Conclusion Competence in the Workplace: A Synthesis of Issues for Reflection and Action

Abstract

This conclusion will be a synthesis of the main tensions, in both principle and practice, raised by the contributors to the text. The tensions, the differences and diversity that these international perspectives on competence in the workplace represent, add new insights and support more critical reflection on workplace action. The conclusion’s other main interest is to search for the common ground between the notion of competence and how it is discoursed about and experienced in the different workplace contexts exemplified in this book. One of the principal intentions and innovative features of the book is precisely to explore the learning that can accrue from this “cross-boundary” perspective. This chapter is not so much a conclusion, but rather a ‘way forward’ in order to help fuel future debate, and to create a change in thinking about the meaning of competence, its relationship to labour and work, and its interpretation in the workplace.