Designing a Model for Developing Key Human Resource Competencies in the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, competency has emerged as a major issue which plays a significant role in responding to challenges facing organizational management in a rapidly changing environment. In this regard, the competency-based approach puts emphasis on individuals and highlights the importance of human resources to achieve organizational goals. The Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a human-centered organization; that is to say, most of the services provided to the target communities rely on the capabilities of human resources. Therefore, the current study aimed to design a model for the development of key human resource competencies in the Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran. METHODS: This applied qualitative study was conducted based on an exploratory approach and used mixed-type data. Data collection was performed in two qualitative and quantitative phases. The first phase was conducted based on grounded theory, while a quantitative research method was used in the next phase. The statistical population of the study in the qualitative section included managers and human resource experts of the Red Crescent Society, as well as university professors and experts, who were selected using purposive sampling and were interviewed until saturation data (25 interviews). The statistical population of the quantitative section included 8,451 managers and employees of the Red Crescent Society of all provinces of Iran. The sample size was calculated at 361 cases using Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table. FINDINGS: In the present study, among the seven principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the five principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, and voluntary service were regarded as infrastructure requirements for the development of human resource competencies and were axially coded in causal conditions. Thereafter, the relationship between these principles and human resources competencies in the Red Crescent Society was determined using PLS software. CONCLUSION: As evidenced by the obtained results, the employment of appropriate strategies for evaluating and developing key human resource competencies resulted in the following consequences: human resource efficiency, provision of desirable social services, community health improvement, enhancement of human values, reinforcement of trust and public participation, and improvement of the financial capacity of the Red Crescent Society. The results indicated that competency development among Red Crescent staff is positively and significantly correlated with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.