C ompetency management can provide crucial leverage in the current competitive scenario where organizational performance increasingly depends on their assets of knowledge and skills (Yeung, 1996). In such an in-creasingly changing environment, it makes more sense to consider human resources as owners of skills and situated individual knowledge, rather than trying to constrain their behavior within roles characterized by predefined expectations and responsibilities. Consequently, the adoption of a competency-based approach seems an appropriate way to overcome the lack of flexi-The dominant view in managerial practice assumes that competencies are "universal" constructs whose meaning is independent from any specific context. The "universalist" approach ensures a high degree of efficiency through standardization of competency codebooks. However, the effectiveness of this approach has often been questioned. Overgeneralization makes the description of competencies ambiguous and does not provide HR managers with adequate practical information. An alternative, "situationalist" approach defines competencies as situated, idiosyncratic constructs whose meaning is deeply influenced by organizational culture and by the unique way people make sense of their jobs. We propose a methodological approach to competency management based on a situationalist perspective. Through a field study carried out in a large Italian organization, we discuss the issues relevant to consider when developing competency-management systems though a situationalist approach. In particular, we show that the situationalist approach, by ensuring higher attention to the meaning and to the situated nature of competencies, is more capable of dealing with some of the critical management challenges outlined in the recent literature, such as the demand for more participative approaches and the increasing emphasis on emerging competencies.

No abstract

No abstract

Proposes a comprehensive approach to support the activities of companies that provide public services. This approach consists of several steps. Defines an appropriate set of performance indicators, and the choice of an appropriate evaluation technique and its application to the services involved. Enables managers of organisations operating in public services to derive operational frameworks based on: an analysis of the information flows among different stakeholders involved in service processes; and the identification of a set of indicators allowing evaluation of the performance level in order to develop quality control systems. Presents an application of the approach to the case of the water supply service in Italy.

Purpose This paper aims to investigate factors and weaknesses influencing university–industry interactions diffusion and success by focusing on the research services initiatives because there are limited studies in literature focusing on this specific form of interaction between the two actors. Design/methodology/approach The authors carried an explorative research based on multiple case studies referring to research services experienced between two big Italian universities and small and medium-sized enterprises located in the same area. Findings By conducting a cross-case analysis, the authors highlight categories of data in terms of factors influencing interactions’ diffusion and success, as perceived by researchers and by firms; and weaknesses in the interactions process to identify suggestions for improving interactions’ diffusion and success, from researchers and firms. Practical implications The outcomes provide managerial implications useful for agencies supporting the diffusion of innovation among firms and firms’ systems for defining new policies and action plans aimed at making the university–industry interactions faster and more effective, improving the innovation processes within firms. Originality/value This paper gives new insight in the analysis of factors enhancing university–industry relationships with a focus on research services collaborations and focusing both on university and industry, where large contributions focus predominantly on both groups.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a methodological approach aimed at identifying technical and organizational capabilities firms should have before the ERP implementation process starts, in order to select the more appropriate implementation strategy and the change management interventions to support the selected strategy.Design/methodology/approachCapabilities to implement ERP system are selected on the basis of a literature review and through focus group session in collaboration with the company partner of the project. Then, a methodological approach is proposed on the basis of such capabilities. Scales of the capabilities are built, and an algorithm to analyze and evaluate firms' capabilities is proposed.FindingsThe methodological approach has been tested through a validation experiment with the company partner of the research project. Results reveal the usefulness of the methodology in estimating the capabilities that firms should have in order to select the more appropriate implementation strategy.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is under development in order to validate the methodological approach through a case study.Practical implicationsStarting from the methodological approach a useful tool could be developed to analyze technical and organizational capabilities of the firm, and to select the more appropriate ERP implementation strategy.Originality/valueThe methodological approach is the result of a research project based on tight collaboration between academic researchers and IT managers involved in ERP implementation processes. Thanks to such collaboration, tacit knowledge and expertise accumulated by IT managers during ERP implementation processes was explicated and evaluated in the proposed methodology. The result is a model that goes beyond descriptive analysis and offers prescriptive advice on how to address the potential challenges prior to and during the implementation processes.

No abstract

Purpose The aim of this paper is to present a study performed in conjunction with a branch of the Italian Public Italian Administration, the ISSP (Istituto Superiore di Studi Penitenziari – the Higher Institute of Penitentiary Studies). The study aimed to develop a Transfer of Training (ToT) evaluation methodology that would be both scientifically robust and practitioner-friendly, in an attempt to build a bridge between researchers and practitioners on the topic of ToT process evaluation. Design/methodology/approach The ToT evaluation system was built using an action research approach, taking into account workplace specifics and stakeholder needs. An “action research” (with the researchers involved throughout the ToT system building phases) and a “Focus Group” (to identify factors influencing ToT and to define items and grids for behavioural assessment) were used. Findings This study showed that the active engagement of stakeholders (trainees and their supervisors and colleagues) is useful in designing context-adapted tools for ToT evaluation and can help organizations improve the fit between their training activities and organizational goals. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of the proposed ToT evaluation methodology is not guaranteed, and the procedure needs to be replicated and monitored in different organizational settings and cultures. Practical implications The organization decided to implement the ToT evaluation methodology developed during the course of the study for all future training programmes. Originality/value In this study, a ToT evaluation methodology was built that will be both scientifically robust and practitioner-friendly.