Workforce Competency Models for Multiple Construction Projects: A Review

Abstract

In recent decades, several definitions of competency have been presented by prominent thinkersand scholars of this field, each of them deals with the competency from a certain angle andexpressed different dimensions. Furthermore, the competency approach in human resourcemanagement (HRM) is not a new trend, and the subject of competence is a very old subjectmatter. On the contrary, human resource competence is one of the most important issues of anyorganization, which includes diverse, attractive and, simultaneously, sophisticated topics. Today,due to the dramatic changes in the field of HRM and the trend of managers to meritocracy in theorganization, the planning of an organization based on competency has a special place. Differentstudies in this field show that the necessity to pay attention to the mission perspective, strategy,organizational goals and structure will be an integral part in the successful assignment of humanresources and, without regard to this, the organization's approach cannot be determined. The useof human resource competency models in multiple construction projects requires a majorparadigm, which in HRM literature refers to the competency-based human resource management(CBHRM), and changes the thinking of human resource managers across individuals andorganizations, generally. This competency-based management approach is a coherent approachfor managing human capital in the long term, based on a common set of competency modelsrelated to the macro strategies of each project in this field. In this paper, the researcher initiallyreviewed the diversity of conceptual frameworks and components of competency models inconstruction projects. Then, the competency models of the project manager, civil engineer, andconstruction foreman and worker are identified in project-oriented organizations. At the end ofthe research, a set of competencies of professional, ethical, cultural and social behaviour ispresented in a variety of competency models.