The competency model of human resource managers in Iran's top universities

Recognition of competencies is the starting point for implementing various human resource systems such as talent management and succession planning in the organization, and paying attention to it leads to better performance and productivity of the organization, which leads to a sustainable competitive advantage. The purpose of this study is to design a competency model for human resource managers in the top universities in the country. The approach of the present study is qualitative and its strategy is grounded theory. The method of data collection was through semi-structured interviews. Also, the target population of the current research is the policy makers and managers of human resources in the top universities of the country in the first place, and in the next stage, researchers and experts active in the field of human resources. The present research is the foundation of the research data in terms of qualitative approach and theoretically. The sampling strategy is purposeful and theoretical and the number of participants in the current study is 14 people. The obtained model is divided into six dimensions: causal conditions, pivotal conditions, underlying conditions, intervening factors and consequences. Causal conditions are the personal and personality characteristics of managers, the degree of mastery of managers over the rules and the degree of mastery of the field of work. Core conditions include the ability to communicate internally and externally. The underlying conditions are organizational climate, organizational structure, and organizational culture. Intervening conditions also include facilities and capacities within the organization, environmental laws, environmental communications, and environmental culture. The implications of this model are also summarized in organizational performance.

Paying attention to human resources and promoting their capabilities is one of the most important assets of organizations. Therefore, transformational and effective actions and activities in the field of human resource management will enable organizations to expand their core competencies closer to reality (Skorkova, 2016). This is doubly important in research and educational organizations that have the serious task of training and educating human resources (Victor, 2017); But the important point is that employing competent and efficient managers in this field can be an effective lever in the growth and development of all aspects of human resources; Therefore, identifying the characteristics and competencies of human resource managers will be inevitable (Chen, 2019). Management in Iranian higher education has undergone many changes after the revolution. Although most administrators are academics, they do management work through trial and error. This type of management is very costly and risky (Mahmoudi et al., 2012). In this study, the issue of competency of human resource managers of the top universities in the country was dealt with professionally. Also, the need to pay attention to the quality of the higher education system and identify the effective elements in the performance of university managers, the present study tries to extract the competency model of human resource managers in Iran's top universities. The necessity of the results of the present study is that it can be effective in improving the performance of the higher education system and the knowledge of people raised in this organization. These results will also clarify the mechanisms of competency in managers, which will be an important step in recognizing and increasing how to manage properly in universities and enrich the existing knowledge about research variables

The current research population is policy makers and human resource managers in the top universities of the country in the first place and in the next stage are researchers and experts active in the field of human resources; Therefore, the spatial scope of the present study includes 13 Iranian universities that have been selected as first level universities based on indicators such as quality of education, employment of graduates, quality of faculty members, research output, quality of publications, impact (credibility) and citation (number of cited articles). These universities include Isfahan, Tabriz, Tarbiat Modares, Tehran, Shahid Beheshti, Shiraz, Ferdowsi Mashhad, Isfahan Industrial, Amirkabir Industrial, Khajeh Nasir al-Din Tusi Industrial, Sharif Industrial, Allameh Tabatabai and Iranian Science and Technology.

There are different classifications of approaches and methods for determining competencies. From Rothwell's point of view, three approaches can be introduced to determine competencies: a) Borrowing strategy b) Borrowing and localization strategy c) Strategy for creating a suitable model for oneself. In another classification of competency model design approaches by Briscoe and Hall, the design of managers' competency model by different organizations was done with the aim of categorizing these approaches. They found that the use of competency models is a recent phenomenon in organizations that leads them to increase competitiveness by resorting to any means, including developing the performance of their managers. Bergwin shows that there is an approach in determining the competencies required of managers and leaders, which are the output-oriented approach (this approach refers to the outcomes and results of good performance) and the input-oriented approach (this approach to the basic inputs and characteristics of the individual for successful performance. And superiority is needed, he points out; therefore, two output-oriented and inputoriented approaches are expressed in this classification to determine competency) (Manksari et al., 2017). In 2006, based on extensive research in this field, Yukel categorized competency determination methods into 5 approaches, which are: a) the method of basic individual characteristics, b) behavioral method, c) contingency method, d) power penetration method, e ) Combined method.

The present study has a qualitative approach that is carried out in order to identify and understand the institutions and their competencies in the field of human resource managers of the top universities in Iran and all of them. This research is applied in terms of purpose, because it can help decision makers in the field of higher education in Iran to select competent managers of universities across the country. Also, the research strategy has been data foundation. The method of data collection was through semi-structured interviews; Also, the current research population is policy makers and human resource managers in the top universities of the country in the first place and in the next stage are researchers and experts active in the field of human resources. The type of selection of participants (sampling strategy) in the present study was purposeful and theoretical; Because individuals have been selected asparticipants who have studied the phenomenon in question or have specific views about it; That is, they are the main informants in this field. After analyzing each interview by identifying the ambiguities or weaknesses of the model and categories, the next person was selected according to the expertise needed to eliminate and correct the ambiguities or weaknesses. The number of participants was 14 people of top universities.

Based on the first data, the data analysis step was taken immediately after the end of each interview.  From's conceptualization, categorization was extracted. The data extracted from the interviews led to the identification of 488 open codes, of which 57 distinct codes were obtained. After open coding, which was conceptualized based on the view of Strauss and Corbin and with the interactionist approach and during the analytical process, and their characteristics and dimensions were symbolically discovered (Vaezi and Azmandian, 2016) in the data, a total of 13 main categories and subcategories. And concepts related to the competency model of human resource managers emerged in Iran's top universities. In this research, propositions and propositions are as follows: Case 1: The causal conditions of human resource managers (including personal and personality traits of managers, the degree of managers 'mastery of laws, the degree of managers' mastery of their field of work) affect the competence of human resource managers in Iran's top universities. Case 2: The central conditions of human resource managers (including the ability to establish internal and external communication) affect the competence of human resource managers in Iran's top universities. Case 3: The strategic conditions of human resource managers (including the strategy of managing people inside and outside the organization) affect the competence of human resource managers in Iran's top universities. Case 4: The interventionist conditions of human resource managers (including facilities and capacities within the organization, environmental laws, environmental communications, environmental culture) affect the competence of human resource managers in Iran's top universities. Theorem 5: Consequences of human resource managers (including the performance of the organization) affect the competence of human resource managers in Iran's top universities. Theorem 6: The prevailing context of human resource managers (including organizational climate, organizational structure, organizational culture) affects the competence of human resource managers in Iran's top universities.

Since the target population of the current study has been policy makers and human resource managers in the top universities of the country, as a result, suggestions are made for senior managers and policy makers in the field of university educational management. 1. It is better to select the right managers in the selection of university administrators away from the political atmosphere and any orbital relationship and by using the comprehensive criteria obtained from the research findings. 2. The ability to communicate internally and externally is defined as the central category of the designed model. This shows the role and place of communication and interaction in successful management. It is suggested that university presidents specifically evaluate the ability of the selected individual in this regard when selecting their human resource managers. 3. It is suggested that the process of selection, appointment and promotion of human resources managers in universities and higher education centers be reviewed and redefined based on the criteria of the designed model.