Page 1 of 17

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 01

January 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 1

Core Competencies as Significant Predictors

of Employees’ Performance

Rosario L. Paulo

Abstract

This exploratory study assumes that core competencies are significant predictors of employees’

performance. It is then the purpose of the study to classify employees according to performance and

identify significant predictors using cluster and regression analysis. In this study, employees are

performing very satisfactorily despite varying core competencies. With professionalism and good

communication skills, performance of some employees are enhanced, thereby attaining organizational

success.

Keywords: communication, interpersonal effectiveness, individual performance, SLSU

Introduction

The success of an organization depends

on the quality of human resources. They are the

costliest and most important asset in an

organization, particularly in getting or

sustaining competitive advantage. So, it is

necessary to ensure that the right people with

the right skills and values are in the right place

at the right time.

SLSU has new vision, mission and

structure that pursue innovations and new

strategies for better client services.

Implementing this change needs the human

resources to shift perspectives from where they

are to where they should be. For the university

to be capacitated to attain its goals and

expectations, it involves equipping its

employees with essential competencies to

competently deliver tangible results, and

managing organizational performance through

high performing managers and employees.

Employee’s performance represents

his/her contribution in the delivery of the

organization’s mandated functions and

achievement of expected deliverables. Most

organizations are completely aware of the

importance of employees’ performance,

continually improve their performance or to

find out the ways through which high level

performance can be achieved. According to

Armstrong (2006), performance is a continuous

and flexible process that involves managers and

those whom they manage acting as partners

within a framework that sets out how they can

best work together to achieve the required

results. Performance can be improved and

reinforced, be it individual or organizational.

As cited in the study of Thach et al (2015),

employee performance is the successful

completion of tasks by a selected individual or

individuals, as set and measured by a

supervisor or organization, to pre-defined

acceptable standards while efficiently and

effectively utilizing available resource within a

changing environment.

Page 2 of 17

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 01

January 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 2

Fig. 1. Framework of the Study

Competencies are knowledge, skills,

behavior and values that are critical to

organization success as they are a source of

competitive advantage and streamline

organizational costs. The Civil Service

Commission considers competencies as

observable, measurable, and vital knowledge,

skills and attitudes which are a translation of

capabilities deemed essential for organization

success. Dubois and Rothwell (2004) defined

competencies as characteristics that individuals

have and use in appropriate, consistent ways in

order to achieve desired performance.

Core competencies are competitively

unique characteristics of the organization that

collectively lead to desired outputs and

outcomes as they are founded on its mission,

vision, values and culture. For Coyne, P. and

Kevin (2004), core competences are a set of

skills and knowledge that are integrated in the

team and that lead to the ability to implement

one or more of the critical processes to get to

the standards of international specifications.

Owing to the demand for improved

services by a more vocal clients of SLSU, and

building a performance and service oriented

bureaucracy that is truly accountable to the

people, there is a need to assess the

competencies and performance of the

university’s employees. This is to ensure their

contribution to attain its short and long-term

goals and acquire the mandated outputs and

outcome. Organizations are expected to support

their employees to acquire core competencies

to enhance performance and exceed client

satisfaction level. Some researchers

(www.isma.info) have claimed that assessment

of employee’s competencies provides an

effective method for predicting job

performance.

This study aims to determine if the

identified core competencies could be

considered as significant predictors of

employees’ performance.

Framework, Design and Method of the Study

This study assumes that core competencies are significant predictors of employees’

performance. In SLSU, performance is associated with quality, efficiency and timeliness of outputs

that are aligned to the university goals, values and initiatives, competent and well-timed discharge of

their core functions, consistent observance of rules and internal policies, participation in university

activities, and work attendance. The performance of employees in SLSU is measured on a regular

basis, twice every year with rating periods, January to June and July to December.

Professionalism

Communication

Customer Service

Personal Mastery/

Technical Skills

Interpersonal Effectiveness

Employee

Performance

Page 3 of 17

Journal for Studies in Management and Planning

Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/

ISSN: 2395-0463

Volume 04 Issue 01

January 2018

Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 3

The study identified five (5) core

competencies: professionalism,

communication, customer service,

interpersonal effectiveness and technical

skills/personal mastery. Professionalism refers

to the possession of right values as well as legal

and ethical conduct that characterize a person

in a work setting or profession. Communication

is the use of effective verbal and non-verbal

communication techniques appropriate to

people in different situations, as well as

listening and responding to achieve trust and

mutual understanding. Customer service speaks

of the commitment to satisfy client needs and

understanding their perspectives. Interpersonal

effectiveness is building and maintaining

rapport with supervisors, subordinates, peers,

clients, stakeholders and forming trusting and

respectful relationships. Personal mastery or

technical skills state the individual employee’s

strengths in terms of skills and knowledge to

perform his/her assigned tasks, and cuddles

continued growth and learning.

Data-Mining method was used to explore

data from the records of Administrative and

Human Resource Management Offices of

SLSU- Sogod. The data on competency level of

One Hundred (100) SLSU employees on the

five (5) core competencies were taken from the

results of Core Competencies Self-Assessment

Checklist accomplished by employees

(Appendix A), as a requirement for the

formulation of Individual Development Plan

(IDP). The performance ratings of the same

employees came from the evaluation results for

2014 and 2015 (Appendix B) filed in the

Human Resource Management Office, which

covered four (4) rating periods.

In this study, the employee’s

performance is the dependent variable and the

core competencies are the independent or

predictor variables. Using Minitab statistical

software, multiple regression analysis was

performed to build models which attempted to

illustrate the extent to which core competencies

contributed to employees’ performance. The

acceptable level of significance is equal to or

less than 5% (p 0.05).

Results and Discussion

The research findings indicated that

employees under Cluster 1 garnered very

satisfactory rating (3.82) despite having no

extensive qualities in all five (5) core

competencies and they manifested for the need

of additional learning and development.

Cluster 2 employees obtained a very

satisfactory rating (4.25) even with lower

degrees of interpersonal effectiveness and

technical skills, and they believed that they still

need more trainings on all of the identified core

competencies. Those who fall under Cluster 3

are employees with still very satisfactory rating

(3.65) despite of getting high on only one

competency which is interpersonal

effectiveness. With these results, it could be

said that even if the employees do not possess

higher degrees of core competencies, they can

still correctly and skilfully perform their job.

The findings suggest that the identified core

competencies may not be essential skills to

possess for them to become high performing

employees. A variety of researchers (Ryan

et.al, 2009; Spencer, et.al 2008; Qiao and

Wang, 2009; Fleury and Fleury 2005; Liu,

et.al, 2005; Collings, et.al 2010, Anwar, et.al,

2012; Clark and Armit, 2010; Asree, et. al,

2010; Pereira and Gomez, 2012) were

highlighting the validity and utility of

competencies in predicting employees’ work

performance and indicated the effects of certain

competencies on individual job performance.