Competence Performance Gap Analysis - Essay Example

Student’s name) (Course code) (Professor’s name) (University name) (City, State) (Date of submission) Table of Contents Contents Page Cover page 1 Table of contents 2 1.0 Introduction 4 1.1 Competency 5 1.3 Gap within workforce 5 1.4 factors influencing individual competencies 5 1.5 What to be consider in performance gap analysis 5 2.0 Case analysis 6 2.1 Political factors 6 2.2 Economic Factors 6 2.3 Social factors 7 2.4 Technological factors 7 2.5 Legal factors 7 2.6 Environmental factors 2.7.0 Situational analysis (SWOT Analysis) 7 2.7.1 Strength 7 2.7.2 Weaknesses 8 2.7.3 Opportunities 8 2.7.4 Threats 8 3.0 Problem identification 9 4.0 Recommendation 12 Reference List 13 1.0 Introduction Improved technology has made movement of people from one point to another or from one country to another to be simple and easy hence increasing mobility. Students can learn online and can do exchange programs and get overseas certificates; globalization has played an important role in ensuring that knowledge sharing is readily available and one can travel abroad to acquire skills which are not readily available in their regions. Labor market similarly, has experienced the same mobility where the countries, companies and other organization can easily import more skilled labour which is not readily available in their countries, likewise due to economic meltdown in most countries; there is mass exodus of human capital across the world to look for greener pasture (cheetam and chivers, 2005).. Due to increased mobility of labour, the task of managing human resource has become more complicated stating from the point of recruitment to the point of remuneration and how to get the right man power to join the company and undertake specific task. For someone to join specific degree program, then he or she must have some specific pre-qualification likewise to be employed as an accountant in accompany then you must have the right qualification. There is need to match the employee’s experience, qualification and the task assigned to any employees in for quality and efficient work performance. 1.2 Competency Competency can be defined as effective work performance within a specific area of proficiency, (cheetam and chivers, 2005). Note that many people confused the term competency in very many different ways and the most sources is from literature which is language competency, other people as like Stricter who defines competency as any form of knowledge, ability, attitude or any skills one gets from learning process and this is majorly based on the context of education, learning or training. All these definitions cannot comprehensively define what competence gap analysis in relation to work performance. These definitions have failed to capture the level of competency has one may know English and is competence in it but to what level as competency in tertiary level is different with the one at elementary level. In short we can summarize competency to be knowledge which is specific, measurable, identifiable and definable. This should include physical ability, attitude and general behavior and human resource should focus on the quality in order to analyze and evaluate the person competency. If we focus in this last definition human capital may possess ability and quality in relation to a specific job and it should be in the context of specific business area, the measurability will be in relation to specific competency, proficiency level and work performance within a specific business. 1.3 Gap within workforce Workforce gap comes as a result of failure of meeting proficiency level of competency by any person within the organization segment. E.g. within accounting department if anyone of the accountant cannot meet his work description and specification within time then workforce gap will exist. Individual competency in any specific field of specialization is directly proportionate to the work output hence performance. Education level influence competency level. 1.4 Factors influencing individual competency Education -people with high level of education in specific area of specialization tend to be more professional than people with low level of education. Education helps manpower to understand their area of professionalism in greater details. Experience- people who are more experience in particular field due to continuous work routine performs better than people who are fresh in the field. 1.5 What to be consider in performance gap analysis There are majorly two aspects to be considered in gap analysis, Firstly the environmental analysis and scan which majorly involve PESTLE analysis and SWOT and this can assist the human resource in accurately gauging the correct strategies to be used in selecting the right candidates for any post. (cheetam and chivers, 2005). Secondly, is the crucial information which relates to demographic, competency and proficiency level which is required within the specific task to be performed in an organization? 2.0 CASE ANALYSIS OF IT FIRM RECRUITING MARKETING EXECUTIVE FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF IPADS Changing in technology is so rapid with the most of the product lifespan less than one year, organizations involve in production of information technologies accessories like phones and computers needs elaborate marketing strategies in order to meet market demand. With a clear understanding of what product life cycle of the IT items, and the rate at which they are declining from the introduction to the maturity. This rate can be attributed to technological changes, other factors which might cause the product to decline at high rate include, political factors, economical factors, social factors, legal factors and environment factors. 2.1 Political factors Both local and international politics affect a product life cycle either directly or indirectly. The Euro zone financial meltdown is as a result of political factors which in turn influences the inflation in the country hence the purchasing power of individual. Bad political policies and instability reduces investors confidence, which increases inflation hence lowering purchasing power of the buyers and later translate to lower sales of the IT items hence need for strong marketing team. 2.2 Economic Factors The spending ability and patterns of the government and individual influence the purchase of the phones and Ipads. Low income among people lowers sales while higher incomes boost purchasing power of consumers hence need a more competence marketing team with enough experience on how to segment these markets. 2.3 Social factors The social factors like demographic set up of the society influences the buying patterns, younger generation will go for current technological phones than older generation. The business communities will also go for high tech technologies phone and those who are buying for prestige than normal users hence competency is needed in this area. 2.4 Technological factors The emergence of high technology like laptop and iPods and other high end phones in the market renders iphone obsolete hence need for competence and qualified marketing team. 2.5 Legal factors These include the both internal laws and external bilateral trade agreements which influence distribution of these products hence limiting market base of the product hence leading to declining stage of the product. 2.6 Environmental factors These include the effect of the product on the environment and can greatly influence the purchasing decision of the consumers hence leading to the declining stage of the product which demands for good marketing team. 2.7.0 Situational analysis (SWOT Analysis) 2.7.1 Strength IT items are some of the most demanded items which are required by any firm who is operating in the current world global markets. Ipad for example are strong marketing gadgets which are being used by many firms to market their products. So IT product like computers are in high demand and good marketing team can produce good result.eg IPADs. 2.7.2 Weaknesses Although Ipad works on the same operating system as iPod and iPhone its version is older compared with the current Iphone versions in the market and this makes it less competitive in the phone market. Another weakness which can also double as strength is that, it can only run those programs which are approved by Apple online marketing store hence limiting users only to specific programs produced by Apple Company. But this also can help in cubing online piracy of product and software hence a hidden strength. 2.7.3 Opportunities Changes in technology have transformed the way businesses are being managed. The increase demand of high end technology accessories has created market for Ipad which needs to be exploited. Research by Ma Huimin and Antonio (2011) shows that the rate at which the demand for Smartphone’s, computer items, and Ipads is growing is higher than the rate at which they are being produced. Education sectors are moving from classroom to online tutorial, business are nowadays being managed online, the governments have changed from manual government to e-government hence endless need for Ipad product. As a company, we intend to target education institutions, government institution like parastatals and business entities with our product. 2.7.4 Threats The struggle for market share in the technology industry has increased with more companies entering into the market; this has lead to tremendous change in technology and the product which are being offered, as a result the product life cycle as reduced with a product life cycle not lasting more than five years in the market.( Ma Huimin and Antonio ,2011) This trend has exert a lot of pressures on the company so that they can be more innovative and add more features to Ipad in order for the product to remain in the market, otherwise if they fail to do so the Ipad will become obsolete in the market. Pressure has also been high on these product has most competitors lower price in order to penetrate into the market; this has downward trends in pricing of electronic and computer accessories hence threat to the Ipad. 3.0 Problem identification From the above case study, it is clear that the problem exist in Marketing IT product like Ipad, Iphones, computers and many others. This is partly contributed with high rate at which these product life cycle are declining in the market due to rapid change in technology hence need to have competence people in the marketing department in order to come up with proper mechanism through which sales can be increased and other additional markets opportunities can be created to expand the current existing markets and increase the company profits. (Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P, 2005). The human resource should get a more competent person who can handle these departments with a lot of ease as competency is related to work performance. Table 1.1 gap performance analysis business objectives HR Gap - does the Outcome of not Potential solutions/strategies to requirements to department have addressing the address the gap deliver on the what it needs to gap business achieve   objectives departmental goals     No, there is need to Low sales Explore bursary, internships Implementation of a marketing plan Marketers with experience recruit a personnel high declining rates of product etc. to encourage marketers to work in department in Technology industry low market share employee more qualified personnel Improve the work environment offer better remuneration Identification and selection process of a competence Fig.1.2 These are simple steps to be followed whenever any a position is to be filled where competency needs to be matched with performance. Gap analysis will enable human resource to identify the existing problem and match the competencies of the required candidates with the task to be performance to enhance good work performance. (Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P, 2005). 4.0 Recommendation By performing gap analysis in the above marketing firm, it is clear that the company will be able to know the actual problem involve in the marketing department of their product hence are in a position to identify the right candidates who could easily fit the above position. This will be very much beneficial as the company will be able to save time and other resources in recruiting right candidates with the right qualification and competency for the designed task. (Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P, 2005). Reference Armstrong, G., & Kotler, P. (2005). Marketing: An Introduction (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Cheetam, G. and Chivers, G. (2005). Professions, Competence and Informal Learning. Edgard Ma Huimin and Antonio (2011) Gap analysis and work performance in human resource management. Read More