Showing papers on "Skills management published in 2001"

Competences in education: A confusion of tongues

Abstract: There is a growing interest in the concept of 'competence learning' in various areas of education, training and professional development. Competences are commonly assumed to represent more than the levels of knowledge and skills and to account for the effective application of available knowledge and skills in a specific context. But, with this trend, the term 'competence' is being used in many different ways. How are competencies thought to relate to knowledge, skills and attitudes, and what meaning and validity do various claims about competences have? The competence concept is quite troublesome, and it is argued that the term has no significance beyond that which is associated with the term 'skills'.

Gender differences in leadership styles and management skills

Abstract: The results of this study suggest that self‐reported leadership styles of female accountants differ somewhat from the leadership styles reported by male accountants. Females are more likely than males to indicate that they use an interactive style of management called transformational leadership. This leadership style was found to be correlated with several management skills associated with success. Female accountants reported somewhat higher perceived effectiveness on two of these management skills: coaching and developing and communicating. The findings also suggest that female accountants receive more developmental opportunities than do their male colleagues.

Ignorant theories and knowledgeable workers: interrogating the connections between knowledge, skills and services

Abstract: This article builds on recent critiques of the knowledge economy to argue that key growth areas in future employment will be in low level service jobs rather than knowledge work as currently understood. The article discusses the knowledge, skills and competencies involved in interactive service work. It suggests that knowledge which is contextual, social or tacit has been taken to be of lesser value in relation to competitive advantage. It highlights the contrast, therefore, between the growth in interactive service work and the focus of the knowledge management literature on a small sub-set of total employment. Two case-studies of interactive service work, one drawn from a range of service sectors and the other from a call-centre setting, provide empirical material which highlights the skills required by em-ployers in this area. Technical skills were seen as less important than aesthetic and social skills. These cases highlight the management of social skills and competencies as critical to interactive service work. Workers need to develop an understanding of themselves that allows them to consciously use their emotions and corporeality to influence the quality of the service. This leads to the conclusion that the interactive service sector should not be conflated with knowledge work. Rather, it is more important to focus on the broader need for knowledgeability in work, and so broaden understanding of labour in the contemporary workplace.

An Exploratory Analysis of the Value of the Skills of IT Personnel: Their Relationship to IS Infrastructure and Competitive Advantage

Abstract: Determining and assessing the requisite skills of information technology (IT) personnel have become critical as the value of IT has risen in modern organizations. In addition to technical skills traditionally expected of IT personnel, softer skills like managerial, business, and interpersonal skills have been increasingly cited in previous studies as mandatory for these employees. This paper uses a typology of IT personnel skills—technology management skills, business functional skills, interpersonal skills, and technical skills—and investigates their relationships to two information systems (IS) success variables, IS infrastructure flexibility and the competitive advantage provided by IS. The study investigates these relationships using the perceptions of chief information officers (CIOs) from mostly Fortune 2000 companies. The contributions of this study are: IT personnel skills do affect IS success, technical skills are viewed as the most important skill set in affecting IS infrastructure flexibility and competitive advantage, and modularity is viewed as more valuable to competitive advantage than integration. Several explanations are offered for the lack of positive relationships between the softer IT personnel skills and the dimensions of IS success used in this study.

Teaching Social Skills to People with Autism

Abstract: The treatment of social skills deficits remains one of the most challenging areas in meeting the needs of people with autism. Difficulties in understanding social stimuli, in initiating and responding to social bids, and in appreciating the affect that is intrinsic to social interactions can be baffling for people with autism. Researchers and practitioners of applied behavior analysis have tried a variety of strategies for teaching social skills. This article examines a range of useful procedures for teaching social skills to people with autism, including skills that are adult mediated, peer mediated, and child-with-autism mediated. The authors also consider the potential of classwide interventions in inclusive settings, pivotal response training, and the use of scripts to teach social initiations.

Fostering deep and elaborative learning and generic(soft) skill development: the strategic use of case studies in accounting education

Abstract: It is vital that accounting educators take responsibility for the development of students' generic (soft) skills in conjunction with, discipline-specific skills. Research indicates that the typical learning styles of accounting students are not suited to the acquisition of generic skills. In this paper learning theory is used to provide a framework to support the use of case studies as a tool to promote appropriate learning styles and thereby enhance generic skill development. The paper details a number of strategies that may be implemented with case studies to achieve these goals. The implications for accounting educators, which are significant, are discussed.

Using a Technology-Enriched Environment to Improve Higher-Order Thinking Skills

Abstract: This study examined the effect of a technology-enriched classroom on student development of higher-order thinking skills and student attitudes toward computers. A sample of 80 sixth-grade and 86 fifth-grade students was tested using the Ross Test of Higher Cognitive Processes and surveyed using the Computer Attitude Questionnaire. The creation of a technology-enriched classroom environment appears to have had a positive effect on student acquisition of higher-order thinking skills. This study identified several implications related to classroom design to enhance the development of higher-order thinking skills. Teachers reported that the technology-enriched classroom differed from the traditional classroom in several significant ways.

Measuring and assessing the impact of basic skills on labour market outcomes

Abstract: The role of basic literacy and numeracy skills in the labour market is relatively under-researched in the United Kingdom (UK). The effect of basic literacy and numeracy skills on labour market outcomes was highlighted in ‘Improving literacy and numeracy: a fresh start’, a report by Claus Moser on the basic skills of adults in the United Kingdom (UK) which was published by the Department of Education and Skills (DfES) in 1999. This report revealed the high level of literacy and numeracy difficulties amongst the British population, and suggested that this ‘skill gap’ is one of the worst in Europe generally. The report recommended a National Strategy for Adult Basic Skills to reduce the number of functionally illiterate and innumerate adults. To investigate the possible benefits of such a strategy and to address the lack of research in this field, this paper provides an evaluation of the economic returns to better literacy and numeracy skills. The authors measure UK workers’ basic literacy and numeracy skills using data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) and the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS). The impact of these skills are evaluated particularly in relation to wages. The findings indicate better wage and employment returns for those workers with higher level literacy and numeracy skills.

Assessing skills for work: two perspectives

Abstract: Changes in the nature of work have created demands for new skills and education and training policies to enhance skill development. To successfully accomplish the latter, policymakers must first define and measure skills, then understand how they contribute to economic performance. This paper contrasts two theoretical perspectives for skills measurement: the economic perspective that dominates the policy discussion about skills, and the sociocultural perspective. The paper explores the basic assumptions about skills from each perspective and considers how each addresses different issues concerning skill requirements. It argues that the sociocultural perspective has some advantages over the dominant paradigm.

Peer Mediation and Monitoring Strategies to Improve Initiations and Social Skills for Students with Autism

Abstract: Four students with autism and a group of nondisabled peers were taught to use and monitor social skills while playing games to increase initiations and social interaction skills. Social skills targ...

Simulation in Medical Education: A Review

Abstract: Simulation is used widely in medical education The simulation methodologies used at the present time range from low technology to high technology This article describes how role play, standardize

Vocational skills in the accounting professional profile: the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) employers' opinion

Abstract: The increasingly dynamic environment in which accountants work has necessitated a reorientation of accounting education. In some countries this issue has raised great interest amongst accounting educators and practitioners. The ongoing debate has already resulted in the publication of several statements and research papers that have raised the question of the relevance of the role of vocational skills in accounting education. Examples of these vocational skills are communication skills, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving skills. This paper reports on the importance that the employers of management accountants gave to a specified set of vocational skills and capabilities and the level of ability of these skills exhibited by students. In order to prioritize future developments an integrated analysis of the two attributes, importance and exhibited level, is enabled by the use of strategic mapping. The results of this study suggest that the employers perceive deficiencies in several capabilities that t...

Social Work Skills: A Practice Handbook

Abstract: Acknowledgments Introduction The knowledge base of social work: theoretical, factual and experiential knowledge Social work skills, interventions and practice effectiveness Understanding human beings Communication, listening and assessment skills Basic interviewing skills (skills 1-20) Providing help, direction guidance (skills 21-36) Empowerment, negotiation-partnership (skills 36-50) Professional competence and accountability Conclusion Appendices References Index

Science education in an urban elementary school: Case studies of teacher beliefs and classroom practices

Abstract: Through a case study approach, the state of science education in an urban elementary school was examined in detail. Observations made from the perspective of a science education specialist, an educational psychologist, and an expert elementary teacher were triangulated to provide a set of perspectives from which elementary science instruction could be examined. Findings revealed that teachers were more poorly prepared than had been anticipated, both in terms of science content knowledge and instructional skills, but also with respect to the quality of classroom pedagogical and management skills. Particularly significant, from a science education perspective, was the inconsistency between how they perceived their teaching practice (a “hands-on,” inquiry-based approach) and the investigator-observed expository nature of the lessons. Lessons were typically expository in nature, with little higher-level interaction of significance. Implications for practice and the associated needs for staff development among urban elementary teachers is discussed within the context of these findings. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed85:89–110, 2001.

Learning oral presentation skills: a rhetorical analysis with pedagogical and professional implications.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Oral presentation skills are central to physicianphysician communication; however, little is known about how these skills are learned. Rhetoric is a social science which studies communication in terms of context and explores the action of language on knowledge, attitudes, and values. It has not previously been applied to medical discourse. We used rhetorical principles to qualitatively study how students learn oral presentation skills and what professional values are communicated in this process. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Inpatient general medicine service in a university-affiliated public hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twelve third-year medical students during their internal medicine clerkship and 14 teachers. MEASUREMENTS: One-hundred sixty hours of ethnographic observation, including 73 oral presentations on rounds. Discourse-based interviews of 8 students and 10 teachers. Data were quanlitatively analyzed to uncover recurrent patterns of communication. MAIN RESULTS: Students and teachers had different perceptions of the purpose of oral presentation, and this was reflected in performance. Students described and conducted the presentation as a rule-based, data-storage activity governed by “order” and “structure.” Teachers approached the presentation as a flexible means of “communication” and a method for “constructing” the details of a case into a diagnostic or therapeutic plan. Although most teachers viewed oral presentations rhetorically (sensitive to context), most feedback that students received was implicit and acontextual, with little guidance provided for determining relevant content. This led to dysfunctional generalizations by students, sometimes resulting in worse communication skills (e.g., comment “be brief” resulted in reading faster rather than editing) and unintended value acquisition (e.g., request for less social history interpreted as social history never relevant). CONCLUSION: Students learn oral presentation by trial and error rather than through teaching of an explicit rhetorical model. This may delay development of effective communication skills and result in acquisition of unintended professional values. Teaching and learning of oral presentation skills may be improved by emphasizing that context determines content and by making explicit the tacit rules of presentation.

Developing information literacy: a key to evidence-based nursing.

Abstract: This report describes the evaluation of a curriculum-integrated programme designed to help students develop an awareness of the nursing literature, the skills to locate and retrieve it, and skills required in its evaluation; in other words ‘information literacy’. Positive changes in student performance on objective measures of information-literacy skills were revealed as well as a significant increase in the levels of confidence of the student in performing those skills. Students who had undertaken the information-literacy programme (‘programme’ students) performed better on a range of objective measures of information literacy, as well as reporting higher levels of confidence in these skills, than students who had not participated in the programme (‘non-programme’ students). Evaluation of this programme provides evidence of the potential usefulness of a curriculum-integrated approach for the development of information-literacy skills within nursing education. With these underlying skills, students will be better equipped to consolidate and extend their key information-literacy skills to include research appreciation and application. These are vital for effective lifelong learning and a prerequisite to evidence-based practice.

Teaching Study Skills and Supporting Learning

Abstract: Preface PART ONE: LEARNING IN CONTEXT Introduction Understanding the Learner Supportive Learning Environments Induction, Orientation and the Identification of Learning Needs Integrating Study Skills into Teaching Writing: The Burning Issue Study Skills Programmes Supporting Individual Students Teaching to Support Learning: The Reflective Practitioner PART TWO: MENUS Outlines for Study Skills Sessions Introduction to the Section Induction: Orientation to Learning Managing Learning: Attitudes and Approaches to Learning Managing Learning: Identifying Skills and Learning Priorities Working with Others Organisational Skills Thinking Skills Using Lectures Effectively Reading for Research Writing Skills I Writing Skills II Writing Skills III Critical and Analytical Thinking Skills Seminars and Oral Presentations Memory Revision and Exams Drawing it Together Appendices References Index

New Directions in Social Skills Assessment and Intervention for Elementary and Middle School Students

Abstract: Social skills are important to the successful social and academic functioning of all students and play a significant role in avoiding or preventing negative responses from others. Social skills also are important aspects of effective schools. In this article, we emphasize the assessment and intervention of the academic side of social skills. That is, we examine the role that social skills play in facilitating individuals' learning and creation of a school environment where others can feel supported and motivated to learn. As a basis for this examination, we first review several key studies documenting interrelations among social skills and academic competence. Next, we briefly review current assessment practices focusing on rating scale methods for documenting students' social skills and perceptions of social support. Finally, we introduce an instructional approach called the Responsive Classroom (Charney, 1992) that has been shown to advance the development of elementary and middle school students' socia...

Teaching and assessing communication skills in Maastricht: the first twenty years

Abstract: In order to share the issues involved in setting up a communication skills training programme in a medical school, the development of such a programme at the Skillslab of Maastricht Medical School, the Netherlands, is described and the problems encountered are addressed. A multidisciplinary working group developed teaching goals for communication skills, focused on observable behaviour to be displayed by students. These teaching goals were incorporated in a generic model for doctor-patient communication. A longitudinal training programme was created, throughout the four years of the preclinical curriculum. Students meet in small groups of 10, once every 2 weeks. In between group sessions they practise consultation skills in simulated patient contacts. Communication skills are assessed in the annual multiple station examination. In the development of this programme the following consecutive actions were taken: teaching material was produced, and an assessment tool was developed, as were instruments for programme evaluation. The programme evaluation allowed student feedback to teachers, the teachers' departments, and the administration of the medical school. Finally, teacher training was professionalized.

Assessment of Children's Social Skills: Recent Developments, Best Practices, and New Directions.

Abstract: This article provides an overview of some of the recent developments in assessing social skills of children and youth, as well as a discussion of "best practices" in conducting assessment and linking assessment to effective intervention Naturalistic behavioral observation and behavior rating scales are proposed as the 2 assessment methods that should be considered primary or "first-line" choices for social skills assessment A review of some specific tools that have been developed within these 2 assessment methods is provided Interviewing and sociometric techniques, although not necessarily primary methods of assessment for children's social skills, sometimes may be an important part of an assessment design, or "second-line" choices Projective-expressive techniques or objective self-report instruments for assessing children's social skills sometimes may help illuminate the overall assessment results but should never be used as primary assessment methods for social skills; thus, these methods are consid

Teaching Skills for Teaching Librarians: Postcards from the Edge of the Educational Paradigm

Abstract: Greater emphasis on core or generic skills is generating sweeping reforms across tertiary curricula, and academics now face the challenge of developing in students complex concepts and skills of which they themselves may possess limited awareness, understanding or ability.This shift in focus demands that the academic must seek out comprehensive, specialised guidance from support areas such as libraries. In response, librarians must be positioned as key educators in the teaching and learning environments of the future. They require new and refined skills and conceptual understandings which will enable them to perform with an educational competence and professional confidence equal to that of their academic peers.The skills required to enable the ‘librarian-teacher’ metamorphosis to occur must be explored in terms of potential development and sustainability. Evolving roles and responsibilities, changing expectations and customised staff development present implications for librarians and library man...

End-of-life care in the intensive care unit: can we do better?

Abstract: Everywhere we turn these days, it seems that we are confronted with a new study that reports the dissatisfaction expressed by families with the quality of care received by their loved ones who have died while in the intensive care unit. It is difficult for caregivers to accept this information, which is now commonly reported both in published studies and in the lay press. As clinicians, most of us believe that we truly care about our patients and are trying, as best we can, to act in their best interest. No caregiver wants to hear that he or she does not do a good job when caring for dying patients and their families. It is ironic that clinicians recognize and accept the need for continuing education. Yet many clinicians resent the suggestion that the skills required for end-of-life care might be viewed in the same manner, as a lifelong learning process. It is unusual for physicians to identify end-of-life-care as an area of competency that can be improved or updated. Perhaps this is why end-of-life-care has been so difficult to teach to clinicians in training. Although many medical schools offer courses on the ethics of death and dying, formal training in end-of-life care skills is not routinely given in most postgraduate training programs. Learning these skills is a matter of on-the-job training for most caregivers. Not only have we been unable to measure any beneficial impact from education initiatives for end-of-life care, we have yet to identify clear indicators for end-of-life care. For caregivers, enhancing end-of-life skills may be a matter of improved listening skills, attention to the proper environment for end-of-life discussions, and a willingness to facilitate end-of-life decision-making. Encouraging caregivers to view end-of-life skills as a lifelong educational process, identifying core competencies in end-of-life care, and training clinicians in these skills are the challenges for the future. The quality of care our patients receive at the end of life will depend on our ability to answer these difficult questions.

Culturally Competent Practice: Skills, Interventions, and Evaluations

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The added value of MBA studies – graduates’ perceptions

Abstract: The goal of Master Business Administration (MBA) programmes is to add value to its graduates and make them better managers. Reports on a study which provides a comprehensive evaluation for the impact of an MBA programme of a leading UK business school on the competencies, skills, self‐perception and careers of its graduates. The results demonstrate the value that these MBA studies generate for individuals and their employers. Based on responses of 344 graduates, now working managers, the output of the study clearly indicates the value they have gained from their MBA. This is seen in increased managerial skills, self‐confidence and several aspects of career development.

Coaching generations in the workplace.

Abstract: Understanding employees' beliefs, attitudes, and values about the world and the workplace can assist a manager in more effectively communicating with and coaching employees. One of the factors that influence an employee's perception of work is the generation in which they were born. The workforce today is composed of three distinct generational cohorts. The term generational cohort refers to people born in the same general time span who share key life experiences, which include demographic trends, historical events, public heroes, entertainment pastimes, and early work experiences. These common life experiences create cohesiveness in perspectives and attitudes and define the unspoken assumptions of the generation. As a result, employees of different age groups do not share the same work ethic or expectations. Certainly, each human being is an individual. However, understanding generational experiences and perspectives and learning to coach individuals from different age groups are becoming essential management skills.

Estimating the determinants of supply of computing, problem‐solving, communication, social, and teamworking skills

Abstract: We investigate the sources of supply of several core skills, using an innovative approach to skills measurement that involves adapting a job analysis methodology and applying it in a survey context. We then estimate the determinants of skills supply using a production function model. The main findings are: (i) prior education and work experience have generally positive but diminishing marginal impacts on skills, consistent with the earnings function literature; (ii) off-the-job training is productive of most types of skill, while on-the-job training is effective for the generation of problem-solving and team-working skills. Both types of training are transferable from previous employers; (iii) more education enhances the development of computing skills at work, but with respect to other core skills, less educated workers make up for their lower education through more work-based learning; (iv) there is a strong association between the presence of some new or flexible organisation characteristics and both the level and growth of all types of skills. We argue overall that the contribution of work-based learning to skills development is more important than normally allowed for in the skills policy discourse.

Looking Good and Sounding Right: Style Counselling and the Aesthetics of the New Economy

Abstract: Suggests that bosses choose staff for their self-presentational skills rather than technical skills or experience. The authors, Chris Warhurst and Dennis Nickson of Strathclyde University, believe that government training policy should try and help staff meet these needs. Everyone, not only middle-class professionals and politicians, should be prepared to make use of the image-makers. The survey was carried out in the Glasgow region but its findings are almost certainly applicable elsewhere in these islands. The authors asked employers about the things they looked for when hiring new employees. Key findings include a high ranking for personal presentation and appearance (above even initiative and communications skills), and very low ranking for technical skills.

Skills and competency management

Abstract: Many leading companies are looking at ways to link skills development to strategic objectives as well as to demonstrate compliance with industry regulations. The greatest cost of learning is the time people are not working at their jobs. The solution is to minimise the time spent in training and focus people specifically on just the skills they need. It is important, therefore, to identify the skill gaps of employees in terms of the organisation’s specific business goals and strategies. Competency management is now recognised as a key process to ensure that the individual and organisation training plans are linked to business goals. This article will illustrate how skills and competency management systems can help organisations improve the effectiveness of their training.

People Skills: Change Management Tools--Lewin's Change Model

Abstract: This is the first in a series of articles about some of the most effective models, methods, and processes of the OD trade. OD stands for organization devel opment, a discipline that offers much to the MS/OR practitioner determined to help clients solve real-world problems. Because it is based on a systemic view of organiza tions, OD includes the whole universe of fuzzy people issues that increasingly de termine the success or failure of efforts to