An investigation of the development of soft skills required for health supply chain practice in developing economies.

Chindove, Stanley

Abstract

Soft skills, also referred to as non-technical skills, are becoming increasingly important in today's business environment. The focus now is on developing a well-rounded workforce with a blend of soft and technical skills to be better equipped to handle the complexities of the real world. However, there has been a tendency in developing economies to prioritise technical skill development, particularly in health supply chains. This research addresses this gap by examining the significance of soft skills in health supply chain performance and exploring the factors contributing to soft skill development in resource-limited environments. The research consists of a literature review of the soft skills most relevant to supply chain practice. It explores the effect of learning and work-related practices on developing skills in health supply chain management. A sequential combination of qualitative and quantitative methods was employed across four empirical studies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the experiences of employers and the health supply chain workforce. The first study analysed health supply chain job advertisements using a mixed methods approach to identify employers' soft skill requirements. In the second study, a modified two-stage Delphi survey with a panel of health supply chain experts was conducted to determine consensus (or not) of the soft skills required for health supply chain practice. The third study employed partial least square-structural equation modelling to test the research conceptual model and research hypotheses using responses gathered through an online survey of the health supply chain workforce. Lastly, in study four, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of health supply chain professionals to gain in-depth insights into developing soft skills. The investigation identified ten soft skill categories (entrepreneurial mindset, communication, leadership, flexibility, self-management, teamwork, relationship management, result-oriented, sense of duty, and negotiation) that are essential for success in health supply chain practice. However, the findings show that limited exposure to soft skill development during undergraduate training is due to deficiencies in the supply chain curricula and a lack of adequate strategies to contextualise existing soft skill development programs to the contexts of health supply chains in developing economies. This means that efforts to address soft skill gaps primarily focus on employee-led and on-the-job initiatives. The findings suggest that an individual's motivation is influenced by their work environment and social practices, and indirectly affects their development of soft skills and workforce performance. This research illuminates the significance of soft skills in recruitment within the current job market. It offers valuable insights for managers and policymakers to consider when revising focus areas for soft skill development in current and upcoming investments. Furthermore, the research draws attention to the perceived changes in the relative importance of soft skills as a result of global events such as COVID-19. These findings have essential implications for managers, practice, policy and theory, and suggest areas for future research to further advance our understanding of soft skill development in the context of supply chain practice.

Citation

CHINDOVE, S. 2024. An investigation of the development of soft skills required for health supply chain practice in developing economies. Robert Gordon University, DBA thesis. Hosted on OpenAIR [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2795498

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Apr 17, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 17, 2025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2795498
• Keywords: Soft skills; Non-technical skills; Supply chain management; Health supply chains; Workforce skillsets; Developing economies
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2795498
• Award Date: Nov 30, 2024