Understanding Competency vs. Competences: Can You Help Clarify the Difference?

Hi friends,

Can anyone please tell me the basic difference between "competency" and "competences"? It's urgent, please.

Regards,
Rima

Hi,

Competence is the functional/technical traits required to perform a job better. For example, presentation skills for a marketing person, IT skills for systems professionals.

Competency is the behavioral traits required for the job to be performed better, such as good communication skills, analytical skills, negotiation skills, etc.

Regards,
Jhuma Tiwade

Hi Rima,

The term “Competencies”, “Competence”, and “Competent” refer to a state or quality of being able and fit. The English Dictionary describes the word Competence as the state of being suitable, sufficient, or fit. The work place definition of Competency refers to a person's fitness with reference to his or her job. In the work context, however, competence has two variations that differ in their meaning, depending on organizational frames of reference.

The two terms arise from different streams of though on the concept of fitness at work. They are:

1. Competency which is a description of behavior, and

2. Competence which is a description of work tasks or job outputs.

Despite the generally accepted distinction in meaning as given above, the terms are still interchangeably used causing them to mean different things to different people. There are also many who wonder if there is any difference between the two terms.

Let me know if you need any more details regarding these.

Regards,

Kalyan.

Hi Rima,

Competency is an underlying characteristic of a person that enables him or her to deliver superior performance in a given job, role, or situation. Competencies are seen mainly as inputs. They consist of clusters of knowledge, attitude, and skills that affect an individual's ability to perform.

Has anyone come across a definition for both these terms (Competency and Competence)? If so, who has defined them? Could you please share the references? I would appreciate it if someone could take me through a scholarly article on the terms, where the terms are used interchangeably. The dictionary says competency is the noun for competence. Could this be quoted as the base for research support? Kindly respond.

Thank you,

Truly,
Ashmi