Skills

An important contribution of the skill definition of O*NET (Skill O*NET) is that it goes beyond the traditional means of capturing skills in terms of educational attainment, years of experience, occupational classification and the many other proxy measures discussed in Chapter 3.

The approach taken by O*NET to define skill is that of Mumford and Peterson (1995a). They define skill as a set of general procedures that underlie the effective acquisition and application of knowledge in different areas of endeavour (chap. 3, p. 4). The implication of this definition is threefold. Firstly, skills are innately linked to knowledge, learning, practice, education and experience. For example, a person cannot acquire or apply skills without learning, practising, being exposed to education, experiencing or by acquiring knowledge. Secondly, skills can be seen as general procedures that are necessary for the performance of multiple tasks. These tasks, however, must form part of a given domain of skills such as social skills, basic skills or problem solving skills. Finally, skills are not constant attributes of individuals that remain unchanged over time. These attributes can be acquired (sometimes they can be lost) and developed as a result of new learning, experience or newly acquired knowledge.

Given the above, Mumford and Peterson (1995a) argue that skills are not one- dimensional and require a variety of taxonomies. They divide the taxonomy of skill into two broad categories. The first is referred to as basic skills. These are defined as the developed capacities that facilitate learning or the attainment of new knowledge. Basic skills are subdivided into two further categories described as content and process skills. These are made up of six and four skill variables respectively, out of a total of 46 skills that comprise the complete O*NET skill taxonomy. Content skills can be broadly defined in terms of those capabilities that allow people to acquire information and convey it to others. They represent the structures required to work with and acquire other skills. This category includes skills such as reading, writing, listening, speaking, mathematics and science. These skills are also widely seen as fundamental in the provision of any sound educational system.

Process skills, on the other hand, are seen as those skills that facilitate the acquisition of content across domains. The ability to think critically is thus part and parcel of process skills. This skill is closely related to a second kind of general learning skill, referred to as active learning. Another process-oriented skill takes the form of learning strategy. This uses a variety of approaches when learning new things. Finally, monitoring represents an ongoing appraisal of the success of an individual’s efforts because it assists them in assessing how well they are learning something or doing a particular task.

The second classification of skills is defined in the O*NET as the capacities that facilitate individuals to perform effectively in a variety of job settings. This skill definition is also known as cross-functional skills and in the O*NET Content Model is based on the notion of socio-technical systems theory. Within this theoretical construct:

work is viewed as a process by which technology and people interact to transform raw materials into useful products. This transformation not only requires ongoing problem solving, it also suggests that in solving significant problems in the organization’s transformation process, virtually all jobs will require individuals to work with people, technology, and a broader organizational system, using available systems to complete the work. (Mumford and Peterson, 1995a, chap. 3, p. 5)

Socio-technical theory is made up of five domains of cross-functional skills. Each of these is briefly explained below.

Problem solving skills

Problem solving is a common domain of work performance. A number of studies have shown that it is not simply a matter of expertise but depends on processes and procedures that people apply in the workplace. Mumford and Peterson (1995a) identified eight distinct processes that are present in problem solving. These are detailed in Appendix A, and can be summarised as being the developed capacities used by individuals to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

Social skills

Social skills represent an essential component of performance in the workplace, especially where the dominant culture requires teamwork and customer service. In their review of taxonomies, Mumford et al. (1999) propose a six-variable taxonomy of social skills. These include variables that describe and measure social perceptiveness, coordination, persuasion, negotiation, instruction or teaching, and service provision. These social skills are described as being the developed capacities that individuals possess, and are used to work with people to achieve common goals and objectives.

Technical skills

Mumford and Peterson (1995a) present a 12-variable taxonomy of technical skills. These can be summarised as the developed capacities used to design, set up, operate and correct malfunctions involving application of machines or technological systems.

Systems skills

This set of skills is concerned with the effective performance of individuals in complex organisational systems requiring judgement and decision making. It is defined as the developed capacities of individuals used to understand, monitor and improve organisational systems, which involve the interaction of both the implementation of new technologies and people. It is made up of six variables that include measures of visioning, systems perception, identification of downstream consequences, judgement and decision making, and evaluation of systems.

Resource management skills

This taxonomy is defined as the developed capacities of individuals that can be applied to allocate resources in organisations in the most efficient and effective manner. It is

made up of four components: time management, management of financial resources, management of material resources, and management of personal resources.