Proceedings of the 3rd European Conference on Intellectual Capital

Marzena Świgoń
(2004); <strong>the</strong>re were: 1) accessing (question formation, search techniques, research strategies, inquiry);
2) evaluating (source identification, qualification and cultivation, validation, judgment, intuition); 3)
organizing (email filtering, discard, outlining, networking); 4) analyzing (analytical techniques, testing
hypo<strong>the</strong>sis); 5) collaborating (emotional intelligence, facilitation, relationship management,
leadership); 6) conveying (written and spoken word, unspoken) and 7) securing (self-discipline, threat
awareness). Wright (2005) suggested that PKM involves a combination <strong>of</strong> four kinds <strong>of</strong> competences:
1) cognitive (experimentation, prototyping, modelling); 2) information (accessing, organizing,
structuring, presenting); 3) social (collaborating, communicating); and 4) learning and development
competences (problem definition, analytical skills). The author emphasised <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> individual,
social and organizational context in applying <strong>of</strong> competences. Individual enablers include motivation,
risk, innovation; social are related to trust, support <strong>of</strong> community <strong>of</strong> practice; and organizational
enablers include flexibility, autonomy, supportive leadership and trust as well. In <strong>the</strong> PKM literature
<strong>the</strong>re is a lot <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r typologies <strong>of</strong> skills and competences (Świgoń 2010).
From <strong>the</strong>se selected descriptions <strong>of</strong> skills and competences one can point out that a lot <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m are
common for both concepts. In o<strong>the</strong>r words, skills and competences are <strong>the</strong> main convergence <strong>of</strong> PKM
and PEM. However, <strong>the</strong> problem is that <strong>the</strong> authors used different, not unified terms and typologies.
This issue must be undertaken by specialists at <strong>European</strong> or international level. For <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong>
this paper, in order to show <strong>the</strong> common “skills and competences” (using this phrase is safer) <strong>of</strong> both
concepts, <strong>the</strong> following typology, based on all aforementioned examples, is proposed:
1. Personal skills and competences: self-knowledge (<strong>of</strong> strong and weak points),
pr<strong>of</strong>essional/occupational knowledge, expertise, writing, reading, foreign languages; motivation
and commitment, active attitude, problem solving, decision making, creativity, analysis, learning
and self-development, reflecting etc.
2. Interpersonal skills and competences: knowledge about macro/world and micro/local
environment; listening, talking, communicating, conveying; teamwork, collaborating creating <strong>of</strong>
relationships, socializing, coordinating etc.
3. Information and Technological skills and competences: knowledge about information sources;
information retrieving, storing, sending, presenting, distributing, securing, evaluating, organizing
etc.
It is worth repeating, that skills and competences in <strong>the</strong> PKM have a broader application <strong>the</strong>n in <strong>the</strong>
PEM, because <strong>the</strong>y could be utilised not only in <strong>the</strong> job/career management context, for example as a
support <strong>of</strong> employability, but in <strong>the</strong> private life too.
6. In conclusion
PKM and employability were, hi<strong>the</strong>rto, <strong>the</strong> subject <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> separate studies. However, <strong>the</strong>y are strongly
connected, especially due to emphasizing <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> abovementioned skills and competences on
individual’s effectiveness. In today’s information society and turbulent environments all citizens have
to be engaged in lifelong learning and self-development. Personal Knowledge Management as a
concept based on wide range <strong>of</strong> individuals skills and competences undoubtedly can be a support <strong>of</strong>
employability. Skills and competences are <strong>the</strong> crucial factors leading to success in self management
including knowledge management, career management and employability management. Although
both concepts are focused on individuals, <strong>the</strong>y involve benefits for whole organizations, firms and
enterprises. Recently Cheong and Tsui (2010) in an exploratory empirical study proved that <strong>the</strong> roles
<strong>of</strong> PKM are positively correlated to <strong>the</strong> values <strong>of</strong> PKM for individuals and organizations. It was also
found that <strong>the</strong> values <strong>of</strong> PKM for individuals are correlated to <strong>the</strong> values <strong>of</strong> PKM for <strong>the</strong> organization.
The more effective employee’s work is <strong>the</strong> more improved <strong>the</strong> organizational productivity can be.
Individuals use organizational knowledge to augment <strong>the</strong>ir own personal knowledge, which can be
used in or outside <strong>the</strong>ir home organization. On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r hand, organizations use personal knowledge
<strong>of</strong> employees (a part <strong>of</strong> intellectual capital) to building knowledge repositories, which are <strong>the</strong> most
important competitive advantage resource. Employers benefit by employment <strong>of</strong> competent and
qualified people, people with PKM skills and competences. Talent management is <strong>the</strong> biggest
challenge for today’s employers.
In <strong>the</strong> future research <strong>the</strong> empirical studies in <strong>the</strong> scope <strong>of</strong> PKM and PEM seem necessary. We don’t
know how individuals manage <strong>the</strong>ir own personal knowledge and employability. Which <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se skills
and competences could be managed at an individual level and which involve supporting from outside,
o<strong>the</strong>r people, groups and organizations? We need research in a scope <strong>of</strong> scales/instruments for
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