plan to attend, send me an email and
I will send you a link for a time-slot

2. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
What is MS925 part 2 about?
•Strategy process(how to do it) rather than strategy
content
•We will look at scenarios (weeks 6-7) and core
competencies (week 8) for countries, focusing on
groupwork
•The assignment focuses on thinking about the process of
these techniques, not the content you create as we work
through them.

3. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
MS925 Part 2
•Week 5: Strategy Framing
•Weeks 6-7: Scenarios
•Week 8: Competences
•Week 9: Close, Assignment Q&A (Presentations in tutorials)

4. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Today’s Agenda
•Talk through the competence modelling process
•Discuss presentations
•Week 8 Tutorials: Competence modelling practical
•Week 9 Tutorials: Group presentations

5. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Organizational
Environment
Contextual
Environment
Environmental exploration and
analysis
FLIHIER
Financial resources
Lineage and
reputation
Infrastructure
Human assets
(skills and culture)
Intellectual Property
and Uncodified
knowledge
Engagement,
motivation and
morale
Relationships and
networks

6. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Using competences
•Articulating to staff and customers what is special about
the organisation
•Deciding where/ how to expand and grow
•Identifying possible threats to business success

7. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
The focal question
Your group’s country has a sudden, unexpected, cash inflow
The government wants to use the money to invest in
infrastructure (broadly defined) to “future proof” the country
against future threats
Developacompetencestatementtohelpthemdecidehowto
dothis
8

8. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
What are “core” competences?
•“Core competence has too often become a ‘feel good’
exercise that no one fails” Collis & Montgomery, 1995
•“Competences and resources are difficult to identify, isolate
and measure because they are often tacit, inimitable,
collective, deeply embedded and interactive and
integrative” Doz 1994

9. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L

10. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L

11. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
5 stage competence process
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

12. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
5 stage competence process
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

13. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Definition of “competence”
Competences are the capabilities to apply or use a set of
related knowledge and skills required to successfully perform
critical tasks in a defined industry or work setting.

14. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
House builder example: Competences

15. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Ground rules
Use of a ‘round robin’ approach, where each participant gets to
present a single idea in turn
No idea should be challenged or excluded on the basis that it is
‘wrong’ or ‘nonsense’
Only questions of clarification are allowed, such as ‘Why do you
think that…?’, ‘What would happen if…?’, ‘Who do you think
would…?’

16. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Tutorial Activity
Brainstorm distinctive competences for your country.
Target: Identify at least 20-25 possible distinctive
competencies.

17. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
5 stage competence process
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

18. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
But they are not all competences!

19. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
What we achieve -competence outcomes
What we do -competences
What we have -assets
•Be a provider of global market intelligence in a
responsive fashion -competence outcome
•Ability to quickly source information about key
market segments and countries -competence
•NAMES Database -asset

20. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
House builder example: Competences

21. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Tutorial Activity
Roughly categorise the competences your group identified as
assets, competences, or competence outcomes.

22. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
5 stage competence process
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

23. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Order by distinctiveness
Consider the relative distinctiveness, in each category (e.g.,
asset, competence, competence outcome)
Arrange items in order, e.g., most distinctive to the right, least
distinctive to the left

24. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Distinctiveness: “VRIN”
Valuable
•efficiency or effectiveness in delivering business goals and customer
values
Rare
Imperfectly Imitable
•because of a combination of three reasons:
unique historical conditions,
causally ambiguous,
ability to organizework to deliver value
Non-Substitutable
•there must not be strategically equivalent valuable resources that are
themselves either not rare or imitable
Barney, J. Journal of Management, 1991

25. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Which of the following is most difficult
for competitors to imitate or obtain?
•New technology
•An innovative product
•An individual’s knowledge / expertise
•Collective expertise
•Organisational culture
Increasingly difficult

26. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
House builder example: Distinctiveness
increasingly more (relatively) distinctive >>>

27. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Link the concepts
Arrows should flow up –from assets to competences to
competence outcomes
Provide Global market intelligence in a responsive
fashion
Competence outcome
Ability to quickly source information
about market segments
Competences
NAMES database, Regular update of names
Assets

28. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
House builder example: Links

29. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
5 stage competence process
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

30. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Often what is distinctive is not an
individual competence but a pattern of
competences
Portfolio competences
Loop competences

31. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Portfolio competence 1: Amazon
World class logistics network
Global reach
Cutting edge e-commerce
platform
Ability to sell
goods to a
global market

32. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Portfolio competence 2: India
English language
Excellent technical
universities
Low cost base
Ability to sell
Technical services to
a global market

33. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Loop competence 1: Nokia
Ability to
launch cutting
edge product
Ability to be
the first in the
market with
hottest phones
Ability to sell
large number
of phones
Ability to invest
in innovation

34. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Loop competence 2: logistics
company
Ability to turn
away
customers
Ability to
keep high
efficient
standards
Ability to
command
premium
prices
Ability to
have strong
sustained
finance

35. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Tutorial Activity
Rank items in each category by distinctiveness
Create links from assets to competences to competence
outcomes
Try to identify portfolio competences and loop competences

36. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
5 stage competence process
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

37. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
House builder example: Systematic
competences
One of our key competencies is our
ability to provide bespoke solutions
for the elderly market. This competence
is supported by an ability to build in-
house materials in case where there
are no suppliers. However, what makes
our product offering unique is our
combination of deep understanding of
the local markettogether with our
strong relationships with the suppliers
of specialised equipment.

38. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
House builder example: Systematic
competences
The basis of our sustainable competitive
advantage is our strong local brand. This
is based on our unrivalled ability to share
and retain knowledge internallywhich in
turn flows from our distinctive ability to
build strong communication channels
between employees and management.
That ability reflects our strong culture of
team workingand the fact that we are
one of the most attractive employers in
NI–which is itself a testimony to our
strong local brand.

39. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Take home messages
Competences are tacit
•Need to do actual work to surface them
Competences are complex
•Need to explore how they relate to each other and assets, outcomes
Why surface distinctive competences?
•“fortune favours the prepared mind”
•Invest in and develop your competencies
•Don’t destroy them accidentally!

40. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
This Week’s Tutorial Tasks
1.Surfacing the competences
2.Classifying
3.Order and link
4.Identify systemic competences
5.Write up

41. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Homework: Group presentations
If your group hasn’t finished developing scenarios and competences for
your country in your tutorial group, you’ll need to finish this as
homework.
For week 9 tutorials, prepare a 7-10 minute presentation:
•One slide with your scenarios
•One slide with your competences
•One slide with reflections on the scenario development/ competence
mapping process
•Post slides in the Group Presentations forum on Myplace (under
Part 2 Week 9)

42. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O L
Next week
Monday’s session: Closing, Assignment Q&A
Week 9 tutorials: Group presentations

43. X S T R A T H C L Y D E B U S I N E S S S C H O O LX
T H E P L A C E O F U S E F U L L E A R N I N G