The implications of meta‐qualities for HR roles

A great deal has been written about the types of competencies that HR managers need. However, there is little known about how these might be acquired and which ones prove most valuable in carrying out HR tasks. This article provides insights into this issue from a study carried out in Ireland. The study examined HR managers' perceptions of the ways in which their competencies changed over the timespan of a management education process and the ways that they utilised these competencies within their work situations. The study suggests that the acquisition and development of ‘meta‐qualities’(Pedler et al , 1994) can be important to HR professionals in managing the complexity and ambiguity in their roles.