Strategic Competence Research Articles

МЕТОДИКА ПІДГОТОВКИ МАЙБУТНІХ ІТ-ФАХІВЦІВ ДО СТРАТЕГІЧНОЇ ТА ТАКТИЧНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ В БІЗНЕС-ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯХ

The article emphasizes the relevance of revising the content of professional activities and the range of powers of specialists of IT departments in business organizations and, accordingly, the conceptual foundations of their professional training. The need for forming future IT specialists with unique skills and abilities to carry out strategic and tactical activities and develop the relevant competencies, which allows them to be active participants in the construction and implementation of the organization’s business strategies, has been clarified. The purpose of the article is to review and analyse the features of strategic and tactical activities in the functioning of IT specialists in a business organization, as well as the study of methodological foundations of the formation of tactical and strategic competence in future IT specialists, which will allow them to implement various measures of strategic planning and project work successfully. During the study of the problem of training future IT specialists for strategic and tactical activities in business organizations, methods of retrospective analysis, generalization and interpolation of theoretical aspects of the problem were applied; methods of conceptualizing advanced pedagogical experience in the formation of professional important competencies of future IT specialists were used. It has been found that tactical and strategic competence determines the ability of an IT specialist to project short-term and long-term goals, develop methods and tactics for their achievement, and in this way effectively organize professional activity and achieve success in it. It has been substantiated that the development of tactical and strategic competence can be realized in terms of a specially organized training process for future IT specialists contributing to their mastering the experience of developing and approbation IT strategies and tactics. Methodological approaches (competent-oriented, creative-developmental, multidisciplinary, practice-oriented, problem-based ones) have been revealed, for them the methods of training future IT specialists for strategic and tactical activities in business organization should be based. It has been noted that the methods of formation of future IT specialists’ readiness for strategic and tactical activities involve a number of stages, namely: 1) actualization of professional needs, interests, motives, and formation of students’ business values; 2) determination of the goal and selection the tools of influence aimed at the shaping of students’ scientific and theoretical knowledge and personal experience in the implementation of professional skills; 3) arming students with an arsenal of strategies that allow for a holistic analysis of the situation, actions, and motives and, as a result, permits to reduce the operational costs of the organization and the turned IT service into a driver of business; 4) modelling of possible strategy implementation tactics in various production situations; 5) analysis of acquired experience, control and correction of formation of future IT specialists’ professionally important competencies. The features of the application of methods of activation and stimulation of motivation and responsibility in educational and professional activities, organizational methods, the method of immersion in the situation, the method of pattern and case study in the process of formation of tactical and strategic competence in future IT specialists have been defined and described. A conclusion was made regarding the requirement for step-by-step application of methods and technologies in order to prepare future IT specialists for strategic and tactical activities during their professional training process.

How Strategic Organizational Competency Contributes to the Development of Organizational Intelligence?

The knowledge that organizations possess, produce, and acquire adds to their strategic competency and intelligence. Organizations develop intelligence from practice and learning by doing. There is a definite relationship that exists between organizational learning and productivity that contributes to the development of organizational intelligence. Organizational intelligence is of difference kinds, but almost all of them develop from organizational actions and learning that includes but are not restricted to gaining market information, consumer interactions, business communications, creating new products and services, managing actions, solving emerging problems, etc. Intelligence is the ability to comprehend things or immediate situations and act rationally and according to what the situation demands. In this paper, we examine on what respect organizational intelligence positively relates to organizational competency, and how intelligence help develop strategic competency which adds to their advantage and makes them more robust. We find using a theoretical model that the development of organizational intelligence confers competitive strength to an organization, and contributes to the overall development of higher productivity and organizational competence. 

THE CONCEPT OF STRATEGIC COMPETENCE, ITS CONTENT AND TYPES

This article describes the concept of strategic competence, its essence and types. Information is provided on strategic competence, educational, fundamental, communicative, metacognitive, cognitive, social strategies in teaching foreign languages.

Towards the acquisition of strategic competence in translator training

Unravelling the complex process of acquiring Translator Competence (TC) is a considerable challenge. Whilst TC has been considered fundamental to translator training, research, and training have often been limited to theoretical reflections, without including empirical input. In this proposal, we will try to fill a gap in the empirical studies that have been performed to date on TC and the analysis of its acquisition in real teaching practice. We offer the reader an in-depth review of key issues for the training of translators before presenting the empirical study. In the first part, we place the reader in the context in which the study is framed, dealing with basic concepts such as TC. This paper summarizes essential ideas before exploring the question of TC acquisition, and particularly into strategic competence (SC). In the second part, we describe the quantitative and qualitative methodology of the empirical study. The longitudinal study, presented, includes a group of 37 subjects, allowing greater depth in the analysis of the processes of the acquisition of SC. Finally, we present our conclusions. Our results shed light on key issues for the development of theory and practice to facilitate advances in the training of translators.

Formation of professional communicative competence of medical profile specialists under conditions of complication of social-professional interactions

The article updates the problem of forming the professional communicative competence of medical profile specialists in the conditions of the complication of socio-professional interactions due to the deepening of social isolation caused by the COVID pandemic, the need to provide medical care in emergency situations (war, technological and environmental disasters, etc.). It is emphasized that the mentioned processes are accompanied by an increase in the risks of emotional burnout and conflict in the professional activities of medical profile specialist, the need to act quickly in extreme situations and make vital decisions, which increases the urgency of the issue of the readiness of professionals for effective, partly crisis communication, which in the medical field has be characterized by timeliness, accuracy, completeness and an unambiguous understanding of a specific medical situation. Modern approaches to the interpretation of the concept of «communicative competence» both as a universal concept and taking into account the specifics of the professional activity of medical profile specialists are analyzed. It was found that communicative competence is a system of knowledge, abilities and skills of an individual that ensure effective interpersonal interaction, and includes: speech, discursive, sociolinguistic, illocutionary, strategic, linguistic and intercultural competence. It is noted that the communicative competence of a medical profile specialist presupposes the formation of contact skills, readiness to collect and analyze information, plan and convey to the patient the essence of diagnostic and treatment procedures, completion of communication, structuring of a communicative act, the ability to use various communication mechanisms in order to ensure a therapeutic effect on the patient. It was concluded that a high level of communicative competence of medical professionals determines the effectiveness of providing medical services in general, promotes understanding between all subjects of the medical care process, increases the patient's trust in the medical professional, avoids unnecessary conflicts and delays in the treatment process, etc.

Strategic Competencies of Prospective Teacher Students Based on Cognitive Style and Gender

This study aims to describe the strategic competencies of prospective teacher students based on cognitive style and gender in formulating, representing and solving problems. This type of research was descriptive qualitative. The supporting instruments were the GEFT (Group Embedded Figure Test) and the task of mathematical non routine problem contained several mathematical concepts, namely circles, trigonometry, and triangles. The research subjects consisted of 2 males Field Independent (FI) and 2 females Field Independent (FI), 6 females Field Dependent (FD) and 4 males Field Dependent (FD). Data was collected through documentation of solving mathematical problem and interview results. The data validity method used method triangulation and referencial adequacy checks. Research datas were analyzed by reducing data, presenting data and drawing conclusions. The results showed that FI females and males were more analytical than FD females and males. FI males and FI females both understood problem situations by drawing, but FI males recognized the circle concept more quickly and confidently than FI females. FI females were more analytical in the process of transferring problem situations into pictures than FI males. FI males and FI females both represented problem situations in pictures and symbols but FI females tended to have more logical pictures and symbols than FI males. FD females tended to understand problem situations by drawing more than FD males, therefore FD females were said to be more analytical in transferring problem situations into pictures compared to FD males. The four types of subjects did not arrive at a correct final solution.

Talent management and firm performance in emerging markets: a systematic literature review and framework

PurposeThe purposes of this study are to (i) systematically review the state of the existing research of talent management (TM) in emerging markets and its connections with firm performance; (ii) recap the results in an integrative and multidisciplinary framework and (iii) recognize potential research contradictions and gaps that offer avenues for future study.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors apply a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology to review 31 peer-reviewed articles published in highly ranked journals (ABS journals list – ranking 3, 4 and 4*) over more than two decades.FindingsThis review shows that the state of the current research of TM in emerging countries and its connections with firm performance is characterized by complexity and fragmentation within the different countries investigated. This review summarizes and highlights five central categories of TM in emerging markets. In order to ensure that the field of research investigated continues to be relevant to diverse constituents, the authors incorporate the various prominent research perspectives into an integrative framework structured at macro (economies/countries), meso (industries) and micro (individuals/organizations) levels.Practical implicationsThis research provides guidance for chief executive officers, chief financial officers and human resource directors in emerging countries to develop TM within their organization in order to capture its relevant aspects, from a strategic (purposeful and competency modeling), organizational (talent planning and career track planning) and financial point of view (remuneration policy and firm performance).Originality/valueThe authors offer a first holistic overview of the features of TM in emerging markets and also introduce firm performance. The authors present an integrative multidisciplinary framework that can serve as a starting point of a summary of areas covered by the literature. Finally, the authors identify several knowledge gaps, emerging topics and limitation of current research, through which ideas for future investigations are offered.

Win the next war vs innovate or die: framing the digital transformation across the Taiwanese sectors

PurposeThis paper examines the framing of digital transformation. The research questions are specified as follows: what are the different types of framing strategies in response to digital transformation? How do the strategies differ across organizations? Theoretically, the authors draw on the framing perspective to emphasize the use of linguistic frames in shaping innovation and change processes. Empirically, the authors choose to study the Taiwanese sectors, including publicly governed entities, traditional private business or technology-based ventures.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ approach combines topic modeling and qualitative analysis. Using data collected from newspaper and magazine articles, the authors employ topic modeling to generate a set of distinctive framings that Taiwanese actors typically adopt to motivate and justify their digital move. The authors also conduct personal interviews to qualitatively complement the authors’ topic modeling analysis and to identify the rationale behind the linguistic framings and the strategic differences brought about by the various organizations.FindingsThe authors identify five topics that the Taiwanese actors commonly used in the framing of digital transformation. These topics or frames are labeled as cross-domain coordination, market demand, intelligent technology, global trend and competition and digital innovation. The practical use of the framings is contingent on organizational characteristics. Furthermore, the authors show how the framings can be classified as either positive framing (e.g. winning the next war) or negative framing (e.g. innovate or die), generally applicable to organizations around the world struggling to cope with digital disruption.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ study has two research implications. First, the authors extend the appreciation of the digital transformation from the usual concern with technological and business model innovations to linguistic or framing practices. Second, the authors enrich the framing analysis by emphasizing a practice or contingency perspective based on sector difference. The findings are subject to the limitations of the choice of only established and reputable media outlets, the diatextual reading and filtering of useful articles for topic modeling analysis and the use of world frequency to account for frame significance.Practical implicationsThe authors shift actors' attention from improving technical efficiency to acquiring linguistic resources in the pursuit of digitalization. For example, framing the digital transformation in terms of creating a market orientation calls for not only real consumer power but also strategic discursive competence that enables the move to change. The findings also point out that practitioners can enlarge the scope of their agency rather than being trapped in the habituated routine of practices. Despite social embeddedness, organizations are more often widely connected and built enough to call for more of the cognitive frames to appeal to heterogeneous stakeholders.Originality/valueThe authors study contributes to the literature by developing a linguistic or socio-cognitive view of digital transformation strategy that is capable of expanding organizational attention toward change and innovation. The authors explore menus of strategic frames employed by actors in response to digital transformation. We also address the application of a machine-learning tool such as topic modeling to explore the socio-cognitive dimensions of digital transformation. Furthermore, the analysis leads us to identify the outcomes or effects – either positive or negative – that move beyond the particular Taiwanese case to explain the framing of digital transformation in general.

Strategic HRM practices, learning orientation and learning competence: study from retail industry

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effect of strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices on two learning outcomes, learning orientation and learning competence, which past research has seldom examined in the UAE context. SHRM practices consisted of four factors, namely, talent acquisition, learning and development, performance appraisal and developmental pay.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data was collected from 285 employees from retail outlets operating in Dubai. Partial least squares regression analysis using the tool, SmartPLS, was used to empirically validate the measurement model and test the structural model.FindingsFindings reveal that SHRM practices talent acquisition, learning and development and developmental pay have a positive association with learning orientation, and learning and development and performance appraisal have a positive association with learning competence of employees. The path coefficient and total effects signify that learning orientation acts as a conduit to pass on the effect of the SHRM practices to learning competence.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample considered for the study was from the retail industry. Furthermore, to generalize the findings of this research, cross-national studies should be conducted across various sectors and organizations.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research study is the first of its kind in retail firms in Dubai (UAE) to empirically test the association of SHRM practices with learning outcomes. Retail outlets can implement SHRM practices to improve learning orientation and learning competence in a highly dynamic operating environment such as retail industry.

Innovation networks and knowledge transfer in information management

In the present investigation, an analysis of the situation of the main coffee organizations characterized as associative structures is carried out, based on a thread at their level of organization that seeks to optimize their knowledge, articulation and internal improvement actions entailed from the objective oriented in the knowledge transfer based on innovation networks and their influence on information management in coffee producers in the province of Utcubamba - Amazonas - Peru. With the change management proposal within a corporate project supported by procedures and innovation networks, it is expected to promote positive externalities in the business model. What is proposed is instituted through an applied-basic type analysis, approached with the contrasting technique - explanatory with a succession design. As a result, within this process, key elements are articulated such as: knowledge, information and communication, strong identity and coordination and articulation rules, trust in sharing knowledge, information and communication technologies (ICT), linked to networks. That allow strengthening the Local Support Network by identifying its strategic competencies. As a conclusion, it was possible to demonstrate the importance of institutional support from public policies, the structural characteristics that innovation networks must have and actions to develop human capital, a vision of the structural, relational and organizational approach. That allow strengthening the Local Support Network by identifying its strategic competencies. As a conclusion, it was possible to demonstrate the importance of institutional support from public policies, the structural characteristics that innovation networks must have and actions to develop human capital, a vision of the structural, relational and organizational approach. That allow strengthening the Local Support Network by identifying its strategic competencies. As a conclusion, it was possible to demonstrate the importance of institutional support from public policies, the structural characteristics that innovation networks must have and actions to develop human capital, a vision of the structural, relational and organizational approach.

Translator learners' strategies in local and textual metaphors

IntroductionMetaphor is more than understanding and expressing an abstract concept in terms of a concrete one. Pre-linguistically, it is the conceptual creativity that resides in the entities yet to be expressed. Linguistically, it is the invention that expands the boundaries of words. Contextually, it is the preservation or generation of polysemy that brings about a confrontation of meanings. As such, metaphor is also a universal creative mechanism of semantic innovation and an artful discourse feature. Both Metaphor and Translation Studies, however, have mostly addressed conventional metaphors and professional translators, thereby neglecting students' behaviors when translating creative metaphors, especially at discourse level.Methods/AimThe main objective of this task-based descriptive study is therefore to investigate to what extent and how the translation strategies spontaneously adopted by 73 translator students are influenced by local, creative metaphors and by their textual patterning. The analysis of the data showed that while isolated, non-conflictual metaphors did not pose any challenges, the diverse patterns of conflictual ones hampered the translation outcome. At the micro-level, literal and explicitation strategies result in neutral, less connotative renditions. When omission prevails in correlation to metaphor clusters, the target texts appear more condensed, overtly informative, and lack the metaphorical diversity and cohesion of the source ones. As a result, the appealing linguistic jocularity deriving from exploiting metaphors and puns is toned down.DiscussionSince students tend to avoid creative solutions, these findings will serve as a preliminary discussion on how students' strategic and textual competence can benefit from cognitive-informed, conflict-based inferencing skills by exploiting the metalinguistic nature of creative metaphors and puns.

The Influence of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency Mediated by Strategic Partnership at Deputy II of Home Affairs for Economic Studies BIN

The purpose of this study was to analyze the direct and indirect effects of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency mediated by the Strategic Partnership at Deputy II for Domestic Affairs for Economic Studies at BIN. The model proposed in this study was tested using data analysis techniques and hypothesis testing using statistical tools and methods SPSS Program (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 25 and SEM modeling with Variance Based SEM or PLS SEM. The statistical tools and methods used are: validity test and reliability test. The data were collected from a sample of 60 respondents to become the object of this research through the distribution of a proportionally randomly selected questionnaire. The findings of this study are that there is a direct influence of knowledge management and educational background on the strategic human resource competence of Deputy II for Domestic Affairs for Economic Studies at BIN and there is an indirect effect of knowledge management and educational background on strategic human resource competence mediated by the strategic partnership of deputy II Domestic Economic Studies Sector BIN. The seven hypotheses proposed were all proven to be accepted, meaning that there were direct and indirect effects of the independent variables on the dependent variable. Strategic Partnership plays a very important role as mediation in increasing the influence of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency The limitation in this research is the limited number of respondents in this study and the research is quantitative in nature and the data collection process takes place in a short time with a limited number of respondents. This study found that there was a positive influence of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency mediated by the Strategic Partnership at the Deputy II for Domestic Affairs for Economic Studies at BIN. The model proposed in this study looks at the overall understanding that researchers have about the direct or indirect influence of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency mediated by the Strategic Partnership at Deputy II Domestic Affairs for Economic Studies, BIN.

The Influence of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency Mediated by Strategic Partnership at Deputy II of Home Affairs for Economic Studies BIN

The Influence of Knowledge Management and Educational Background on Strategic Human Resource Competency Mediated by Strategic Partnership at Deputy II of Home Affairs for Economic Studies BIN

Identifying key leadership competencies for digital transformation: evidence from a cross-sectoral Delphi study of global managers

PurposeEven with the recognized impact organizational leaders have on the outcome of digital transformation (DT), a comprehensive scholarly understanding of the competencies that leaders must possess to lead a DT to success is lacking.Design/methodology/approachTo derive and list the competencies considered by experts as necessary for managing DT, the authors recruited 18 international senior managers with relevant experience and applied the Delphi method to survey the managers. Upon the completion of three survey rounds and the authors modifying the response list until consensus was reached, 39 items were shortlisted as constituting key competencies for managing DT. Furthermore, the authors engaged in inductive theorizing to derive propositional statements using these findings.FindingsThe practitioners agreed on visionary thinking, agility, understanding the value of data, data-driven decision-making, knowledge of strategy and accepting change as the most important requirements for managing DT. Through inductive theorizing, the authors further derived that the seven discovered clusters fell into two broader competencies – behavioral and strategic – and that each behavioral competency would have varying importance depending on the country and industry that the organization operates in.Research limitations/implicationsAs is typical for Delphi studies that involve multiple survey rounds, the study participant response rate was moderate. The implications of this study, in finding that a variety of leadership competencies are needed to ensure successful DT, validate prior research that people, not technology, drive DT.Practical implicationsThis study helps mitigate assumptions that successful DT processes are only possible by hiring technological experts, as doing so highlights the importance of behavioral leadership competencies.Originality/valueThe study is one of the first to interlink digital leadership with DT by inductively theorizing behavioral and strategic competencies. The authors also establish that contexts are vital in determining which aspects of leadership competencies are deemed most important in driving DT.

Entrepreneurial competency in agriculture: is it a panacea for the problem of farmers' welfare?

PurposeAlthough the majority of Ethiopians continue the on-farm and off-farm work, the country still struggles to secure food for its citizens and farmer welfare is very low. To increase farmers' welfare, improving farmers' entrepreneurial competency is believed to be the solution. However, entrepreneurial competencies are diversified, and investigating the most important dimensions specific to the agricultural sector is important. As a result, the objective of this research is to look into important entrepreneurial competencies that could help farmers.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the objective, survey data, collected from 178 households in North Shoa, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia is analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe study revealed that of the six entrepreneurs' competencies considered, only two of them (Strategic competency and relationship competency) have a significant association with the welfare of farmers. Moreover, the study revealed that the moderating effect of agricultural extension (taking model and non-model farmers as a group) on the relationship between entrepreneurial competency and farmers' welfare is not significant.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses only on six entrepreneurial competencies from which two of them are found significant factors in farmers' welfare. Thus, future research could broaden the scope in terms of looking into additional variables.Originality/valueThe study investigated the moderating effect of the farmers' category as a model and non-model on the relationship between entrepreneurial competency and farmers' welfare, which is the first to discuss the moderation effect.

STRUCTURE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STRATEGIC COMPETENCE OF FUTURE PRIMARY TEACHERS

The article is devoted to highlighting the theoretical prerequisites for the formation of foreign language strategic competence of future primary school teachers. The definition of the term "strategic competence" is provided, its component composition is analyzed, and the purpose of training is determined. The purpose of the article is to highlight the structure of formation of foreign language strategic competence of future primary school teachers. In today's requirements for the foreign language training of students the role of the ability to obtain information from different sources, to absorb, supplement and evaluate it, to apply different ways of cognitive and creative activity is increasing. CEFR (2018) identifies strategic competence as a key element to form communicative competence. The methodological basis of the article is psychological, pedagogical and methodical theories and provisions that reveal conceptual approaches to the researched issues. The scientific novelty consists in determining the structural elements of strategic competence as the basis for the formation of foreign language strategic competence of future primary school teachers. The prospects for further scientific research should be the use of the identified elements of strategic competence as the basis for the formation of future primary school teachers' foreign language educational and strategic competence in the educational process to build a model of appropriate learning.

Exploration of Students’ Strategic Competence in Higher-Order Thinking Skills Based Linear Programming Topic in terms of Mathematics Learning Styles

This study is descriptive-explorative in nature employing a mixed-method approach and aiming to know students’ strategic competence in HOTS-based linear programming topic in terms of mathematics learning styles. There were 6 subjects in grade XI in Polewali Mandar that represent each learning style-strategic competence category. The instruments were questionnaire, test, and interview guidance. The questionnaire and test scores were analyzed quantitatively whereas test answers and interview results were analyzed qualitatively. The results show that of the 58 students who answered the test, they had low strategic competence in average also lack ability in each component. Visual learners are unable to formulate problem, incorrect in representing problem and unable to solve it correctly, tend to misinterpret verbal information and to involve visual presentations. An auditory learner formulated problem, however, the auditory learners are not completely correct in representing problem and unable to solve it correctly, tend to narrate the strategy, and are the best in interpreting verbal information. Meanwhile, kinesthetic learners are unable to formulate problem, not completely correct in representing problem and unable to solve it correctly, are the best in problem representation approach, but tend to be rigid in doing the strategy.

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES OF FORMING STRATEGIC COMPETENCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING ON THE BASE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

This article deals with some effective methods and techniques for the formation of strategic competence in teaching English based on the use of information technologies. Strategic competence as one of the main components of communicative competence refers to the ability to overcome difficulties in the process of communication in a foreign language (English). Strategic competence is the ability and skill to choose the most effective strategies (methods) for mastering the material and applying it in solving various communication problems. The formation of strategic competence in the process of teaching English makes it possible to choose and apply the most effective strategies for solving various problems in the communication process, and it should be pointed out that this process is more effective when using information technologies in the educational process. The formation of strategic competence in the process of teaching English based on information technologies involves mastering such general skills as drawing up a strategic plan for the implementation of a specific communicative task to improve communication in the future. The use of information technologies in the process of teaching English contributes to the growth of students' interest in the ability and willingness to take risks in communication situations to compensate for language knowledge or communication skills; the ability to use cognitive skills as well as improve communicative competence by asking clarifying questions about the language situation. English classes using information technologies in the process of developing strategic competence are distinguished by their diversity, efficiency and increased motivation of students to learn English.

The Outcomes and Interplay of Vocabulary Coping Strategies and Dictionary Skills in Task-Based Reading: An Eye Tracking Study

AbstractThis research utilised eye tracking to examine the vocabulary coping strategies and dictionary skills of Japanese English learners in task-based reading. Participants had access to an online dictionary with four definitions per word, including three inapplicable definitions. The interplay and outcomes of reading strategies and dictionary skills were investigated. The research found that performance was not statistically different compared to previous research where participants had access to a dictionary with only the applicable definition. Given the more difficult dictionary, participants more often made regressions to investigate the context in the text, but they did not reduce their dictionary use. Most participants lacked strategic competence while reading, but they demonstrated competence in dictionary skills. In rare instances of failed dictionary use, readers usually had not inspected the context cues in the text. For task-relevant words, participants who re-read context cues and then used the dictionary performed better. Implications for educators and materials developers are discussed.

Strategic Competence Model for Understanding Smart Territorial Development

In this paper, the authors propose a multi-level model for the strategic competence of territorial units, which can help explain why some territorial units manage to respond appropriately to global challenges and thrive while others fail. Strategic competence is defined by two components: substantive knowledge and strategic connections. This is the foundation for the development of four ideal types of strategic competences at the level of territorial actors—Conductor, Broker, Lone Wolf, or Rent Seeker—and four at the level of territorial units—Pioneers, Absorbers, Drifters, or Laggers. This multi-level model forms the basis for future research to transform the concepts into a set of measurable indicators to determine the current strategic competence of regions and territories. Additionally, it will provide the basis for research-informed policymaking for the purpose of co-designing, co-developing, co-implementing and co-measuring policy initiatives and their results.