Collective Competence Research Articles

The role of organizational facilitators in promoting job-related mental health and group service effectiveness: a two-wave analysis

ABSTRACTThis study aimed to add to knowledge by providing a more systematic integration of work characteristics, workers’ health and performance. The two-wave multi-source study was conducted to test the relationship over time between the healthy states of groups of service-oriented workers and their service effectiveness when their organizations provide facilitators such as training, technical support and autonomy. The study takes healthy states to be a composite of affective-motivational and competent collective states (collective vigour and service competence) and service effectiveness. Service effectiveness was a combination of service quality as assessed by customers and their loyalty intentions. Data from 53 hotels and restaurants in Spain were aggregated from 256 boundary workers (i.e. workers in direct contact with customers) and 530 customers at Time 1 and from 470 customers at Time 2 six month later. Structural equation modelling showed that organizational facilitators at Time 1 were related to the service effectiveness reported by customers at Time 2, and also that there was a relationship between service effectiveness at Time 1 and the healthy states reported by the groups at Time 2. That is, contrary to what is widely believed, there was an influence of performance on well-being.

The dialectics of authoring expansive learning: tracing the long tail of a Change Laboratory

Purpose The paper aims to examine organizational authoring understood as a longitudinal, material and dialectical process of transformation efforts. The following questions are asked: To which extent can a Change Laboratory intervention help practitioners author their own learning? Are the authored outcomes of a Change Laboratory intervention futile if a workplace subsequently undergoes large-scale organizational transformations? Does the expansive learning authored in a Change Laboratory intervention survive large-scale organizational transformations, and if so, why does it survive and how? Design/methodology/approach The paper develops a conceptual argument based on cultural–historical activity theory. The conceptual argument is grounded in the examination of a case of eight years of change efforts in a university library, including a Change Laboratory (CL) intervention. Follow-up interview data are used to discuss and illuminate our argument in relation to the three research questions. Findings The idea of knotworking constructed in the CL process became a “germ cell” that generates novel solutions in the library activity. A large-scale transformation from the local organization model developed in the CL process to the organization model of the entire university library was not experienced as a loss. The dialectical tension between the local and global models became a source of movement driven by the emerging expansive object. Practitioners are modeling their own collective future competences, expanding them both in socio-spatial scope and interactive depth. Originality/value The article offers an expanded view of authorship, calling attention to material changes and practical change actions. The dialectical tensions identified serve as heuristic guidelines for future studies and interventions.

“One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer”

This descriptive study aims at developing a collective competence instrument for Information Technology (IT) teams. It was carried out in the city of Farroupilha (Brazil), with IT teams of a large footwear manufacturing company. To analyze data, descriptive statistics, factor analysis, and linear regression were used. The results indicate that four factors explain the collective competence in IT work teams: Proactivity, Communication, Cooperation, and Interpersonal Relationship. Proactivity was the factor with the highest intensity of association with the general perception of collective competence. This study aims, through its instrument for measuring collective competence, at contributing to the creation, development, and improvement of such competences.

Towards sustainable public FM: collective building of capabilities

Purpose Public facilities management (FM) is in the unique position of aligning building projects and FM with the policies of sustainable development at societal level. However, sustainable facilities management (SFM) is an emergent profession, and there is a need to build a code of conduct for SFM in FM organisations. The purpose is to develop and test a workshop based concept for collective building of capabilities targeting in-house FM organisations, in particular public in-house FM organisations. Design/methodology/approach This research explores the role of public facilities managers and examines how an empowerment process can help FM employees develop collective competences for SFM. The methodologies used are literature review, and a 3–year-long action research process in the Danish local authority, Albertslund, which is internationally recognised for its innovative and green profile. Findings This paper describes the phenomenon of public SFM imbedded in societal steering paradigms and suggests a framework for a sustainable FM code of conduct. The suggested “Next generation SFM code of conduct” support the employees in taking a proactive strategic position in which translation between politics, strategy, tactics and daily practice becomes the basis for prioritisation and decision-making. The capabilities needed is FM knowledge (including FM know-how, understanding of technologies for sustainability and public governance); it is the FM code of conduct, and it is control of own practice to be obtained through strategies and planning, collaboration and education. Research limitations/implications This study is based on findings in a single local authority, why the findings are primary valid for concept development to be further developed and tested. However, the local authority of Albertslund is recognised as a front runner in green FM, why this case, compare to other cases, represents a relatively mature thinking in terms of FM contribution to sustainability at societal level. When this FM organisation express a need for developing collective competences for sustainability in FM, it can be assumed that less mature FM organisations needs it even more. The findings seem relevant beyond public FM organisations. Practical implications The produced framework for a sustainable FM code of conduct is useful for educational purposes as well as for strategic decision about FM organisations collective competence profile. The use of workshops for the building of collective competences might be useful for many other organisations and not only public FM organisations. Social implications Public FM organisations manage significant shares of existing buildings and can be a driver for societal change if they have the capabilities. This paper provides an answer to how these collective capabilities can be build within an organisational development process, through dialogue and collective reflections. Originality/value This paper is a pioneer in understanding the capabilities needed in FM organisations to take leadership in an integration of sustainability in FM processes.

Protocol for a Systematic Review: Provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Improving Academic Achievement and School Engagement in Students Aged 4‐18

Protocol for a Systematic Review: Provision of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Improving Academic Achievement and School Engagement in Students Aged 4‐18

DETERMINANTES DO DESENVOLVIMENTO DE COMPETÊNCIAS COLETIVAS NA GESTÃO DE PESSOAS

RESUMOEste artigo objetiva identificar os fatores determinantes para o desenvolvimento de competências coletivas dos servidores da área de gestão de pessoas da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande (UFCG). Para balizar teoricamente a compreensão do fenômeno, fez-se uma revisão da literatura sobre a noção, o processo e os fatores individuais e organizacionais associados ao desenvolvimento de competências coletivas. O estudo, de natureza qualitativa, foi realizado com gestores e servidores da Secretaria de Recursos Humanos (SRH) da UFCG, a partir de entrevistas e de grupos focais. A análise dos resultados possibilitou a identificação de oito determinantes do desenvolvimento de competências coletivas. Alguns fatores identificados representam limitações para a formação de competências em nível coletivo e outros facilitam esse desenvolvimento. A ausência da unidade de equipe é um fator limitante no desenvolvimento de competências coletivas em decorrência da fragmentação das atividades e da falta de integração entre as coordenações. Com base nos resultados do estudo, considera-se que a pesquisa traz uma contribuição teórico-prática para o contexto do setor público. Em relação à contribuição teórica, o estudo reúne as principais abordagens sobre o tema que balizaram a categorização proposta nos resultados, o que possibilita uma análise mais ampla dos aspectos conceituais e permite uma avaliação crítica da difusão da Política Nacional de Desenvolvimento de Pessoal. Como contribuição prática, o estudo apresenta elementos que podem fundamentar um projeto de gestão por competências no contexto social da pesquisa, bem como em outras instituições públicas. Tanto as barreiras identificadas quanto os fatores determinantes das competências coletivas, conforme descritos neste trabalho, podem ser úteis no planejamento da implantação de um sistema de gestão por competências não apenas com enfoque no indivíduo, mas também no ambiente coletivo. Apesar de o estudo ter sido feito em um contexto específico (SRH), de uma universidade específica (UFCG), acredita-se que os resultados desta pesquisa também podem caracterizar outros contextos institucionais, em função da trajetória histórica, cultural e social comum e marcada por dispositivos legais que orientam as decisões estratégicas e operacionais da gestão de pessoas nas instituições federais de ensino superior (Ifes).

O desenvolvimento das competências coletivas no terceiro setor

Inside the Competences approach that focused in the human resources management, the collective competences approach is an area of emergent research. The objective of this research is to understand the collective competences in a volunteer project of the third sector; the method used was the case study that has as object of study the third sector. Specifically, a social project for this purpose was chosen, the Non‐Governmental Organization (NGO) “Pareceiros Voluntarios” (PV) with the project “Development of the principles of transparency and Accountability in Civil Society Organizations”. Among the theoretical results were identified seven dimensions of the collective competences. Furthermore, among the empirical results referred to the understanding of the collective competences in the volunteer project of the third sector four results were observed: (1) all the collective competences dimensions were proved in the project; (2) those dimensions were determinant for the development of the project; (3) the seven dimensions also influenced in the performance of all the ONG; (4) the dimensions of the project collective competences contributed for making that the social organizations could practice the principles of transparency and accountability in their activities. Finally, the confirmed fact that the collective competences were a key‐element in the development opens the possibility of go forward in the operationalization of this construct.

Exploring Collective Political Competence in Socially Complex Projects

The involvement of many interdependent actors in projects, each with different, or even divergent, interests, creates a level of complexity that is challenging researchers and professionals alike. The aim of the exploratory research presented here is to contribute to an improved understanding of how managers can facilitate efficient operation and success for very socially complex projects. Based on the political perspective of organizations and on specific literature on the concept of competence, this research specifically focused on exploring the relevance of considering the political management of project stakeholders or project actors to be a collective competence. Results seem to support this hypothesis by providing initial confirmation of the existence of actual collective political competence, and by describing, for the first time, the contours of projects involving many participants. These results also support a more widespread theory of leadership and a more authentic approach to stakeholder management in projects as performance factors. They have also made it possible to suggest areas that would benefit from further research.

The Integrated Dynamics of Motivation and Performance in the Workplace

The relationship between people and their work environment affect motivation to work and perform. The work environment includes the organizational culture, management style, goals and values, job demands and support, incentives and rewards, and much more. Together, these aspects form the contextual level and interact at the situational level. Feedback and consequences at the situational level either improve or reduce individual and collective autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Performance can be improved by focusing on motivation. Research studies in the areas of performance and motivation look at contributing factors. The potential for change in motivation may take place in the work environment and within the individual, or even more powerfully by addressing both levels of motivation.

ПЕРЕВАГИ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ СТРАТЕГІЧНОГО БІЗНЕС-ПАРТНЕРСТВА НА ЗАЛІЗНИЧНОМУ ТРАНСПОРТІ

The article analyzes the motivational factors of implementation of strategic business partnerships, among which are competitive, resource and time motives, as well as conditions for the functioning of enterprises. Disclosed the direction of the strategic partnership with the participation railway enterprises, including made the conclusion of the significance of their partnership with suppliers to formation of a modern technological base. The features of the advantages of strategic business partnerships as a factor of competitiveness in the modern conditions of managing, namely highlighted as factors of success of modern enterprises core competencies as a set of interrelated skills, abilities and technologies. Introduced the notion "emergent benefits of a strategic business partnership" and justificated of its content with the key significance the development of collective competencies to ensure successful operation of railway transport.

The project manager cannot be a hero anymore! Understanding critical competencies in project-based organizations from a multilevel approach

This paper focuses on improving the understanding of critical competencies in project-based organizations (PBOs) from a multilevel approach. To do so, we detail the types of “PBO competencies” (functional and integrative), and identify their links with the three levels of competencies in PBOs (individual, collective, and organizational). We perform case studies of four PBOs (IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Arkopharma, and Temex) operating in different sectors and reveal the relations that unite the three levels of critical competencies. The multilevel approach also highlights a new reading of the collective competence of a project team. Our study recommends that both practitioners and current academic researchers stop looking for the perfect, “ideal” project manager who would possess all of the necessary critical competencies for projects. Managers should consider sharing responsibility between the individual and organizational competencies and should not expect a project manager to possess all the required competencies.

Rapid response systems and collective (in)competence: An exploratory analysis of intraprofessional and interprofessional activation factors

The rapid response system (RRS) is a patient safety initiative instituted to enable healthcare professionals to promptly access help when a patient’s status deteriorates. Despite patients meeting the criteria, up to one-third of the RRS cases that should be activated are not called, constituting a “missed RRS call”. Using a case study approach, 10 focus groups of senior and junior nurses and physicians across four hospitals in Australia were conducted to gain greater insight into the social, professional and cultural factors that mediate the usage of the RRS. Participants’ experiences with the RRS were explored from an interprofessional and collective competence perspective. Health professionals’ reasons for not activating the RRS included: distinct intraprofessional clinical decision-making pathways; a highly hierarchical pathway in nursing, and a more autonomous pathway in medicine; and interprofessional communication barriers between nursing and medicine when deciding to make and actually making a RRS call. Participants also characterized the RRS as a work-around tool that is utilized when health professionals encounter problematic interprofessional communication. The results can be conceptualized as a form of collective incompetence that have important implications for the design and implementation of interprofessional patient safety initiatives, such as the RRS.

Cognitive distance, absorptive capacity and group rationality: a simulation study.

We report the results of a simulation study in which we explore the joint effect of group absorptive capacity (as the average individual rationality of the group members) and cognitive distance (as the distance between the most rational group member and the rest of the group) on the emergence of collective rationality in groups. We start from empirical results reported in the literature on group rationality as collective group level competence and use data on real-life groups of four and five to validate a mathematical model. We then use this mathematical model to predict group level scores from a variety of possible group configurations (varying both in cognitive distance and average individual rationality). Our results show that both group competence and cognitive distance are necessary conditions for emergent group rationality. Group configurations, in which the groups become more rational than the most rational group member, are groups scoring low on cognitive distance and scoring high on absorptive capacity.

When None of Us Perform Better than All of Us Together: The Role of Analogical Decision Rules in Groups

During social interactions, groups develop collective competencies that (ideally) should assist groups to outperform average standalone individual members (weak cognitive synergy) or the best performing member in the group (strong cognitive synergy). In two experimental studies we manipulate the type of decision rule used in group decision-making (identify the best vs. collaborative), and the way in which the decision rules are induced (direct vs. analogical) and we test the effect of these two manipulations on the emergence of strong and weak cognitive synergy. Our most important results indicate that an analogically induced decision rule (imitate-the-successful heuristic) in which groups have to identify the best member and build on his/her performance (take-the-best heuristic) is the most conducive for strong cognitive synergy. Our studies bring evidence for the role of analogy-making in groups as well as the role of fast-and-frugal heuristics for group decision-making.

La construction de compétences collectives en environnement complexe : une analyse en termes d'attention organisationnelle

Cet article s’inscrit dans la lignée des travaux de Retour et Krohmer (2006) sur l’identification des facteurs constitutifs de la compétence collective. Il se centre sur une question encore peu explorée : comment ces facteurs constitutifs opèrent et se combinent en situation ? Dans cette perspective, cette recherche mobilise le concept d’attention organisationnelle qui permet de comprendre les rôles et la combinaison de deux facteurs constitutifs des compétences collectives : le référentiel commun et les formes d’engagement dans l’action. Cette recherche s’appuie sur une étude de cas exploratoire réalisée au sein d’une usine de fabrication de ciment, caractéristique d’un contexte de travail complexe et dynamique.

Developing a Competency-assisted Collaborative Promotion Modeling Framework in Higher Education

The purpose of this paper is to develop a competency-assisted modeling framework for collaborative network universities (CNUs). This paper uses a literature review approach to propose a competency- assisted modeling framework for CNUs. The proposed modeling framework has been developed based on the literature review and evaluated against exist competency models. Assisted collaborative promotion framework in higher education has been proposed to avoid some of the common pitfall that collaborators may face when establishing universities consortiums. This framework is presented to show the proposed collaboration model through a three-variable perspective of view dimension, competency characteristics and modeling intents. Finally, this paper indicates that application of a comprehensive framework among Collaborative Network Universities with collective competencies will create room for exploitation of a wider market opportunity for developing countries while enhancing international student recruitment prospect. By combining exist models, this research provides researchers and decision makers with detailed tools for developing a competency-assisted modeling framework. The paper is explorative in nature therefore empirical data from similar and other research settings should be gathered to reinforce the validity of the findings. It further provides knowledge and insights on which kinds of competency modeling may be developed. The main implication is that a generic framework still is needed for university competency modeling.

Borders in Metropolitan Development: The Case of Vienna

For almost two decades, Vienna, Austria's capital city, has been coping with the processes of metropolitanization on the urban-regional level. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989, these processes are basically related to the changing meaning of borders and the repositioning of Vienna within Central Europe. Not surprisingly, specific different strategic initiatives have been developed to meet the challenges of cross-border metropolitan development. However, the positive or negative influence of these initiatives on metropolitan development remains unclear without the definition of assessment criteria.To describe and assess relevant initiatives, two specific elements of the concept of territorial capital, cooperative efforts and relational capital, are systematically examined in this paper. The meaning of borders, which are conceptualized as multilayered social constructs, in both theoretical elements is especially taken into account. Cooperative efforts are assessed by focusing on two different aspects: the tangible assets in the form of infrastructure projects or joint activities in businesses (i.e. addressing the economic, physical and partly social layer/dimension of borders) and the intangible assets in the form of collective competencies and trust (i.e. social, cultural, identity layer/dimension of borders).Thus, questions regarding the metropolitan development of Vienna are addressed by theoretically examining the basis of the concept of territorial capital and by taking empirical evidence into account. Finally, some more general conclusions concerning cooperative strategic efforts in the context of cross-border development and the role of the multilayered meaning of borders in shaping these efforts are discussed.

El capital social organizacional de la pequeña empresa innovadora. Un ensayo de medición en las ciudades de Cali y Medellín

This paper applies the concept of social capital in organizations. A tool for measuring the cultural aspects of this intangible capital is proposed using a Likert-type scale. A questionnaire was applied to a sample of small enterprises with an innovator profile in Cali and Medellin (Colombia). The average measurements obtained and the analysis of correlations between the different variables in this study led us to conclude that these enterprises have a positive perception of the quality of their internal social relationships, as well as those maintained with their stakeholders. However, we identified certain weaknesses which could be modified in order to improve the collective competences of these firms so that they may become an effective vehicle for innovating and creating sustained competitive bases.

Decision Rules and Group Rationality: Cognitive Gain or Standstill?

Recent research in group cognition points towards the existence of collective cognitive competencies that transcend individual group members’ cognitive competencies. Since rationality is a key cognitive competence for group decision making, and group cognition emerges from the coordination of individual cognition during social interactions, this study tests the extent to which collaborative and consultative decision rules impact the emergence of group rationality. Using a set of decision tasks adapted from the heuristics and biases literature, we evaluate rationality as the extent to which individual choices are aligned with a normative ideal. We further operationalize group rationality as cognitive synergy (the extent to which collective rationality exceeds average or best individual rationality in the group), and we test the effect of collaborative and consultative decision rules in a sample of 176 groups. Our results show that the collaborative decision rule has superior synergic effects as compared to the consultative decision rule. The ninety one groups working in a collaborative fashion made more rational choices (above and beyond the average rationality of their members) than the eighty five groups working in a consultative fashion. Moreover, the groups using a collaborative decision rule were closer to the rationality of their best member than groups using consultative decision rules. Nevertheless, on average groups did not outperformed their best member. Therefore, our results reveal how decision rules prescribing interpersonal interactions impact on the emergence of collective cognitive competencies. They also open potential venues for further research on the emergence of collective rationality in human decision-making groups.

How to enhance service quality through organizational facilitators, collective work engagement, and relational service competence

This study aims to test how collective work engagement and relational service competence, as affective and cognitive-competent collective states, mediate the relationship between organizational facilitators and customers' perceptions of service quality. In all, 107 service-oriented units were aggregated from 615 service workers and 2165 customers. Structural equation modelling confirmed that organizational facilitators are related to collective work engagement andrelational service competence, which play a mediating role between organizational facilitators and service quality. Whereas collective work engagement plays a partially mediating role between organizational facilitators and relational service competence, relational service competence plays a fully mediating role between collective work engagement and service quality. A discussion and limitations are also provided.