Competencies and human resource management: implications for organizational competitive advantage

Purpose – The paper seeks to analyze in depth the organizational requirements for the exploitation of human resource management towards increased organizational performance, and to provide a conceptual framework for the analysis of human resource management in learning organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper takes the form of an extensive literature review on human resource management (HRM), organizational learning and human capital. Findings – The major contribution is the Requirements Framework for the Adoption of Technology Enhanced Learning and Semantic Web Technologies, which can guide strategies of effective competencies management in modern organizations. This framework initiates an interesting discussion of technological issues that go beyond the scope of this paper. Research limitations/implications – The Requirements Framework provides the basis for an extensive specification of knowledge management strategies. A follow-up publication will present the practical implications of the ‘‘theoretical’’ abstraction of framework and empirical evidence. Practical implications – The paper is a very useful source of information and impartial advice for strategists, HRM managers, knowledge management officers and people interesting in exploiting human resource management systems in a knowledge-intensive organization. Originality/value – This paper fulfills an identified need to outline methods and technologies for integrated knowledge and learning and competencies management support in organizations.