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Employer assessment of work‐related competencies and workplace adaptation
Author(s) -
Reio Thomas G.,
Sutton Faye C.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
human resource development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1532-1096
pISSN - 1044-8004
DOI - 10.1002/hrdq.1176
Subject(s) - psychology , interpersonal communication , adaptation (eye) , variance (accounting) , multilevel model , test (biology) , applied psychology , knowledge management , medical education , social psychology , computer science , business , medicine , paleontology , accounting , neuroscience , machine learning , biology
In this exploratory study, we identified 17 work‐related competencies that might relate best to the successful workplace adaptation of recent engineering graduates. The test battery consisted of the Work‐Related Competency Index, the Workplace Adaptation Questionnaire, and a demographic survey. Mail and Web‐based surveys were employed to collect the data from employers representing a wide spectrum of organizations who hire engineers from a cross‐section of engineering disciplines. The research questions were examined through correlations, t tests, analyses of variance, and hierarchical regressions. After statistically controlling for the demographic and background variables, the regression analyses suggested a strong positive magnitude of effect between interpersonal and technical competencies and each measure of workplace adaptation. The findings demonstrate the need for engineering programs to produce graduates with these competencies and suggest that HRD professionals could have a powerful influence on workplace assimilation and performance by facilitating interpersonal and technical competency improvement through training and development activities.