Kartläggning av nyckelkompetenser - En studie om vilka kompetenser som identifieras som mest viktiga för inköpare på ett byggföretag

The concept competence is considered to be difficult to define. Therefore, it may be problematic to define competence in business and to evaluate the level of skills of employees (Thomsen, 2010). In this study the aim has been to identify key competencies for employees working as purchasers for Skanska Nordic Procurement Unit (NPU). These key competencies will afterwards help Skanska NPU to evaluate purchasers’ level of competence. The theoretical framework of the study consists of three different parts. The first part is an explanation of what the concept competence stands for. The second part is a description of how companies can conduct a competence mapping process. Finally, a description of different levels of action is presented. The research method for the study was to use qualitative semi- structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with six purchasing managers, who all work at Skanska NPU. In this study 17 key competencies were identified and categorized into four different paragraphs to enable a deeper understanding. What was prominent in the study was that most of the identified key competencies were categorized into the paragraph professional technical expertise, which are techniques, methods, knowledge’s and rules that employees need for a specific profession. Some of the competencies were categorized into more than one paragraph, which clearly shows that the paragraphs are closely interrelated. However, it is evident to remember that all paragraphs are equally important and that they together construct functional competence, which is a persons functional ability in a specific work situation. It was also noted that the respondents’ answers varied significantly. Two potential explanations for that, is that there are different roles of purchasers at Skanska NPU and that the respondents may have different views on the concept competence