Proceedings of the 5th Global Conference on Education and Teaching
Year: 2023
DOI:
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The Significance of Human Skills in the Modern Workplace: A Preliminary Study in
Filipa Fernandes Lemos Cristina
ABSTRACT:
In this study, we delve into the increasing significance of human competencies, formerly referred to as “soft skills,” within the modern workplace. Organizations are progressively acknowledging the value of employees possessing well-developed human competencies and are actively seeking strategies to foster their development. Additionally, newer generations exhibit a growing preference for purpose-driven organizations that prioritize sustainability and human-centric models. Conducted within a Portuguese organizational context, this research focuses on five critical human competencies: empathy, collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. The primary objective is to comprehend how these competencies vary with respect to gender and age and how these variations may influence organizational dynamics and leadership. The methodology includes the administration of the PowerUP questionnaire to individuals across various organizations in Portugal, with 48 responses analyzed for this study. The questions, derived from international publications, are thoughtfully designed to correlate with the five human competencies under investigation. Utilizing a Likert scale, the PowerUP algorithm is employed to evaluate individual levels of empathy, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Statistical tests further validate results and establish correlations between human competencies and the questions posed, with the t-Student test for independent samples revealing differences in competency levels between men and women. Results indicate that women tend to exhibit higher competencies in collaboration, empathy, creativity, and communication, while men excel in critical thinking. Empathy emerges as the competency displaying statistically significant differences between the genders. Regardless of age or gender, communication and creativity competencies are notably weaker. These findings also extend to different age groups, suggesting that human competencies peak in the 30-49 age range, followed by a plateau or slight decline. The study’s conclusions underscore the variation of human competencies with gender and age, with women generally demonstrating higher empathy levels. Gender-balanced teams are suggested to contribute to more balanced ecosystems, including leadership teams. The research highlights the potential cultural and educational factors affecting communication and creativity competencies and emphasizes the importance of continuous competency development across one’s lifespan. In summary, this research highlights the growing importance of human competencies in the contemporary workplace, emphasizing their potential impact on organizational dynamics and leadership effectiveness. The findings encourage the promotion of diversity, gender equality, and inclusion to create environments valuing individual and team competencies. Further research with a larger sample size is suggested for validation and expansion of these insights.
keywords: Leadership, Skills, Workplace, Dynamics, People