Key competencies of traders in municipal markets: case study in the Livramento Market of Setubal

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to analyse the role and importance of trader’s competencies in the context of municipal markets. It is proposed to define the ideal competences profile of traders (ICPT) in a municipal market – Livramento Market of Setubal, Portugal – attending to their key competencies, to assess the degree of similarity between the actual profile of the traders and the ICPT.Design/methodology/approach – A case study was carried out with a quantitative approach through the application of a survey to individuals of the various stakeholders’ groups (N = 36) related to the municipal markets.Findings – The ordering the relative importance of the competencies allowed to obtain the ICPT, highlighting the greater importance of more technical competencies in detrimental of soft competencies. Each of the competence’s profiles identified by the different groups were compared to the ICPT and high percentages of similarity were obtained (greater than 70%).Research implications – This study assists professional associations and managers in the design of local market management models with a focus on competencies, guiding their efforts towards the development of the most relevant competencies for professional practice.Originality/value – Its originality is based on the lack of research studies focused on the analysis of the competences of the players in the municipal markets. The analysis of the central role of a profession that is little valued, and little studied in the national context serves as an anchor for other studies on the competencies of these professionals.