Designing a Competency-Based Training Program for Managers at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

The main purpose of this study was to design a Competency-Based Training Program for managers at the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (FUM). To achieve this goal, mixed research method was used. Document analysis, interview, and questionnaire were used to collect data. The population was comprised of all the managers at the different organizational levels. Adaptation-design approach was used to design. For this, a list of expected competencies of managers in academic and non-academic environments was identified and extracted based on research literature review. In addition, interview with experts was done and documents related to the position of managers at the university were analyzed. According to results, 71 competencies were identified and then categorized into five categories including organizational, conceptual, change and innovation, individual and interpersonal competencies. They include 22 organizational competencies, 12 interpersonal competencies, 6 competencies of change and innovation, 7 conceptual competences, and 24 individual competencies. Also, the findings showed that the competencies of the managers at FUM vary according to their type of responsibility and management level. Therefore, competencies were ranked in the competency questionnaire according to these two characteristics. In general, results indicated that the highest rank has been attributed to organizational, interpersonal, and then conceptual, and change-innovation. Subsequently, based on the proposed model of competency, 34 topics were identified for designing curriculum. Finally, components of the curriculum were developed based on the recommended framework.