Rescuing the Useful Concept of Managerial Competence: From Outcomes Back to Process

A critical response to the present stage in the development of management education is presented. The concept of competence is evaluated and its utility assessed. In particular, the use of the term by the Management Charter Initiative (MCI) is thrown into critical focus and found to be pragmatically and conceptually flawed. Emphasizes the importance of addressing the approach actually adopted by the MCI and other agencies in the “reform” of vocational qualifications and argues that the MCI has been incorrectly criticized for attempting to impose a simplistic model of management. Considers the implications and argues that management educators and developers are faced with a dominant concept of “competence” which they find difficult to realize in their educational practice. Subjects the concept of competence to conceptual analysis in order to bring into focus the key analytical elements implicit in the term, assesses the MCI approach and offers alternative approaches which place the emphasis on those issues which are critical for achieving consensually desired enhancements in management education and development.