A study of the relationships between various parameters of the ‘readiness for change’ competence in different categories of personnel

Abstract

Professional development, as a process of enhancing an individual’s educational potential, occurs throughout a person’s life. Learning, including as part of professional development, is an opportunity not only to improve qualifications and the so-called hard skills, but also to contribute to the development of personality. Today, one of the most important competences is readiness for change. It develops by influencing personality characteristics so that an individual can quickly acquire or strengthen other competences necessary in modern conditions. The article presents the results of a study of the relationships between various parameters of the competence ‘readiness for change’ among different categories of personnel based on correlation analysis. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is the general theory of mindset (D. N. Uznadze); the subject and activity approach (S. L. Rubinshtein, B. G. Ananyev, V. A. Krutetsky, K. K. Platonov, etc.); competence-based approach (Yu. G. Tatur, I. A. Zimnyaya, A. V. Khutorskoy, etc.); integrative approach (M. I. Faerman); competence-based approach in managing innovative changes (T. A. Terekhova); innovative approach (L. A. Zhuravlev); psychological readiness for innovation (S. R. Yagolkovsky, O. V. Sovetova, M. I. Kiloshenko, E. V. Ivanova, V. E. Klochko, O. M. Krasnoryadtseva); works on psychological problems and mechanisms of the formation of readiness for a certain activity (M. I. Dyachenko, L. A. Kandybovich, R. D. Sanzhaeva, O. V. Makhova); theory of adult learning (S. G. Vershlovsky, A. P. Tryapitsyn); and works focusing on andragogy (M. S. Knowles, N. I. Mitskevich, S. G. Vershlovsky, M. G. Gromkova, S. I. Zmeyev, T. A. Vasilkova, etc.). The study involved 150 employees of a group of IT/Telecom companies based in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Statistical data processing included the comparison of samples and analysis of the interdependence of characteristics. The correlation analysis established significant relationships between the main parameters of the ‘readiness for change’ competence in different categories of personnel. For the top management, an important parameter that contributes to the development of the ‘readiness for change’ competence is ‘independence’, while the ‘adherence to traditions’ negatively affects the development of the readiness for change. Significant indicators for middle management are ‘stimulation’ and ‘hedonism’. Middle managers focus on achievement and independent determination of goals using non-standard methods of decision-making. They find it fundamental to enjoy life. Junior staff had high values for ‘security’. This negatively relates to independence, the desire for novelty, and achievement, and does not contribute to the development of the ‘readiness for change’ competence. The novelty of the reported study lies in the establishment of the relationship between the nature of professional activity and the development of certain components of the ‘readiness for change’ competence. Thus, these findings make it possible to organize training for various categories of personnel taking into account professional tasks. The results of the study made it possible to select learning content, technologies, and tools taking into account professional tasks.