Beyond individual skills: cultivating competence synergies in Thai automotive production

Purpose

Production employees and their competences are pivotal in the generation of value and shaping human resource management strategies for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) operating within the supply chain. This study aims to understand and model how individual competences of production employees are developed and utilized within SMEs in the Thai automotive sector, highlighting the role these competences play in enhancing organizational competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing a grounded theory methodology, this study analyzes data from in-depth interviews with 30 participants—10 owners and 20 production employees. The research systematically categorizes competences and investigates their synergistic effects on organizational performance.

Findings

The result identifies key competences of production employees, such as inquisitiveness, functional, emotional intelligence, and integration competences. It is found that these competences, when combined, lead to synergistic effects that have the potential to enhance employee performance and organizational efficiency.

Originality/value

The study provides novel insights into the competence-based theory of firm competitiveness in emerging markets by demonstrating how individual competences of production employees interact to produce greater collective capabilities within SMEs.