Competence analysis of IT professionals involved in business services — Using a qualitative method

Content, evaluation, and applications of competence have been important issues in both academic and practical applications since the 1970s. On the one hand, studies on psychological assessment, human resources management and development have extensively discussed the definition and classification of competence; on the other hand, practical research on the competences of different occupations has attracted considerable attention. Previous studies have presented numerous analytical procedures and research methods. Further elaborating these methods can derive higher quality competency models based on different perspectives. This investigation incorporated the notion of adaptive theory into the Job Competence Analysis (JCA) method. Through rigid qualitative data analysis, this study integrated the existing literature with in-depth interviews conducted with managers and experts. This yielded a practical competence model that indentified the core competences of an occupation or industry. Taking IT professionals as an example, this study carried out field research that followed the practical model and clarified the core competencies of IT professionals in the business service sector in Taiwan. Theoretically, this model can not only establish a foundation for further research on core competence, but can also guide decision making on human resource management and development. Practically, by identifying core competences in the business services this investigation significantly helps the development of practical training programs.