Design and Presentation of a Human Resource Allocation Model with a Soft Skills Approach in Knowledge-Based Companies

Abstract

The present study aims to design and present a human resource allocation model with a soft skills approach. The research is exploratory-applied in terms of purpose, mixed-method (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of data type, cross-sectional in terms of data collection timing, inductive-deductive in terms of philosophical stance, and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection method and research nature. The qualitative section employs the thematic analysis technique, while the quantitative section utilizes structural equation modeling (PLS). The statistical population in the qualitative section consists of experts, managers of knowledge-based companies, and university professors in the city of Karbala. The statistical population in the quantitative section includes employees of knowledge-based companies in Iraq. A random sampling method is applied, and Cochran's formula is used for sample selection. Given the infinite nature of the population, the sample size is determined to be 384 individuals based on Cochran’s formula. The research findings indicate that in the qualitative section, five main dimensions have been identified: required skills, assessment of employees’ current skills, identification of job requirements, selection and appropriate training of employees, and monitoring and evaluation of soft skills. In the quantitative section, the overall validity of the model, based on the GOF formula, is calculated as 0.64, indicating a good fit. Furthermore, based on first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analysis, all relationships between independent and dependent variables are found to be acceptable.