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The purpose of this study intends to develop a hierarchical model through prioritisation of the core competencies with respect to competitive advantage, financial and strategic performance for an oil and gas company in Malaysia.

Mixed method approach used in the present research. Initially, interviews were conducted to solicit information about the company’s core competencies, competitive advantage, and financial and strategic performance. The interview findings used for questionnaire development to rank core competencies with respect to competitive advantage, financial and strategic performance. The survey results were analysed using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a mathematical model and is synthesised using Super Decisions Software.

The study developed a hierarchical model and can be set as a benchmark for prioritising core competencies, with respect to competitive advantage, financial and strategic performance for oil and gas companies.

The prioritisation results will help the company considered in the present research and also the similar companies to optimise their resources and energy to focus on the desired and the most influential core competencies.

As the oil industry develops competitive advantage, its success will cascade down to stimulate the nation’s growth, support industry and services expansion and eventually develop the nation.

This study is a first of its kind in using AHP to rank core competencies with respect to competitive advantage, financial and strategic performance for an oil and gas company. The results can be used by oil and gas companies to enhance their overall performance.

To outline a core competence model by exploring links between core competence and the associated concepts of competencies, capabilities, and resources, and by proposing refinements to the characteristics of these concepts.

A case study based primarily on personal interviews.

The findings suggest that competencies, capabilities, and resources are all linked to core‐competencies; the first two continuously, and the third intermittently; motivate refinement of the competence concept, by adding adaptation competence as governing customer loyalty, and transfer competence as managing transcendental integration; and motivate refinement of the capability concept, by adding capacity as a quality characteristic, and communication as a characteristic that can actively initiate organizational change.

The paper outlines a core competence model and propose refinements of the characteristics and links of the concepts, contributing to both core competence theory and resource‐based theory.

This work informs managers of the details of the core competence concept, of particular interest to managers with a customer‐focused standpoint. An empirical core competence exemplifies the importance of knowing the characteristics of competencies, since they encapsulate the power of organizational development. Managers also need to pay attention to the influences of capabilities, since they not only support organizational processes (if up‐to‐date), but also initiate change.

The development and specification of the core competence concept.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of different types of corporate social responsibility (CSR; i.e. value-creating CSR, promotional CSR and philanthropic CSR) on consumer responses and the moderating role of corporate competence.

The authors tested the hypotheses by using two empirical studies – a survey and an experimental study. The evidence is generated based on generalized linear model repeated-measures ANOVAs for the survey study and two-way factorial ANOVAs for the experimental study.

The findings show that in general, consumers respond to value-creating CSR more favorably than to philanthropic CSR or promotional CSR. In addition, corporate competence moderates consumers’ responses to different types of CSR in such a way that promotional CSR is more likely to have the desired effects when carried out by low-competency rather than by high-competency firms, whereas value-creating CSR is more effective for high-competency firms than for low-competency ones. Philanthropic CSR works equally in both types of firms.

This research answers a long-term call to study the differential consumer effects of various CSR types. It also identifies perceived corporate competence, an important consumer-based corporate factor, as a potential moderator of consumers’ response to CSR types.

Armed with the findings, companies can choose CSR practices that fit with their company characteristics. This research offers important and specific managerial implications to firms with different company profiles on their CSR choices.

Given that today’s managers are faced with the challenge of selecting desirable CSR activities from a group of options, the authors answered the call by studying the differential effects of a wide array of CSR choices and provide important practical guidance to managers. For the first time in the literature, the study also investigates the potential interactive effects between specific CSR types and corporate competence on consumer reactions. This inquiry bears significant relevance to the ongoing discussions concerning whether and how company characteristics generate influences on the outcomes of CSR strategies.

This study aims to propose a methodology by integrating three approaches, namely, internal core technology, external knowledge flow and industrial technology development to help companies improve their decision-making quality for technology planning and enhance their research and development (R&D) portfolio efficiency.

The primary focus of this study is thin-film solar technology and patent data is retrieved from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database. This study presents a methodology based on the proposed integrated analysis method, constructed with patent indicators, centrality analysis of social networks and main path analysis.

The results of this study can be itemized as – the core technological competency: companies involved in two specific technology fields have lower strength in R&D portfolio than leading companies with single-core technology. Knowledge flow: most companies in a network are knowledge producers/absorbers and technological development: diverse source and sink nodes were identified in the global main path during 1997-2003, 2004-2010 and 2011-2017.

Latecomer companies can emulate leaders’ innovation and enhance their technological competence to seek niche technology. Using the global main path, companies monitor outdated technologies that can be replaced by new technologies and aid to plan R&D strategy and implement appropriate strategic decisions avoiding path dependency.

The knowledge accumulation process helps in identifying the change of position and the role of companies; understanding the trend of industrial technology knowledge helps companies to develop new technology and direct strategic decisions. The novelty of this research lies in the integrated approach of three methods aiding industries to find their internal core technical competencies and identify the external position in the competitive market.

The purpose of this paper is to trace the development of a competency model in a medium-scale power utility company located in the Midwest USA.

The model is developed based on insights drawn from the literature, company documents, and primary interviews with the key company stakeholders. The research process was carried out according to the guidelines of action research methodology.

Competencies required for employees were identified and operationally defined. Existing competencies were inventoried and superimposed on the required competencies. Gaps in competency presence and proficiency levels were noticed. The competencies required for effective performance were distributed across different levels in the hierarchy, according to the competency needs of each hierarchical level.

Attempts to tie these competencies to employee selection, succession planning, performance appraisal, training need assessment, leadership development, etc., are currently ongoing. The case company has also initiated a competency-driven leadership development process. Possible adaptations of this model for similarly placed companies in other sectors are discussed.

This is an original case study based on primary data, conducted as action research.

Faced with major new challenges in a rapidly evolving world market, small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wine sector in the Bordeaux region urgently need to reconsider their strategic options. This paper, through an analysis of the nature, role, and interaction of competencies in strategy‐making processes in the wine sector, aims to identify the main components of wine companies’ competencies in order to devise a tool to aid their strategic decision making.

The research methodology, which is based on a cognitive approach, employs critical incidences methodology, content analysis and causal mapping.

A competencies study founded on a series of interviews conducted with the personnel of six wine SMEs in the Bordeaux region reveals the importance of eight core competencies (production, labour, costs, quality, investment, market, competition, and clients/sales) in devising strategy. In addition, this paper demonstrates that core factors affecting the success of strategic development include: knowledge versus know‐how; investment, quality; labour difficulties, team issues, market positioning; customer relationship and trust. The implications of the practical implementation of these results are discussed.

Shows the future prospects for French wine companies not being taken for granted. On account of radical market changes the French wine sector needs to re‐evaluate the situation and investigate new strategic options that might permit it to regain a competitive advantage in a changing environment.

The HRM literature provides various typologies of the HR managers’ roles in organizations. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the roles and required competencies of HR managers in Slovenian multinational companies change when these companies enter the international arena.

The authors explored the total population of 25 Slovenian multinational companies (MNCs) operating in Serbia. In these companies the authors conducted interviews with 16 expatriates working in branches in Serbia, sent questionnaires to the CEOs, and conducted a survey of 50 HR managers and interviews with 15 of them. The authors used a triangulation approach and analyzed the results by multivariate methods and content analysis.

The authors found that the complexity of HR managers’ roles, and expectations of their competencies, increases with an increasing level of internationalization of companies. Orientation to people and conflict resolution are seen as elementary competencies needed in all stages of internationalization. The key competence is seen to be strategic thinking that, according to CEOs and expatriates, goes hand in hand with cultural sensitivity, openness to change and a comprehensive understanding of the international environment and business processes.

These results can potentially be used for assessing the HRM roles and competencies in different stages of company internationalization, especially MNCs operating in the ex-communist states of Europe, and will help HR managers to support expatriates, CEOs and other employees working in branches abroad more efficiently.

This study contributes to the review and evaluation of the quite limited research on HR managers’ roles and competencies in MNCs. It focuses on MNCs and outward internationalization in the Central and Eastern European region. It contributes to studies of the HR managers’ roles and competencies and is the first study to establish a set of roles and competencies for HR managers in Slovenian MNCs.

This study aims to analyze the skills and competencies required of corporate social responsibility (CSR) managers through best case practice in Thailand. It attempts to define and identify how large companies use such attributes with regard to knowledge, attitudes, and practical skills. It also examines the organizational competency framework of strategy for integrating CSR and its associated skills into mainstream business.

As a qualitative study, the methodology used for collecting data consisted of both open‐ended and focused interviews with managers, and consultations with staff who implement CSR in these large companies. Secondary data from annual reports, sustainability reports and CSR reports were also analyzed.

The interviews indicated that specific skills and competencies were needed for managing CSR, but these varied, and a competency framework for Thai corporations was developed.

The interviews were limited to only the CSR managers. Thus, the generalization of the findings to other industries should be done with caution.

A CSR competency framework for managers is provided, which can supply CSR skills and competencies model for other managers and practitioners.

The paper has value in that it provides an analysis of the CSR skills and competencies of the leading corporations in Thailand.

Defining competences, capabilities and skills (CCSs) considered critical in the company’s international business environment is a most important, yet often neglected, strategic management task. Suggests number of core competences, capabilities and skills in international business and then assesses their relevance for selected product categories, countries and international business forms. Discusses three mini‐cases against the background of Sanchez‐Heene model of company as an open system, to suggest a basic framework for the international business CCS gap analysis.