Blackwell Publishing Ltd.Oxford, UKEJEDEuropean Journal of Education0360-3736Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004March 2005912132ArticlesTaiwan HRD practitioner competencies
International Journal of Training and Development 9:1
ISSN 1360-3736
Taiwan HRD practitioner
competencies: an application
of the ASTD WLP
competency model
Angela Shin-yih Chen, Min-dau Bian
and Yi-ming Hom
This paper aims to identify Taiwan HRD practitioners’ perceived competency levels, and to evaluate the importance of 52
workplace learning and performance (WLP) competencies. The
conceptual framework is adapted from the American Society
of Training and Development (ASTD) models for WLP conducted by Rothwell, Sanders and Soper (1999). The survey data
were obtained from 254 practitioners, results are analysed
and findings reported. Conclusions and recommendations are
provided.
Introduction
The economy of the twenty-first century is based largely on knowledge and skills. For
a business to remain competitive, it must follow the path of industries driven by
human skills and expertise. Recognizing this, companies have begun to redefine the
function of human resource development (HRD), and to rethink their expectations of
it (Bates et al., 2002; Clarke, 2004; Mulcahy & James, 2000; Thurow, 1996). Many HRDrelated competency studies have been conducted over the years. Pinto and Walker
r Angela S. Chen, Assistant Professor, Department of Business Adminstration, National Chung Hsing
University, No. 250, Kuo Kuang Road, Taichung City, Taiwan, R.O.C. Email: mdbian@yahoo.com.tw.
Min-dau Bian, Assisstant Professor, Department of Communication Management, Shih Hsin University, No. 1, Lane 17 Section 1, Mu-Cha Road, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C. Email: mdbian@cc.shu.edu.tw.
Yi-ming Hom, Masters student, Graduate School of Engineering Management, Mingchi University
of Technology, No. 84, Gungjuan Road, Taishan, Taipei, 243, Taiwan, R.O.C. Email:
ymhom@ms2.kntech.com.tw.
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main St., Malden, MA 02148,
USA.
Taiwan HRD practitioner competencies 21
(1978), McLagan (1983, 1989), Rothwell (1996) and Rothwell et al. (1999) have carried
out the most representative studies from the United States. The 1999 model (Rothwell
et al., 1999) is the most up-to-date US competency model. It updates and reinvents the
HRD field by shifting the focus from long-term development to immediate results
in performance (ASTD, 1994; Bassi et al., 1997; Peerapornvitoon, 1999). This model
incorporates the latest trends and current issues in the HR field for practitioners in the
US, and identifies competencies and roles for present and future jobs. A few HRD
competency studies have also been conducted in Asia: Yang (1994), Lee (1994),
Peerapornvitoon (1999), Yoo (1999), Kuo (2002) and Zhu et al. (2000).
Our research, using a replication of the 1999 WLP model, as well as other studies
conducted in Asia (Rothwell et al., 1999; Yoo, 1999; Peerapornvitoon, 1999), is aimed
at providing current WLP concepts and directions to HRD practitioners in Taiwan.
Ultimately, this will serve to prepare today’s workforce for tomorrow’s workplace,
provide a labour market advantage, and allow Taiwan HRD practitioners to devote
themselves to building a ‘world-class’ workforce.
This paper is organized into four major sections. It begins with the introduction of
the conceptual framework and the research purposes, then methodology and results
are presented. Finally, conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made to
Taiwan HRD practitioners and for any future research.
Conceptual framework
ASTD models for workplace learning and performance (1999) by Rothwell et al. was used
as a conceptual framework for this study. Based on this model, 52 competencies are
required for a WLP practitioner to perform his or her job successfully. These competencies are categorized into six competency groups, and seven WLP roles (see Table 1).
Workplace learning and performance (WLP) is a relatively new term to most Taiwan
HRD practitioners; however, it is not a new concept. It shifts the focus from HRD to
WLP since organizations are nowadays increasingly emphasizing intellectual capital
and performance results ahead of training activities (Rothwell et al., p. 8).
According to Rothwell et al. (1999), the definition of Workplace learning and performance is: ‘the integrated use of learning and other interventions for the purpose of
improving individual and organizational performance. It uses a systematic process
of analyzing and responding to individual, groups, and organizational needs. WLP
creates positive, progressive change within organizations by balancing human, ethical,
technological, and operational considerations’ (p. 9). From this definition, one realizes
Table 1: The six competency groups and seven WLP roles of the WLP competency model
Items
Six competency groups
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Analytical
Technical
Leadership
Business
Interpersonal
Technological
Seven WLP roles
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Manager
Analyst
Intervention selector
Intervention designer and developer
Intervention implementor
Change leader
Evaluator
22 International Journal of Training and Development
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
that WLP stresses the use of all kinds of learning intervention to improve human
performance at the workplace. The WLP model contains two basic models: the WLP
process model and the WLP disciplines model. The WLP process model is used to
determine the steps in solving performance problems, to guide group or organizational learning, to establish supportive conditions in the organization for learning and
performance improvement, and to monitor external changes affecting learning and
performance in the organization. The WLP disciplines model, also presented as the
WLP wheel, describes the range of disciplines used in WLP work. The WLP disciplines
include the primary WLP disciplines and the secondary WLP disciplines (Rothwell
et al., 1999, p. 16).
Disciplines such as Training and development, Organizational development, Career
development, and Knowledge management always work to improve human performance, and they are considered as the primary WLP disciplines. Disciplines such as
Organizational alignment systems, Information systems, Selection and staffing, Environment processes, Motivation, and Human resources are considered as the secondary
WLP disciplines that sometimes work to improve human performance. The disciplines
of Operations and production, Finance, Administrative services, Customer service,
Sales and Marketing are considered as non-WLP disciplines.
The WLP wheel has a similar structure to the HRD wheel developed by McLagan
in 1989. The major differences between the HRD wheel and the WLP wheel are that
the WLP wheel adds one new discipline – Knowledge management to its primary
WLP disciplines and it expands its secondary WLP disciplines from four to six areas.
Purposes and research questions
The main purposes of this study were to:
1.
2.
3.
analyse perceptions of current expertise, current importance, and future importance of WLP competencies in Taiwan;
identify differences in the perceived importance of competencies in terms of the
disciplines of HRD practitioners in Taiwan; and
identify the most necessary competencies for the present and the near future for
HRD practitioners in Taiwan.
Based on these three purposes, the following research questions were developed.
Each research question was measured across the six competency groups, the seven
WLP roles, and for the 52 competencies.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the current expertise levels of Taiwan HRD practitioners?
What WLP competencies are perceived to be important for now and for the future
by Taiwan practitioners?
Are there any differences among current expertise, current importance, and future
importance in terms of different disciplines?
Which competencies are most needed at present and in the near future?
Methodology
This section describes the research method applied in this study. It contains an introduction to the variables for the study, sampling procedures, procedures of instrumentation, and statistics for data analysis.
Variables
Dependent variables for this study were the perceived current expertise, perceived
current importance, and perceived future importance of the six competency groups,
seven roles, and 52 WLP competencies for HRD practitioners in Taiwan. The independent variable was the work discipline of respondents, containing three sub-groups:
Training, HRM, and Other.
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Taiwan HRD practitioner competencies 23
Instrumentation
The survey was conducted via mailed questionnaires. These were modified versions
of the original ASTD questionnaire, translated into Mandarin Chinese. Before the
questionnaires were formally administered, they were validated, pilot tested, and remodified. Data collection took place during April and May 2002. Internal consistency
of the survey data was very high; overall reliability (alpha value) achieved was 0.99.
Sampling
The target population for this study consisted of Taiwan HR professionals in one (or
more) of the following fields: Training and development, Organization development,
Management development, Career development, and Human resource management.
Names were obtained from major HRD/HRM-related organizations in Taiwan, such
as the Chinese Human Resource Management Association (CHRMA, 2002), the
Taiwan Society for Training and Development (TSTD, 2002), and the Research and
Development Institute of Vocational Training (RDIVT, 2002). After deleting duplicates
and individuals whose job responsibilities were not HR-related (such as students,
professors and secretaries), a list of 4711 Taiwan HRD practitioners was compiled, and
1100 individuals randomly selected to receive questionnaires.
Analysis
A total of 266 questionnaires (24%) were returned within the two-month survey
period; 254 were used for statistical analysis. Descriptive statistics (frequencies,
percentage, and mean value and standard deviation) were used to analyse scores of
expertise level, current importance, and future importance of WLP competencies. A
one-way ANOVA and post hoc tests were used to investigate differences among
disciplines regarding perceptions of expertise level, current importance, and future
importance of WLP competencies. Paired t-tests were employed to explore the differences between expertise levels and perceived current and future importance, in order
to support evidence for the most necessary competencies.
Results
Demographic information
Training was the primary discipline of the Taiwan HRD practitioners who participated
in this research (41%). A total of 82% of respondents had received at least a bachelor
degree, most of them with majors in Business and Management (45.3%). The majority
had one to five years of professional experience in the HRD/WLP field (59.8%). They
worked mainly in mid-sized (100–999 employees: 40.4%) or large-sized organizations
(1,000–25,000 employees: 37.9%).
Current expertise levels
The majority of participants perceived their expertise in the 52 competencies to be
between basic and intermediate levels. Very few practitioners considered themselves
to be at advanced or expert levels. Taiwan HRD practitioners reported highest
expertise in the Communication competency group, the Interpersonal competency
group, and the role of Intervention implementor. Brief results are presented in
Figure 1.
Current and future importance
In terms of the current and future importance of WLP competencies, Taiwan HRD
practitioners perceived the Communication competency, Interpersonal competencies
and the role of Intervention implementor to be most important. The concise results of
the current importance category are presented in Figure 2.
24 International Journal of Training and Development
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Business Competency Group
1. Project Management
2. Negotiating/Contracting
3. Ability to See the “Big
Picture”
1. Computer Mediated
Communication
2. Technological Literacy
3. Distance Education
1. Training Theory and
Application
2. Analytical Thinking
3. Staff Selection Theory
and Application
Technological Competency Group
Analytical Competency Group
Interpersonal Competency Group
Leadership Competency
1. Communication
2. Coping Skills
3. Interpersonal Relationship
Building
1. Goal Implementation
2. Buy-in/Advocacy
3. Leadership
1. Feedback
2. Questioning
3. Facilitations
Technical Competency Group
Figure 1: Top rankings of current expertise of WLP competencies by Taiwan HR practitioners.
Business Competency Group
1. Ability to See the “Big
Picture”
2. Knowledge Capital
3. Project Management
1. Computer Mediated
Communication
2. Technological Literacy
3. EPSS*
1. Knowledge Management
2. Systems Thinking
3. Analytical Thinking
Technological Competency Group
Analytical Competency Group
Leadership Competency Group
Interpersonal Competency
1. Communication
2. Interpersonal
Relationship
Building
3. Communication
Networks
1. Visioning
2. Goal Implementation
3. Leadership
1. Feedback
2. Facilitations
3. Questioning
Technical Competency Group
Figure 2: Top rankings of current importance of WLP competencies by Taiwan HR
practitioners. *EPSS = Electronic Performance Support Systems.
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Taiwan HRD practitioner competencies 25
Perception of differences among disciplines
It was assumed that the mean differences between expertise levels and perceived
importance represented the need for competencies. Differences were examined by
running one-way ANOVA and post hoc tests for expertise level, current importance,
and future importance. The discipline variable was divided into three sub-levels:
Training, HRM, and Other.
There were statistically significant differences in perceived current expertise
(F = 8.62, p < 0.001) and in current importance (F = 5.27, p < 0.01). Major perception
differences existed in the Training group when compared with the other two categories. No significant differences were found between the HRM discipline and Other
disciplines. The following are detailed explanations.
Current expertise levels
For the six competency groups, differences were detected in the Analytical, Business,
and Interpersonal groups when examined in terms of expertise level between the
Training and HRM disciplines. Moreover, Analytical, Leadership and Business competency groups showed differences between Training and Other disciplines. For the
seven WLP roles, significant differences were found between the Training and HRM
disciplines, as well as between Training and Other disciplines, except for the role of
Intervention implementor (see Table 2).
Current importance
For the six competency groups, there were differences in the Analytical, Business,
and Technological groups between Training and HRM disciplines. For the seven
WLP roles, differences occurred mainly between Training and HRM disciplines (see
Table 3).
Table 2: ANOVA post hoc results: Comparing competency groups among different disciplines
(current expertise)
Variable
By competency group
1. Analytical
2. Technical
3. Leadership
4. Business
5. Interpersonal
6. Technological
By WLP role
1. Manager
2. Analyst
3. Intervention selector
4. Intervention designer/developer
5. Intervention implementor
6. Change leader
7. Evaluator
Training
HRM
Other*
M
SD
M
SD
M
SD
2.76 AB
3.01
2.88 B
2.70 AB
3.34 A
2.72
0.67
0.70
0.75
0.67
0.76
0.75
3.17 A
3.17
3.13
3.11 A
3.58 A
2.78
0.72
0.80
0.84
0.72
0.70
0.74
3.20 B
3.26
3.29 B
3.20 B
3.59
2.99
0.62
0.64
0.55
0.55
0.63
0.75
2.87 AB
2.90 AB
2.81 AB
2.83 AB
3.02
2.87 AB
2.90 AB
0.61
0.60
0.62
0.63
0.67
0.61
0.60
3.20 A
3.21 A
3.13 A
3.11 A
3.23
3.20 A
3.21 A
0.68
0.66
0.67
0.67
0.68
0.68
0.66
3.28 B
3.29 B
3.23 B
3.20 B
3.29
3.28 B
3.29 B
0.54
0.56
0.55
0.57
0.56
0.54
0.56
Note: The means followed by the same letter are significantly different from each other at the
0.05 alpha level.
* The Other discipline includes: Organizational development, Career development, Management development, and other disciplines.
26 International Journal of Training and Development
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Table 3: ANOVA post hoc results: Comparing competency groups among different disciplines
(current expertise)
Variable
Training
By competency group
1. Analytical
2. Technical
3. Leadership
4. Business
5. Interpersonal
6. Technological
By WLP role
1. Manager
2. Analyst
3. Intervention selector
4. Intervention designer/developer
5. Intervention implementor
6. Change leader
7. Evaluator
HRM
Other*
M
SD
M
SD
M
SD
3.29 A
3.42
3.45
3.26 AB
3.85
3.19 A
0.73
0.86
0.78
0.69
0.73
0.88
3.59 A
3.49
3.68
3.57 A
3.99
3.57 A
0.64
0.74
0.75
0.63
0.67
0.78
3.56
3.39
3.73
3.66 B
3.84
3.43
0.56
0.68
0.65
0.66
0.52
0.80
3.40 A
3.38 A
3.32 A
3.34 A
3.53
3.40 A
3.46 A
0.64
0.64
0.65
0.67
0.69
0.65
0.65
3.66 A
3.63 A
3.62 A
3.61 A
3.71
3.65 A
3.69 A
0.58
0.59
0.59
0.59
0.61
0.59
0.58
3.65
3.61
3.59
3.59
3.60
3.64
3.65
0.53
0.54
0.52
0.53
0.49
0.51
0.56
Note: The means followed by the same letter are significantly different from each other at the
0.05 alpha level.
* The Other discipline includes: Organizational development, Career development, Management development, and other disciplines.
Most needed competencies
It was assumed that the gap between expertise level and perceived importance represented the need for competencies. Therefore, the larger the mean difference, the more
the competency would be needed. To analyse this research question, a paired t-test
was used. The mean difference between current expertise and current importance
represented the current need for each WLP competency. The mean differences between
current expertise and future importance, as well as those between current importance
and future importance, represented the future need for each WLP competency.
The results indicate that the Electronic performance support systems competency,
and those in the Technological group are the most needed items for now and the future.
The role of Evaluator was rated most important currently, and Intervention selector
was rated the most important role for the future.
•
•
For the present. The most important current competency was found to be Electronic
performance support systems, while Social awareness was ranked lowest. This
finding suggests that the Technological group, and the role of Evaluator, are most
important for the present, while the Technical group and the role of Analyst are
the least important.
For the future. Electronic performance support systems was identified as the most
important competency for the future, whereas Quality implication was rated the
least important. The Technological group and the role of Intervention selector
were perceived to be most needed for the future, while the Technical group and
the role of Analyst were rated last. Table 4 summarizes the results for the most
important WLP competencies for the present and future.
Discussion and recommendations
Based on the educational background of the 254 respondents, our findings revealed
that the majority of respondents work without formal academic training in HRD/
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Taiwan HRD practitioner competencies 27
Table 4: Summary of results for most needed WLP competencies for now and the future
Most needed WLP
competencies
Now
By competence
By group
By role
Future
By competence
By group
By role
Top ranked item*
md**
t
p
Electronic performance support systems
Technological group
Evaluator
0.83
0.61
0.50
12.25
11.53
13.37
0.000
0.000
0.000
Electronic performance support systems
Technological group
Intervention selector
Intervention designer/developer
1.50
1.17
0.94
0.94
21.00
21.20
23.32
22.67
0.000
0.000
0.000
0.000
Note: * Rank is based on the difference between current and future mean values.
** md = mean differences of (Future importance – Current expertise).
HRM. This indicates an urgent need for the establishment of more HRD/HRM academic units in Taiwan’s institutions of higher learning, including the prompt development of courses and appropriate curricula for HRD/HRM.
The results indicate that Taiwan HRD practitioners play limited roles in the field of
workplace learning and performance. They mainly viewed themselves in the roles of
Manager, Analyst, Intervention selector, and Intervention implementor. A few respondents recognized themselves as a Change leader, Evaluator or Intervention designer/
developer in the workplace. This implies that Taiwan HRD practitioners have not fully
implemented recent changes in the field.
Current expertise levels and perceived importance
The majority of participants regarded their expertise levels to be at basic to intermediate levels. Once again, this suggests that the majority of Taiwan HRD practitioners
perform their tasks without highly developed competencies. The need for proper
courses and training programmes aimed at expanding skills, abilities and competencies is evident.
The top 10 ratings in expertise and current importance had a 70% overlap, revealing
that the expertise level of Taiwan HRD practitioners is congruent with their perceptions about the current importance of the 52 WLP competencies. Three currentimportant competencies did not appear on the current-expertise list: Visioning,
Systems thinking, and Knowledge capital. It is recommended that Taiwan HRD practitioners make it a priority to establish advanced expertise in these three competencies.
Taiwan HRD practitioners were well equipped in terms of Interpersonal competencies. They regarded Interpersonal competencies as the most important group for now
and for the future. This finding is consistent with the workplace culture of Taiwan;
traditionally, businesses in Taiwan (and Asia in general) place great emphasis on
harmony and cooperation in the workplace.
It is worth noting that Taiwan HRD practitioners considered themselves to be short
on Technological competencies, but perceived that they will be important in the future.
This clearly indicates that Taiwan HRD practitioners are aware that they are expected
to possess competencies associated with emerging technology. They would do well to
begin developing such competencies immediately.
Participants identified themselves as possessing intermediate expertise levels in the
roles of Manager and Change leader, and they perceived these roles to be important
for now and for the future. Taiwan HRD practitioners should begin to expand their
job capabilities and develop expertise in encouraging the workplace to embrace
28 International Journal of Training and Development
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
change, leading the workplace in planning, organizing and achieving desired organizational goals.
The major perception differences between expertise level and competency importance were found in the Training discipline when compared to the other disciplines.
Participants from the Training discipline perceived their WLP expertise to be lower
than those in the HRM and Other disciplines, especially in the Analytical, Business,
Leadership and Interpersonal competency groups, and in all seven WLP roles. One
possible explanation is that Taiwan HRD practitioners in the HRM and Other disciplines traditionally undertake more complex and multi-dimensional tasks. As a result,
they may have developed more integral and dynamic expertise in WLP competencies
than those in the Training discipline.
Finally, when comparing future importance in terms of discipline, all professionals
agreed on the future importance of the six competency groups and the seven WLP
roles. It is noteworthy that participants in the HRM and Other disciplines shared
similar perceptions on current expertise, current importance, and future importance
of WLP competencies.
Most-needed competencies for the present and the future
Taiwan HRD practitioners indicated that all 52 WLP competencies were important,
and should receive prompt attention for immediate development. They directed their
needs for development toward Technological and Leadership competencies and the
role of Evaluator.
Participants predicted that all 52 WLP competencies will increase in importance in
the next five years. They showed a strong preference for Technological and Leadership
competencies and the role of Evaluator. It is urgent for Taiwan HRD practitioners to
develop proficiency in the following competencies: Visioning, Knowledge management, Ability to see the ‘Big Picture’, Leadership and Knowledge capital. These competencies were identified as lacking in terms of current expertise, but are increasingly
important for the present and the future. Additionally, Electronic performance support
systems, Identification of critical business issues, Group dynamics, Evaluation of
results against organizational goals and Performance gap analysis need attention.
Comparison with other countries’ studies
Based on Rothwell et al.’s WLP model, Yoo and Peerapornvitoon also conducted replicated surveys in South Korea and Thailand, respectively. Peerapornvitoon surveyed
586 HR professionals from the members of the Personnel Management Association of
Thailand. Yoo surveyed 400 Korean HRD practitioners who were selected from several
major HRD organizations from Korea. When comparing the results of this study to
the above-mentioned studies, it is interesting to note that the outcome of Taiwan’s
study is very comparable to these two replicated studies conducted in Asia.
Results from both Taiwan and South Korea showed that HRD practitioners in these
two countries had the greatest expertise in the Interpersonal competency group, and
the role of Intervention implementor. HRD practitioners from all three Asian countries
ranked the Interpersonal competency group and the role of Intervention implementor
as most important for the present. Results from Taiwan and Thailand indicate that the
most important role for the future is that of Intervention implementor. HRD practitioners from both Taiwan and South Korea considered English to be an additional
essential competency for workplace learning and performance. The results of this
study shared many points with the South Korean and Thai studies. This could be
because Asian countries have similar cultural backgrounds, influencing the way HRD
professionals perceive things and perform their work.
When compared with the US study, although ranking results were different, some
similarity can be found. Three competencies – Communication, Interpersonal relationship building, and Analytical thinking – were listed high by HRD practitioners from
both countries. In the top 10 future-important competencies, five items overlapped:
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Taiwan HRD practitioner competencies 29
Communication, Interpersonal relationship building, Ability to see the ‘Big Picture’,
Leadership and Knowledge management. In addition, US HRD practitioners recognized Interpersonal competencies as very important for the present and the future
(ranked number two).
Conclusions
The majority of Taiwan HRD practitioners who participated in this study were not
adequately equipped to lead themselves or their companies in the shift from Human
Resource Development to Workplace Learning and Performance. Most indicated that
they had only basic to intermediate expertise in this area. Very few possessed advanced
or expert levels of expertise. It seems that traditional roles and activities of training
and development are still core values for Taiwan HRD practitioners.
The expertise levels of participants were generally congruent with their perceptions on the current importance of the 52 WLP competencies. It can be concluded
that it is essential for a successful HRD practitioner to possess expertise in interpersonal competencies, since they are regarded as the most important for now and
for the future. Discrepancies in perceptions on expertise level and current importance did arise between different disciplines. Practitioners in the Training and
development discipline held different perceptions than practitioners from other
disciplines, but all participants had similar perceptions on the future importance of
WLP competencies.
The major activities of Taiwan HRD professionals are still very training oriented.
A similar observation was also described by Lien and McLean (2004). It may be too
early to evaluate Taiwan HRD professionals’ competency based on the ASTD WLP
competency model. Yet the results and the implication can still be very valuable to
Taiwan HRD professionals. The results of this research indicate the current status of
Taiwan HRD practitioners, and as such they provide an ideal status report and a
blueprint of what and where the Taiwan HRD practitioners can and should be. By
introducing the ASTD WLP competency model, it is hoped that the findings of
this study will provide some insightful observations, show some new paths for the
Taiwan HRD practitioners, and ultimately, build a tailor-made theory and model
applicable to Taiwan.
We hope that this study can be of use to HRD practitioners, academicians, and
businesses in the areas of WLP, HRD, HRM or related fields in Taiwan. HRD practitioners can identify the most important competencies for the present and the future,
then use this information to design, develop and evaluate their jobs, roles and work
outputs. Businesses can apply the results of this study to outline job descriptions,
employee selection, training and development, and performance evaluation. Academia can use the results as a guideline for developing curricula that adequately
prepare students to become HRD professionals.
Implications
Taiwan HRD practitioners can utilize this research to reflect on their advantages
as well as their limitations. The results provide guidelines for practitioners to form a
self-development plan, indicating appropriate development priorities and necessary
knowledge and skills levels. HR departments can use this research to select the right
WLP candidates for their organizations and for performance evaluation. Businesses
can use the results to set short-term and long-term goals for developing WLP competency inventories according to their business climate, priorities and/or organizational
goals. Educational institutions can use this research as a guide for setting up programmes in HR/WLP related fields. Existing courses and curricula may use the results
to evaluate and update databases, so that students and teachers have the most upto-date information. Finally, foreign investors can use this research to understand the
current expertise status of Taiwan HRD practitioners, and their perceptions of the need
for professional development.
30 International Journal of Training and Development
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Recommendations
The following recommendations are based on this study’s results, and are aimed at
Taiwan HRD practitioners and HRD/WLP related educational institutes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
It is strongly recommended that all Taiwan HRD practitioners break down the
walls built by traditional notions of HRM/HRD, and begin to initiate a new vision
for WLP.
It is strongly recommended that Taiwan HRD practitioners spare no efforts to
build on their WLP competencies and extend their job functions, so that they can
play appropriate roles in this rapidly changing field.
It is absolutely vital for Taiwan HRD practitioners in the Training discipline to
focus on the Analytical, Business, Leadership and Interpersonal competencies
groups, as well as gain a holistic approach to all seven WLP roles. It is recommended that the following competencies be developed first: Visioning, Knowledge management, Ability to see the ‘Big Picture’, Leadership and Knowledge
capital. Electronic performance support systems, Identification of critical business
issues, Group dynamics, Evaluation of results against organizational goals, and
Performance gap analysis also require prompt attention.
It is recommended that all Taiwan HRD practitioners develop technological
competencies very quickly. Participants in the study foresaw the importance of
emerging technology.
It is recommended that all Taiwan HRD practitioners continue building on their
expertise in interpersonal competencies. Participants repeatedly identified interpersonal competencies as important. A successful HRD/WLP candidate is one
who can communicate and interact with others effectively, and provide insight to
bridge communication gaps between employees, departments and organizations.
A majority of Taiwan HRD practitioners work without formal educational training in HRD/HRM. It is highly recommended that Taiwan’s higher education
system establish adequate undergraduate and graduate programmes in HRD/
WLP.
It is recommended that Taiwan HR/WLP-related professional development
institutions begin evaluating training programmes to determine if their current
services meet Taiwan HRD practitioners’ needs.
There are very few high quality academic HRD/WLP journals published in
Taiwan. It is highly recommended that Taiwan HRD/WLP academicians, practitioners, and professional organizations publish scholarly HRD/WLP journals to
encourage information exchange and keep professionals aware of current research
information.
The following recommendations are based on the study’s results and research questions, and are proposed for further educational research.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Follow-up researchers are encouraged to utilize qualitative data, such as in-depth
interviews and/or field observations, to acquire more substantial data.
Future research may want to examine other variables, such as type of business,
level of position, size of organization, or years of experience, to see if these have
any effect on perceptions of expertise level, current importance, and future importance of WLP competencies.
Further investigation on the actual causes of different perceptions between disciplines may be warranted.
Research may be replicated in other Asian countries, such as mainland China,
Japan or Singapore, since these countries have cultural backgrounds similar to
Taiwan, and very little HRD/WLP research has been conducted in these countries.
Further studies may examine how culture influences perceptions of competencies,
especially when studies compare countries with different cultural backgrounds.
Additional research on the relationship between competencies and performance
is suggested. Clear and comprehensive performance standards for WLP practitioners would be very useful.
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.
Taiwan HRD practitioner competencies 31
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