Competency Management in Bureaucratic Organizations: Evidence from the Polish Public Administration

Abstract

Contemporary views of adapting competency management in the public sector emphasize its role as an important factor in the success of public organizations. At the same time, in many countries, unpredictable changes in the institutions, legislation, and rules of government result in the political uncertainty, influencing the conditions for applying competency management in public organizations. However, there has been little research into competency management in these organizations under conditions of political uncertainty. The aim of this study was to explore the practice of competency management in public administration under conditions of political uncertainty. Analysis of semi‐structured interviews conducted in public administration organizations revealed a hidden mechanism that leads to erosion of competency management. The findings reinforce the need for a deeper study of the reasons for failures in the implementation of competency management and also of the impact of situational factors and organizational characteristics on its practice in public organizations.