Competency Modeling in an Undergraduate Management Degree Program

Competency models have been adopted in many organizations to focus systems for employee selection, training and development, and work engagement on the competencies identified by the organization as most important to its operations and strategic direction. Similarly, competency models can be employed in business schools to guide the development of students with the goal of developing their abilities consistent with demands in the marketplace. In this paper, we draw on the literature on competency models in the human resource management field and higher education to demonstrate that competency models can be helpful in developing the knowledge and abilities of business students. We also discuss the experience of developing of a competency model for an undergraduate business program and the benefits and challenges of moving to a competency-based approach.