A broad set of business competencies, meta-competencies (MCs), include influencing/persuading, teamwork/relationship building, critical/analytical thinking, self/time management, leadership, strategic thinking, presentation, and communication. This chapter incorporates research from two studies examining MCs in undergraduate and professional business programs. The MISLEM project found that, in comparison to graduates, employers demonstrated less optimism about graduates' competencies. Subsequently, Morpurgo investigated differences in the perception of competency acquisition between professional accountants (PAs) and supervisors in Canada by posing three questions: 1) Is there a MC importance gap between Canadian PAs and their supervisors? 2) Do professional accounting programs contribute to bridging the MC capability gap? and 3) What factors contribute to MC development? The study found perceptual differences between PAs and supervisors regarding the importance and capability of MCs as well as differences in work experience and classroom learning for competency development.
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Despite the numerous definitions or interpretations, at its core competence is based on the ability to do something (Bratianu, Hadad, & Bejinaru, 2020; Lysaght & Altschuld, 2000). Boritz and Carnaghan (2003) provide a more refined interpretation and describe competence “in terms of outcomes, or what an individual can accomplish, rather than in terms of an individual’s knowledge or capabilities” (p. 7). Individuals can acquire competencies through observation, direct instruction, or practical experience (Guile & Griffiths, 2001). In addition, competencies involve a distinction between technical, task-specific, or hard skills and personal, non-technical, or soft skills. Some examples of hard skills might include preparing a legal brief or a set of financial statements (Brown & McCartney, 1995), whereas soft skills incorporate critical thinking, interpersonal sensitivity, or creativity (Bethell-Fox, 1982, as cited in Brown, 1994; Ibrahim, Boerhannoeddin, & Bakare, 2017). Empirical research stretching as far back as the 1900s has identified a set of overarching soft skills, also known as generic competencies, enabling competencies, or meta-competencies (MCs), which individuals require when utilizing other competencies (Bogo et al., 2006; Brown, 1993, 1994; Cheetham & Chivers, 1998). MCs involve a set of cognitive, personal, and interpersonal skills, abilities, and capacities that an individual can foster. These competencies relate strongly to the application of professional “judgment, intuition and acumen” (Brown, 1994, p. 292) and “provide the essential skills for ethical behaviour, leadership, teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication as a professional…”(CPA Canada, 2020).
As an intended resource for university faculty, curriculum developers, consultants, and industry leaders, this book seeks to provide information about the individual and organizational development of competencies. Based on that aim, this chapter leverages recent empirical studies related to the development of eight specific and important MCs in undergraduate business students and Professional Accountants (PAs).