68th International Atlantic Economic Conference

October 08 - 11, 2009 | Boston, USA

New Competencies in Times of Crisis

Friday, October 9, 2009: 3:15 PM
María de los Ángeles Gil Estallo, Ph.D. , Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
Fernando Giner de la Fuente, Ph.D. , Business Organization, Universidad Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Yolanda María Sanchez Jimenez, Ph.D., Student , Business Organization, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Carlos Griful Miquela Sr., M.B.A. , Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain

(1) Title: new competences for crisis times

(2)   Objectives

In general, people always try to achieve their goals in several aspects of their lives such as the studies, jobs and leisure time. But, unfortunately, goals are not always achieved: sometimes because people simply give up achieving them or, on other occasions, goals are not achieved completely (later, more costly and to a lesser extent than desired).

The principal objective of the present paper is to identify which variables determine the success while people try to achieve their own goals. In order to analyze this fact, the authors will define a sample of university students, taking as a goal their current situation, defining the maximum quality as not staying down or not having more than two subjects left to pass.

A questionnaire will be developed in order to identify which variables are more important to achieve goals.

This paper will try to determine whether certain variables are able to condition the reach of defined goals. Furthermore, the way these variables act will also be analyzed, trying to identify those situations in which the variables benefit people who know how to handle them or, on the other hand, they discriminate against people who do not know how to handle them.

(3)   Data/Methods

This paper will undertake the research by following these steps:

1.      To analyze the degree of importance given to several variables which, from the authors point of view, decisively influence in getting the basic skills, both from the ABE group –students with an efficient and proper progress-, as well as the AMI group –students who have subjects left to pass and, therefore, will not finish their studies in the scheduled time-.

2.      To establish the fact that the ABE group, as it manages the defined variables in a better way, is able to achieve its goals with a higher level of quality than the AMI group.

3.      From the collection of data and the definition of the two groups of students, the purpose of the authors will be to establish the importance of each variable. Thus, as a result, to define a managing personal competence model.

The authors want to clarify that the variables defined in this paper, and for that reason which will determine the success of the ABE group (as well as the failure of AMI group), come from their own personal and professional experiences .

(4) Results / expected results

The authors’ purpose is to establish a cause and effect relationship between conditional variables needed in order to achieve goals and objectives, and the actual achievement of goals and objectives. As a result, a model relating these variables and the goals achieved will be build up.

(5)   Conclusions

If the model works, it would be possible to improve people management because of the possibility of using a tool which would make possible define processes focusing on the achievement of desired results and personal competences.