Identifying professional competencies of university staff appropriate to their career path (Case Study: Ferdowsi University of Mashhad)

The purpose of this study was to identify the professional competencies of the staff of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad using an exploratory mixed research approach. The research method used in the qualitative part of the case study and in the quantitative part was descriptive-analytical. In the qualitative part of the study, the expected competencies of staff were identified by analyzing the content of university approved documents (including university job classification and evaluation booklet as well as the university strategic document). Then the list of identified competencies was completed and modified by referring to the staff supervisors. In the quantitative part of the research, the importance of the competencies identified in the career path of the staff was assessed by means of a questionnaire. The results of the qualitative part of the study showed that the competencies identified for the university staff can be classified into five categories of self-centered competencies: personal, interpersonal, perceptual, organizational and technical. The results of the quantitative part of the research also showed that from the perspective of employees, personal competencies are most important in their career path and in the next level are organizational, perceptual, technical and interpersonal competencies.