University of Ciego de Ávila Máximo Gómez Báez

ISSN: 2309-8333

RNPS: 2411

|14|2026|

This is an Open Access article under the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

Estrategia y Gestión Universitaria EGU

Scientific and technological

research article

How to cite:

García González, M., &

García Rodríguez, A. (2026). Methodology

for identification and skills training general

management in Higher Education.

Estrategia y Gestión Universitaria

, 14,

e9112.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20602327

Received: 17/02/2026

Accepted: 08/06/2026

Published: 29/06/2026

Corresponding author:

maryurigarciagonzalez@gmail.com

Conflict of interest:

the authors declare

that they have no conflict of interest,

which may have influenced the results

obtained or the proposed interpretations

Methodology for identification and

skills training general management in

Higher Education

Metodología de identificación y

formación de competencias generales de

dirección en Educación Superior

Metodologia para identificação e

formação de competências gerais de

gestão no Ensino Superior

Abstract

Introduction: based on a prior analysis of competencies, their

importance and conceptualization, a methodology is proposed

for the identification and development of general managerial

competencies in and from the university. The methodology

presented is novel, since in Cuba the training of competencies

has not yet been established in degree curricula and it

constitutes a key link in the formative process within higher

education. Objective: to propose a methodology for the

development of general managerial competencies in

university students. Method: theoretical and empirical

methods were employed within a participatory, flexible, and

integrative paradigm. Results: the proposed methodology

comprises seven main stages and is grounded in a process of

analysis, reflection, continuous feedback, and collective

construction aimed at its ongoing refinement. Conclusion: the

foundations for the incorporation of competency training into

curricula are established.

Keywords: methodology, competencies, management,

training, higher education

Resumen

Introducción: a partir de un análisis previo de las

competencias, su importancia y conceptualización, se realiza

la propuesta de una Metodología para la identificación y

formación de competencias generales de dirección en y desde

la universidad. La metodología que se pone a su consideración

es una propuesta novedosa, en tanto en Cuba no se establece

aun la formación de competencias en los currículos de las

carreras y constituye un eslabón clave para su proceso

formativo desde la educación superior.

Máryuri García González

Universidad de la Habana

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2734-6541

maryurigarciagonzalez@gmail.com

Cuba

Alfredo García Rodríguez

Universidad de Pinar del Río "Hermanos S

aíz

Montes de Oca"

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8391-5334

alf@upr.edu.cu

Cuba

Estrategia y Gestión Universitaria

ISSN

: 2309-8333

RNPS:

2411

| Vol. 14|2026|

| Máryuri García González | Alfredo García Rodríguez |

Objetivo:

proponer una metodología para la formación de competencias

generales de dirección en estudiantes universitarios.

Método:

se emplearon

métodos teóricos, empíricos, desde un paradigma participativo, flexible e

integrador.

Resultados:

la metodología que se propone consta de siete etapas

principales y se establece sobre la base de un proceso de análisis, reflexión,

retroalimentación continua y construcción colectiva en aras de su

perfeccionamiento permanente.

Conclusión:

se establecen las bases para la

formación de competencias en los currículos.

Palabras clave:

metodología, competencias, dirección, formación, educación

superior

Resumo

Introdução: a partir de uma análise prévia das competências, de sua importância

e conceituação, propõe-se uma metodologia para a identificação e formação de

competências gerais de direção na e desde a universidade. A metodologia

apresentada é inovadora, uma vez que em Cuba a formação por competências

ainda não está estabelecida nos currículos dos cursos e constitui um elo-chave

para o processo formativo na educação superior. Objetivo: propor uma

metodologia para a formação de competências gerais de direção em estudantes

universitários. Método: empregaram-se métodos teóricos e empíricos, a partir de

um paradigma participativo, flexível e integrador. Resultados: a metodologia

proposta consta de sete etapas principais e fundamenta-se em um processo de

análise, reflexão, retroalimentação contínua e construção coletiva visando seu

aperfeiçoamento permanente. Conclusão: estabelecem-se as bases para a

inclusão da formação por competências nos currículos.

Palavras-chave:

metodología, competencias, direção, formação, ensino

superior

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Introduction

At the Regional Conference on Higher Education in Latin America and the

Caribbean (CRES, 2008), held in Cartagena de Indias, and at the World Conference

on Higher Education (WCHE, 2009), convened in Paris, participants underscored the

urgent need for universities to strengthen their academic structures and develop

initiatives that ensure equitable access to higher education. Both forums agreed that

safeguarding this right requires responding to the growing challenge of educating

competent professionals capable of addressing societal needs while contributing to

sustainable development.

Professionals educated within higher education institutions are expected to

reinforce the sociocultural, technical, scientific, and artistic fabric that underpins

development across the countries of the region (UNESCO, 2008; UNESCO, 2009).

These conferences also highlighted the importance of fostering ethical and

professional values that are manifested in everyday practice, guiding the responsible

use of resources and prioritizing collective well-being. Equally emphasized was the

need to cultivate competencies that connect academic knowledge with production,

work, and social life through a humanistic perspective grounded in intellectual

commitment (UNESCO, 2008; UNESCO, 2009).

Participants at CRES 2008 reaffirmed this commitment by stressing the

responsibility of shaping a shared and autonomous future. A decade later, the CRES

2018 Declaration reiterated that access to and democratization of knowledge

constitute both a social and strategic public good, indispensable for guaranteeing

fundamental human rights and promoting the well-being of peoples (UNESCO, 2018).

This position calls for a transformation in the ways knowledge is accessed, produced,

and applied, assigning universities a central role in renewing modes of thought

capable of accompanying broader social transformations.

More recently, the Third Regional Conference on Higher Education (CRES+5,

2024) reaffirmed that the defense of higher education is inseparable from the

defense of democracy. Achieving this objective requires consolidating a diverse,

inclusive, and humanistic university system that recognizes knowledge as a public

good and promotes pluralistic and accessible science (UNESCO, 2024).

These challenges demand profound changes in curricular conceptions and in

the design of academic programs, from their initial formulation through

implementation. Within this process, faculty members play a pivotal role. Beyond

transmitting disciplinary content, they are expected to foster learning, unlearning,

and relearning, following Freire's perspective, in order to educate individuals

capable of generating knowledge and exercising initiative rather than remaining

passive recipients of information.

Human development, as argued by Guía et al. (2022), Güths (2025), Miao and

Nduneseokwu (2025), AlQhtani (2025), and Long (2025), constitutes a critical issue

because it transforms society and reshapes individuals as social beings. Such

transformation also entails profound changes in education, knowledge production,

and other dimensions associated with human values that permeate multiple facets

of professional life. Likewise, Del Castillo, Monagas, and Mena (2024), together with

Khuong et al. (2026), emphasize the need to devise strategic responses to the

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accelerated changes occurring in contemporary environments, given their significant

effects on organizational processes and future development.

Education is inherently a social phenomenon whose influences entail a

commitment to implementing changes aimed at the holistic development of

individuals. Within this process, the university becomes a strategic setting for

articulating knowledge and values, promoting educational experiences that respond

to the social, cultural, and productive needs of surrounding communities. By

embracing its ethical and social responsibilities, higher education must ensure that

knowledge is translated into transformative practices that strengthen critical

citizenship, equity, and collective well-being (UNESCO, 2008, 2009).

Foresight may be understood as a reflective exercise directed toward

constructing multiple images of possible futures (Del Castillo et al., 2024). Within

contemporary organizations, adopting a strategic outlook has become increasingly

essential. Emerging challenges, according to McLeod and Lomas (2023), Montes et

al. (2023), and Collado (2025), have intensified the need for proactive management

approaches capable of incorporating institutional expectations, goals, and demands.

This perspective requires the development of competencies that prepare

professionals more effectively, enabling them to assume responsibilities with higher

levels of expertise while integrating knowledge, skills, and personal attributes into

efficient professional performance. Consequently, education influences not only the

quality of professional practice but also the growth of individuals as social actors.

Universities, as noted by Alarcón et al. (2019), face the formidable challenge

of transforming themselves in ways that make meaningful contributions to the

comprehensive education of their students. Such transformation entails a profound

renewal of academic culture, one that may be difficult to generalize across contexts,

yet remains indispensable for opening new horizons. Achieving this objective

requires aligning coherent policies with innovative, collectively endorsed strategies

involving administrators, faculty, students, staff, and all substantive dimensions of

university life.

Foresight can also be conceived as an analytical and reflective process aimed

at constructing diverse representations of possible futures, as proposed by Del

Castillo et al. (2024). In today's environment, characterized by organizational

complexity and constant change, the adoption of a strategic vision has become

imperative. Camue, Torres, and Zenea (2024) argue that the effective and efficient

functioning of organizational systems represents one of the most complex problems

in management science and is closely associated with the ways organizations are

internally structured and operated. Institutional challenges, according to McLeod

and Lomas (2023), have further reinforced the need to implement proactive

management models that integrate the goals, expectations, and needs of each

organization.

This context demands the development of competencies that support a more

robust professional profile, enabling individuals to assume responsibilities with a

high level of preparedness and to perform effectively in practice. Such a process

involves integrating multiple components and personality traits oriented toward

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efficient performance, thereby influencing both career trajectories and individual

growth as social subjects.

Within this framework, universities are challenged to transform themselves

in order to respond meaningfully to the demands of comprehensive student

education. As Alarcón et al. (2019) argue, this transformation requires a profound

renewal of academic culture capable of generating substantive changes that,

although not easily generalized, must be articulated through coherent institutional

policies. These policies should be directed toward new horizons and supported by

innovative, inclusive, and consensus-based strategies that engage administrators,

faculty members, students, staff, and all essential functions of the institution.

Methods and materials

The proposed methodology was grounded in theoretical and empirical

methods within a participatory, flexible, and integrative paradigm. A qualitative

study was conducted based on documentary analysis and complemented by a

systematic review following the PRISMA methodology. National and international

databases were consulted, applying inclusion criteria that considered publications

published between 2015 and 2025, written in Spanish or English, and focused on the

development of managerial competencies. Exclusion criteria included studies lacking

empirical evidence or addressing issues unrelated to educational and organizational

contexts (Figure 1).

The search process initially identified 120 articles, of which 78 were

excluded because of duplication or insufficient relevance. Ultimately, 22 studies

were retained for analysis. This procedure ensured methodological rigor and

transparency while integrating both classical and contemporary contributions. In

turn, it strengthened the proposal by highlighting the relevance of managerial

competency development in both university and organizational settings.

Figure 1

PRISMA flow diagram used in the study

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Source: Authors’ own elaboration.

Analysis of the 22 selected studies revealed significant trends and gaps in

the literature on managerial competency development in higher education and

organizational contexts. Overall, the reviewed studies were concentrated around

three predominant approaches:

• Traditional leadership models emphasizing technical and administrative

competencies, with limited attention to socio-emotional and ethical

dimensions.

• Functional training methodologies aimed at solving immediate problems but

lacking comprehensive integration with long-term educational processes.

• Experiential learning and coaching initiatives that, despite their innovative

character, remain insufficiently systematized and supported by robust

empirical validation.

The most notable gaps identified were:

• The absence of holistic approaches integrating pedagogical, research,

ethical, and socio-emotional competencies.

• Limited empirical evidence regarding program effectiveness, as many

studies rely primarily on conceptual descriptions without impact indicators.

• Insufficient contextualization within Latin American realities, with a

predominance of models imported from Anglo-Saxon contexts.

These findings made it possible to identify distinctive aspects associated

with management, its formative process, and the sequencing of methodological

stages. The choice of a qualitative design was justified by the need to gain an in-

depth understanding of educational and organizational phenomena beyond mere

quantification, privileging interpretation, collective knowledge construction, and

the generation of context-specific inferences. The authors' experience, together

with active participation and collective construction, guided the development of the

methodology and reinforced the relevance of managerial competency development.

The proposed methodology addresses these gaps by adopting a participatory,

flexible, and contextualized approach that integrates technical and transversal

competencies with community practice and applied research. Its principal

contribution lies in the systemic integration of diverse formative dimensions and in

the incorporation of empirical and theoretical validation processes from the earliest

stages.

Results and discussion

The concept of competency entails the integration of a broad range of

individual characteristics that extend beyond technical knowledge and specific

skills. These characteristics include motivation, personal identity, and cognitive

capacities, all of which enable individuals to appropriately apply acquired skills as

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part of a behavioral repertoire oriented toward professional performance.

According to González Rivero (2022), professional competency should be

understood as a complex personal structure resulting from the interaction among

multiple factors converging throughout the learning process. This process integrates

theoretical and practical content with psychological components, generating an

integrated mode of functioning directed toward effective professional practice.

As González Rivero (2022) further argues, this dynamic does not preclude

the incorporation of previously consolidated elements. Within this framework, the

core content of competency is the professional mode of action and its external

expression, professional performance, although these concepts are not equivalent.

The professional mode of action encompasses both internal and external

elements. Observable behaviors are expressed through professional performance,

whereas internal components, such as mental models and ideas, determine such

performance. Competency integrates multiple dimensions and therefore cannot be

reduced to a single component. Competency configurations are shaped by the nature

of the activity toward which they are directed, thereby imposing specific

requirements. Nevertheless, their assessment cannot be limited exclusively to

performance indicators or achieved outcomes, as noted by Tobón (2023).

Although competencies have been widely adopted within educational

settings, no consensus has yet emerged regarding their theoretical foundations,

determining conditions, or modes of implementation and evaluation, which poses

substantial challenges for their use.

Competencies are conceived as the result of teaching and practice within a

continuous developmental process. As they are progressively manifested, they

become more firmly structured and reach higher levels of cohesion, directly

influencing performance quality. Consequently, competencies should be approached

from a comprehensive and holistic perspective that is contextualized and subject to

ongoing refinement.

According to García, Cisneros, and García (2025), competency may be

defined as the dynamic integration of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and

abilities expressed across diverse and constantly changing socio-occupational

settings. Such integration materializes through the application of experiences and

fundamental principles associated with knowing, knowing how to do, knowing how

to be, entrepreneurial competence, and the ability to share and coexist collectively

within academic, professional, and social environments.

This perspective highlights the need to promote students' active and leading

role within the teaching-learning process, while recognizing the time required to

achieve the competencies established in professional profiles. Consequently,

competency should be regarded as the organizing axis of curricular design and

improvement.

Within the proposed framework, general managerial competencies are

conceived as the synergistic integration of knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and

behaviors deployed across different socio-occupational contexts. These

competencies are essential for effective comprehensive management and for

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fostering creative and innovative solutions in productive and service sectors through

the efficient use of material, human, and financial resources via planning,

organization, regulation, and control processes.

According to Stoner (2018), the term synergistic refers to the interaction and

integration of all elements constituting a competency. However, García, Cisneros,

and García (2025) argue that general managerial competencies cannot be understood

uniformly, since they acquire specific nuances according to contextual demands,

emerging interactions, and individuals' capacities. Their development requires

moving beyond the mere accumulation of knowledge or skills by positioning students

at the center of their activities and relationships as protagonists of their own

learning and development.

In this regard, organizational and contextual needs within which future

professionals will operate must be considered, since competencies acquire meaning

only in relation to individuals' possibilities for action. Within this interaction,

mediated by perceptions and self-perceptions, internal tensions emerge that

stimulate self-development.

García, Cisneros, and García (2025) maintain that managerial competencies

should be developed within and through the group, taking into account students'

interests, motivations, and needs. Students are simultaneously influenced and

enriched by their environments at macro-, meso-, and micro-levels, including the

university and its academic setting, enterprises and teaching units, and the broader

socio-community context in which they live and develop. All of these settings

constitute essential links in competency development during university education.

Theoretical foundations of the methodology for developing general

managerial competencies

The methodology designed for developing general managerial competencies

is grounded in a set of premises, principles, and scientific ideas that provide

theoretical coherence and conceptual support. Premises, understood as initial

conditions guiding methodological reasoning, constitute indispensable elements for

implementing any educational proposal. Following Ochoa et al. (2023), premises may

be viewed as the basis of a judgment, condition, or factor influencing process

implementation.

The premises underpinning the present methodology are as follows:

• The willingness of the National Program Committee to introduce

adjustments into professional training programs, recognizing the importance

of general managerial competencies for graduates' future performance.

• The willingness of the teaching staff to implement the strategy by engaging

in planning, organization, implementation, monitoring, and feedback

processes while fostering a favorable pedagogical climate for competency

development.

• Students' motivation and recognition of the importance of developing

general managerial competencies.

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According to Ramos et al. (2018), the term principle is conceived as a

foundation, starting point, or essential norm. In scientific and academic production,

its use is frequent and presented under various meanings: as a guiding rule of

conduct, as a structural basis of a system, as a central notion that allows generalizing

and extending a proposition to phenomena in a specific domain, and even as the

particular maxims that guide each individual's actions.

In the field of social and pedagogical sciences, principles must be assumed

as requirements of great relevance, given that theories constructed in these areas

express ideas and elaborations oriented toward "good practice" and the search for

adequate practices.

From this conception, three fundamental principles are recognized that act

as regulators and dynamizers of the general management competency development

process. These principles are detailed below:

 Principle of the systemic character of formative process components. The

development of general management competencies is conceived as a system

in which each component maintains a relationship of interdependence. The

interaction among these elements, together with the flow of information

and the procedures that allow the conscious execution of general and

specific management functions, constitutes an essential factor for achieving

the objectives foreseen in the different academic and socio-labor scenarios

where students participate.

 Principle of the contextual character in competency development. This

principle is oriented toward ensuring that the educational process develops

in a contextualized manner, attending to the particularities of the

productive and service sphere. Within this framework, general management

competencies are articulated both in the academic and labor and research

domains, integrating curricular and extracurricular dimensions. In this way,

a comprehensive analysis of production and service processes is favored, in

correspondence with the specific characteristics of each context in which

these competencies are put into practice.

 Principle of the unity between activity, teaching, and development.

Connection with practice constitutes the central axis of this principle.

Through sequenced actions derived from the program's professional mode of

action and the management of production and service processes, conscious

and meaningful learning is favored. Teaching and development are

integrated as dialectical pairs in the development of general management

competencies, considering academic, labor, and research dimensions. This

unique process of transforming reality contributes to the comprehensive

preparation of professionals capable of effectively facing the challenges of

their performance.

Scientific ideas underpinning the strategy

According to García, Cisneros, and García (2025), scientific ideas can be

understood as coherent perceptions and theoretical norms that articulate

conceptual references or action guidelines, constituting the basis upon which a

strategy is founded and legitimized. These ideas not only guide the process but also

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guarantee its internal coherence and relevance in relation to formative objectives.

In this sense, the scientific ideas supporting the general management

competency development strategy are expressed as follows:

• Management as a transversal axis of the degree program, grounded in the

professional modes of action specific to the profession, ensuring its presence

in all dimensions of the formative process.

• Management functions as support for general competencies, establishing a

close relationship between managerial tasks and the development of said

competencies.

• Development of general management competencies from and within the

group, recognizing the collective and collaborative character of learning as

an indispensable condition for their consolidation.

• Articulation between curricular and extracurricular dimensions, where the

development of general management competencies is strengthened through

the integration of academic, labor, and research experiences.

Methodology for designing the general management competency

development strategy

The integration achieved through its distinct phases allows for the

conception and structuring of a systematic and articulated methodology for

developing general management competencies in higher education students.

Coherence among the defined steps facilitates both the identification and

development of these competencies, making their execution indispensable for

designing strategies and guaranteeing their practical application.

According to De Armas (2014), methodology is understood as the way of

proceeding to achieve certain objectives, resorting to procedures that, organized

and linked in a specific manner, constitute an integral system that transcends the

application of an isolated method.

Galarza and Almuiñas (2023) highlight that methodology constitutes the main

contribution of research, defining it as a "set of methods, procedures, and

techniques that, regulated by certain requirements, allow ordering thought and

modes of action with the purpose of generating new knowledge in the study of a

theoretical problem or in the solution of a practical problem."

In line with this perspective, it is agreed that methodology is grounded in a

theoretical body, contributes to problem-solving, and is organized in successive,

conditioned, and interdependent phases that lead to the achievement of stated

purposes through a logical system of procedures. Also drawing on contributions from

García et al. (2014), its general characteristics are made explicit, thus consolidating

the conceptual basis supporting the strategy.

The proposed methodology distinguishes seven main stages:

A. Internal and external diagnosis.

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B. Definition of strategic objective.

C. Proposal of specific strategies.

• Competency identification.

• Implementation through training phases.

• Curricular management strategy.

• Student training.

• Pedagogical team training.

D. Theoretical validation.

E. Definition of strategic actions.

F. Execution of the designed methodology.

G. Evaluation, socialization, and control of results.

These proposed stages are perceived from the standpoint of flexibility,

participation, and contextualization; adjusting and providing feedback based on the

interests, motivations, and conditions that regulate and dynamize the process for its

continuous improvement (García et al., 2014).

For the methodology's implementation, various methods and techniques are

employed, whose results constitute essential elements for both its development and

continuity. Among them, group work, discussion dynamics, workshops, as well as

exchange and collective construction sessions stand out, all of which contribute

significantly to enriching the methodological process.

A. Internal and external diagnosis

The diagnosis begins with contextual analysis, establishing the main

contextual manifestations, considering the local, university, and socio-labor

environment, as well as the agencies and employing companies where students and

future graduates are linked from the beginning of their university life.

The diagnosis at this stage of the research is vitally important in identifying

the existing conditioning driving forces for implementing the strategy, as well as its

structuring considering the criteria of the professors and students involved in the

process, which was conducted through a group consultation with program faculty

and students.

Consequently, both an internal and external diagnosis is carried out. The

internal diagnosis allows for the identification of the main strengths and weaknesses

affecting the general management competency development process. For this

purpose, the criteria of the national degree program commission, faculty

assessments, student perceptions, and the material and financial conditions

available in the program are considered.

The external diagnosis, meanwhile, is oriented toward determining the

opportunities and threats present in the environment, taking as reference the

characteristics of the agencies and companies where students develop their

practices and interactions. This comprehensive analysis makes it possible to

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recognize the internal and external factors conditioning the development of general

management competencies, offering a more complete vision for planning and

executing the strategy.

In analyzing the environment, it is also necessary to consider:

• Normative bases and current regulations.

• National guidelines and policies.

• Study plans.

• National regulations for student insertion into work placements.

• Conditions of agencies to accept and attend to students in placements.

• Situation of companies as training scenarios, quality of teaching units,

among others.

Because these trace directives and establish the lines to follow

Conducting the group consultation with program faculty and students allows

for obtaining the SWOT matrix, which proves highly useful in determining the

strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities present for designing the proposed

strategy.

In the strategy design process, four fundamental categories are identified:

strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities.

• Strengths: these are positive aspects that can become support points for

enhancing institutional work, taking advantage of opportunities and reducing

the impact of threats in fulfilling the organizational mission and vision

(García et al., 2014).

• Weaknesses: these constitute critical points that must be overcome to

achieve higher levels of effectiveness in fulfilling the institutional mission

and vision. They are conceived as areas susceptible to improvement that,

with adequate management, can be transformed into future strengths

(García et al., 2014).

• Threats: these refer to phenomena, events, or environmental trends over

which one has no direct influence capacity and that can negatively affect

the fulfillment of the institutional mission (García et al., 2014).

• Opportunities: these comprise phenomena, trends, or events present in the

environment that, while not depending on the institution's direct action, can

be strategically leveraged to favor the fulfillment of the mission and vision

(García et al., 2014).

The identification of these elements constitutes the starting point for

developing the proposed strategy, by enabling a comprehensive analysis of the

internal and external factors conditioning the development of general management

competencies. This process provides a solid foundation for structuring coherent

actions and ensuring that the strategy responds effectively to the particularities of

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the context in which it unfolds.

B. Definition of strategic objective

The internal and external analysis of the context allows for determining the

objective(s) of the strategy.

C. Proposal of specific strategies

Specific strategies are designed and agreed upon jointly with the national

degree program commission, taking the diagnostic results and comprehensive

environmental analysis as reference. No modification of the formally established

curriculum or official degree program documents is proposed; however, an

adaptation of the practical curriculum is proposed, oriented toward strengthening

the development of general management competencies.

These actions are directed toward training the pedagogical team to assume

the formative process, preparing students through specialized workshops, designing

a transversal curricular strategy in management matters, and articulating curricular

and extracurricular dimensions, ensuring coherence and relevance in comprehensive

formation.

• Competency identification.

Competency identification constitutes an essential step within the

methodology, and for this purpose, an ordered sequence of actions is followed. The

first moment corresponds to theoretical analysis, which implies an exhaustive review

of official documents, study plans, professional modes and spheres of action, as well

as the professional profile and the types of competencies intended to be developed.

This analysis is grounded in the theoretical foundations that legitimize

competency development, also considering proposals made by various authors, their

selection criteria, and current trends in the academic and professional spheres. At

this stage, the researcher's role proves decisive, as their theoretical position and

interpretive capacity constitute the basis for guiding the process of identifying

general management competencies.

The second moment starts from a contextual analysis (considering historical

evolution, trends, and regularities of the degree program).

The third moment includes group work and session discussion (conducted in

spaces established by the program: year-group meetings, discipline meetings,

program meetings, and the main integrating discipline meetings).

The fourth moment corresponds to conducting workshops and exchanges for

the analysis and validation of proposals. These activities are distinguished by their

systematicity, frequency, and planning, although they may also be conducted on an

extraordinary basis when circumstances require it, following a punctual assessment

of the situation. Each of these spaces is organized in coordination with the program

commission and teaching staff, who contribute highly valuable criteria to the

process.

Therefore, it is essential to work jointly in selecting the proposed

competencies and their subsequent breakdown. Within this framework, constant

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exchange and continuous feedback with the program become key elements for

ensuring the relevance and coherence of the general management competencies

intended to be developed.

There is no defined number of competencies; those necessary will be defined

and established, and the program commission together with the researcher will

decide which and how many will be developed.

The proposed general management competencies are structured into various

interrelated components, namely:

• Specific knowledge: this comprises the theoretical and practical knowledge

indispensable for exercising management in different academic, labor, and

research contexts.

• Skills and abilities: these refer to the technical, cognitive, and procedural

capacities that enable the effective application of knowledge in

management practice.

• Values: these constitute ethical and professional principles that guide the

responsible and committed action of students in the exercise of managerial

functions.

• Behaviors: these express the forms of action that reflect the internalization

of acquired competencies, evidencing coherence between what is learned

and what is executed.

• Attitudes: these imply the personal and professional disposition to assume

with responsibility, initiative, and leadership the tasks linked to the

management process.

These components allow for comprehensive and coherent formation

throughout the entire process.

• Implementation through training phases.

Each of the proposed phases, in their interrelation, establishes the necessary

actions for their execution. According to García et al. (2014), phases are conceived

as a process of sequencing and articulated succession, whose purpose is to guarantee

the achievement of expected results.

An essential aspect for understanding the development of management

competencies is recognizing that these are developed in practice, from practice, and

for performance in practice. Managerial activity is concretized in the very exercise

of management, where the professional puts into action acquired knowledge,

technical skills, values, and modes of action that constitute their preparation, both

in the academic sphere and in the experience of managing processes linked to the

service provided to society.

As noted by Ochoa et al. (2023), management constitutes an eminently social

activity. In it, collective work is oriented, and influence is exercised in a conscious,

planned, systematic, and stable manner, with the aim of achieving proposed goals.

This process is inseparable from communication, which is recognized as the essence

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of managerial activity itself, being the medium that enables coordination,

interaction, and collective construction of results.

Management is expressed in a dynamic where its structural and functional

qualities intermingle and interact, where competencies are highlighted, processes

of structuring and restructuring materialize, and quantitative and qualitative

transitions occur, formed and demonstrated in practice, where organizational

culture is key to performance.

In line with Stoner (2018), becoming an effective manager requires

interaction with other managers and observation of their practices. This process

implies, in the first instance, performing as a good subordinate, since the experience

acquired in that position constitutes the basis for understanding managerial

dynamics and developing the competencies necessary to exercise management

effectively.

From this conception, it becomes imperative to intentionally foster

competency development from the university, linking students to production and

service activities in their specialties. In this, the relationship among formative,

research, and extension activities is important, marking that interrelation that

contributes to the modes of action in the degree programs and consequently to

competency development through sequenced, intentional actions nuanced by the

curricular and extracurricular dimensions in the program.

The specific training phases are concretized in a progressive sequence that

accompanies students' academic development throughout the entire degree

program, allowing competencies to be strengthened gradually and coherently in

correspondence with each formative stage, under the coordination of the Main

Integrating Discipline (MID). These phases are structured as follows:

• Training phase I: Comprises the first and second year of the degree program,

oriented toward the initial acquisition of general management competencies

and familiarization with the professional modes of action specific to the

profession.

• Training phase II: Encompasses the third year, focused on consolidating

acquired competencies and their practical application in academic, labor,

and research scenarios.

• Training phase III: Corresponds to the fourth and fifth year of the degree

program (where applicable), focused on the full integration of general

management competencies, with emphasis on autonomous performance and

preparation for professional practice.

From the coordination by the Main Integrating Discipline in each academic

year, the dynamics of the subjects are framed in order to respond to general

management competencies; in connection with each academic year and the

disciplines to which the subjects correspond, according to the degree program's

objective. All of this is rooted in the relationship with practice and the integration

between teaching, research, and extension as university processes necessarily linked

to the formation of these students as future professionals and potential managers.

Training phase I

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Following the redesigns of Cuban degree programs, reducing them to four

years, this phase covers the first year, where students are familiarized with the

program, modes and spheres of action, entities where they may work, and other

generic aspects. In this way, they identify the main regularities, needs, importance,

and typical issues of the program, in direct connection with the profession and the

university-society relationship.

In this phase, group work, participation, and relationships among students,

between the group and its connection with professors, production and service

specialists are fostered. Likewise, it is integrated through planning, organization,

regulation, and control of undertaken actions.

Training phase II

This covers the second year of the degree program, focused mainly on the

projection and socialization of results obtained from the integration of teaching,

research, and extension processes and their insertion into production and service

practices in direct connection with their degree programs.

In this case, students must become directly familiar with the professional

mode of action; this stage constitutes the core of the university formative process

and, consequently, maintains direct connection with professional practice. The

development of management competencies is intentionally favored with a

comprehensive approach, based on the experiences and activities carried out, both

at the university and in work placements, all in real entities.

Training phase III

The formative process comprises the fourth year of the degree program and,

in those programs that include it, also the fifth year. This stage is globally articulated

with the comprehensive evaluation of the managerial function, favoring that, based

on production and service references, the state of development of management

competencies is assessed. In this context, leadership is promoted as an essential

trait in conducting academic and professional processes.

Throughout the different subjects and disciplines that make up the study

plan, faculty direct their work toward strengthening management functions,

understood as the basis for developing the foreseen competencies. At this stage,

these functions are articulated coherently and complementarily, favoring the

consolidation of a comprehensive professional profile.

Likewise, from the various socialization spaces offered by the program,

specific actions are promoted aimed at intentionally fostering the development of

these competencies, thus consolidating a comprehensive professional profile.

• Curricular management strategy.

This intentionally guides the students' formative process toward the

development of general management competencies, contributing to consolidating

their preparation based on the modes of action they put into practice.

• Student training.

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This fosters the strengthening of general management competency

development in students from the different learning spaces.

• Pedagogical team training.

For developing general management competencies in students, it is essential

that professors are prepared in this regard.

D. Theoretical validation

Once conceived and put into practice, the strategy is subjected to a

validation process through the criteria of previously selected experts. It is then

implemented in the formative context to verify its feasibility and examine the

achievements obtained by students in developing general management

competencies within the degree program.

E. Definition of strategic actions

At this phase, it is essential to identify the elements that guarantee the

materialization of the stated transformations, which are aimed at strengthening

general management competencies, conceived as a fundamental axis for the

comprehensive development of professional formation. This requires the

implementation of a set of actions designed to favor its implementation.

These actions must be designed with criteria of systematicity, updating, and

contextualization, in addition to incorporating continuous feedback processes,

according to the development of general management competencies. Likewise, they

must be nourished from the different interaction spaces and the articulation

established between the university and the business sector.

They will be directly related to the year's objectives, the characteristics of

each phase, and in close connection with the degree program. These strategic

actions are the concrete steps taken to achieve objectives and fulfill the established

strategy. Each action will be interconnected and aligned with the development of

management competencies and the particular degree program, as well as with

environmental analysis, guiding the course toward achieving the objective.

It is important to specify that these strategic actions must be clear, specific,

measurable, and realistic, to ensure their effectiveness in implementation.

Strategic actions are articulated both in the productive and service sphere

and in the academic, research, and university extension activities of the degree

program. This connection is established in direct relationship with the professional

mode of action and the management competency development process.

F. Execution of the designed methodology

Collaboration with the national degree program commission represents a key

element for putting the strategy into practice, making it pertinent to consolidate

links with this body from the initial stages of the research. Creativity, motivation,

dedication, and collective learning converge in this process, reinforcing its viability.

Likewise, the development of general management competencies cannot be

separated from budgetary analysis, as this determines the feasibility, adjustment,

and availability of human, labor, and financial resources indispensable for

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guaranteeing strategy execution. The identification of these aspects must be

incorporated into planning from the outset, also evidencing the social contributions

derived from its implementation.

G. Evaluation, socialization, and control of results

Validation is situated at this point in the process because it constitutes a

bridge between methodological construction and final results evaluation. In this

context, theoretical validation is understood as the contrast of the proposal with

existing conceptual and empirical references, as well as with expert criteria,

guaranteeing its pertinence and coherence before full application.

This type of validation fulfills three functions:

1. Ensuring internal consistency, verifying that methodological components

are articulated logically and systemically.

2. Guaranteeing external relevance, by contrasting the proposal with real

needs of the university and organizational context.

3. Preparing the final evaluation, as it establishes the conceptual and

methodological bases that will allow measuring results with previously defined

indicators.

In this way, theoretical validation does not substitute results evaluation but

articulates with it as an indispensable prior stage that grants legitimacy and

credibility to the formative process.

During the different phases of the managerial cycle (planning, organization,

regulation, and control), integrally linked to academic and formative performance,

progress in the development of general management competencies is assessed. In

this line, the assertions by Alarcón et al. (2019) are taken up, who warn that in Cuba,

formation oriented toward, from, and for process management is not explicit.

Nevertheless, achieving practice coherent with this perspective requires preparing

professionals with greater commitment, autonomy, flexibility, and versatility, aware

of their social and professional context, and capable of deploying high levels of

creativity in problem-solving and attending to concrete situations.

Evaluation and feedback must be conceived as continuous and systematic

processes present throughout the entire formation, as they provide valuable

information for improvement and implementation in subsequent stages. This

evaluation must cover the different moments, processes, levels, participants, and

contexts involved, employing a diversity of instruments that allow approaching the

objective reality of learning (Alarcón et al., 2019). The essential thing is that the

data obtained are integrated into the individual's consciousness so that they can be

utilized both by themselves and by the academic community in general.

An essential component of the evaluative process is the socialization of

results within the university sphere. Timely dissemination and effective

communication of findings to involved, interested, and target actors favor their

understanding and enhance their practical application. For this purpose, various

strategies may be employed, including exchange meetings, collaborative workshops,

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scientific sessions with collective debates, oral presentations, visual displays, and

printed materials synthesizing the main results and learnings derived from the

evaluation.

However, evaluation and socialization of results are not sufficient on their

own. In implementing the general management competency development strategy,

along with its specific actions, continuous control and feedback are required. This

phase constitutes the central axis of feedback, since, although the evaluative

process develops permanently, at this stage it is conducted with greater

intentionality, favoring continuous improvement and potentially generating new

contextual demands that must be considered.

The proposed methodology is conceived and structured as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Methodology designed for the identification and development of management

competencies in Higher Education

Source: Authors’ own elaboration.

The fundamental mission of higher education institutions centers on forming

a new generation of professionals who, in addition to achieving solid mastery of

competencies specific to their disciplinary field, act with a humanistic sense and

perform as leaders. In the current context of globalization and communication, this

implies acquiring knowledge, skills, and abilities that respond to social demands

linked to professional practice (Moreno & de Armas, 2019).

Within this framework, the identification and development of general

management competencies in higher education emerges as both a necessity and a

challenge. This process marks the starting point for having better-prepared

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professionals, both in their specialty domain and in the management of production

and service processes, in close relation to their modes of action and the indissoluble

articulation between university and society.

Conclusions

The study addresses the conceptualization of competencies and, in

particular, general management competencies, conceived as an articulating axis of

formative processes in higher education. Based on this analysis, a methodology

structured in seven stages for the identification and development of said

competencies is designed, ensuring a participatory and contextualized approach.

Likewise, the foundations for their incorporation into Cuban degree program

curricula are established, so that the methodological proposal contributes to

strengthening the social and professional relevance of university formation.

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superior-cres5

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Estrategia y Gestión Universitaria EGU

About the main author

Máryuri García González

Forestry Engineer; Master of Science in Education

(specializing in Didactics); PhD in Education (specializing in Economics and

Management). Tenured Professor and Researcher; Postgraduate Methodologist at the

University of Havana (Cuba). Member of the Scientific Council for Administrative

Sciences at the Center for Management Techniques Studies (CETED

–

UH); faculty

member for Higher Education doctoral programs at UH, CUJAE, and the University of

El Salvador; faculty member for Master’s programs in educational, social, and

business fields at UH, UNAH, UPR, CUJAE, and ICCP.

Declaration of author responsibility

Máryuri García González

Conceptualization, Data Curation, Formal Analysis,

Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Software, Supervision,

Validation/Verification, Visualization, Writing

/Original Draft, and Writing/

Review &

Editing.

Alfredo García Rodríguez

2: Formal analysis, Validation/Verification, Original

draft preparation, an

d Writing.

Financing:

Own resources

Special Acknowledgments: