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Challenges of Managing Talented Students as
Distinguished Future Human Capital in the
Iranian Medical Universities
Reza Dehnavieh 1 ; Mina Salajegheh1 ; Elaheh kavosi2 ; Somayeh Noori Hekmat2
1: Research Center for Health Services Management, Institute for Futures Studies in Health,
Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
2: Research Center for Modelling in Health , Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman
University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
Abstract:
Introduction: The Iranian medical universities offer special opportunities for
talented students. If the system functions properly, talented students can play an
important role as distinguished human capital in the future.
The present study aimed to identify challenges the medical universities face
through the training of talented students as future human capital and also to
provide some recommendations for policy-makers in this issue.
Method: This was an applied study conducted using a qualitative method in
2012. The respondents included clear-sighted people in Talent Offices of Iranian
medical Universities. Selecting a purposive sample, we interviewed 18 persons
asking some open questions concerning the challenges they faced in their job as
the experts of talented students. Data were analyzed after reaching saturation,
using Framework Analysis method.
Results: The main themes as the challenges of Talent Offices were identifying
talented students, students’ motivation, empowering student members of the
office, policy-making for Talent Offices, organizational communications, and
finally organizational resources, structure and culture.
Conclusion:The challenges we found were more fundamental than expected.
Development of a comprehensive talented student management program in
Iranian medical universities requires a systematic approach
Key Words: Talented students; Education management; Universities of Medical Sciences; Medical Education; Iran
Corresponding Author:
Name: Somayeh Noori Hekmat
Address: Research Center for Modelling in
Health,Somayeh Crossroads, Kerman, Iran snhekmat@gmail.com
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Introduction
Today’s world is the world of competition and development, and leading
countries look for achieving the highest possible level of knowledge and
technology. Effective utilization of distinguished workforce and susceptive
human capital is the main secret of facing business challenges and success in this
competition (Goodarzi and Hoseini, 2008). In the competitive environment, the
successful side is who identifies its prone human assets accurately and
efficiently, and use their talent effectively (O’Tuel and Apogee, 1994).Hence,
the central question of many organizations is what strategies are more efficient in
attracting and leading talented people to achieve organizational goals ( Moali,
2009).
Exploration and enrichment of latent talent have been one of the best
developments for leading organizations in recent years (Pfeiffer, 2008).
Considering the importance of this issue, today’s competitive organizations
require a holistic approach to manage their capacities (Moali and Tajadin, 2009).
Therefore, management thinkers have asserted a concept called "talent
management" in recent years (Goodarzi and Hoseini, 2008) .
Talent management is an effective tool in organizations, defined as a system of
identifying, recruiting, training, promoting and keeping prone people, with the
aim of optimizing the organization’s throughput ( Tajadin, 2010). Setting
accurate definitions of talents, and defining methods to identify and apply their
capabilities in different areas, as well as the methods to keep and lead them in
organizations are important issues in this area (O’Tuel and Apogee, 1994).
Therefore, talent management system includes four main elements of identifying,
attracting, keeping and managing talented people. The concepts of this system
can be used at both organizational and national levels. Paying no attention to
talent management in all countries can lead to disillusionment of these people
and brain drain phenomenon. In brain drain, although the society needs some
scientifically or intellectually distinguished people, such people prefer permanent
or temporary migration to other countries (Carrington, 1999). This phenomenon
is considered as one of the forms of capital flight (ZakerSalehi et al , 2008) and
causes people with lower expertise to undertake specialized jobs in their country
(Khosravi, 2004).
Due to certain considerations (Karimi, 2003)in the health sector, the importance
of competent and capable manpower in this sector is far more important than that
in other sectors. Utilization of such assets in the health sector requires the proper
planning of human force. ( Asefzadeh, 1997). Health sector elites' migration in
recent years has been one of the concerns across all nations, especially
developing countries such as Iran (Willis-Shattuck, 2008 ; Omar, 2004; Noori
Hekmat et al, 2009)
In Iran, Universities of Medical Sciences working under the supervision of
Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) are in charge of educating
human forces for health sector (Turani et al, 2011). Therefore, these universities
play an important role in promoting and applying prone human force’s
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capabilities in the form of talent management programs. The quality of prone
students, as university system inputs, should be examined through entering,
studying, and leaving the university (Mohammadi et al,2009). Development of
talented students is discussed in many countries and has aroused different beliefs
considering common values of communities (HERP, 2006).
In Iranian universities of Medical Sciences, the Talented Students Office
manages talented students’ programs. Although the issue of talented people has
been one of the important topics in Iran during recent years (HERP, 2006; Dashti
et al, 2005; Policy making Council, 2007 ) it still seems that there are many
problems in the management of these people in Iranian medical universities. For
example, a minimal funding is dedicated to identifying, keeping and training
talented people at universities affiliated with the MOHME. In addition,
supplying and allocating the credit to talented students have not followed a
special pathway through past years, indicating that policymakers lack enough
intention in this issue (HERP, 2006).
It seems that Talent Student Offices in Iranian medical universities are mainly
engaged in day-to-day activities and lack a coherent plan to guide the students.
By developing such a program, we can enjoy magnificent impact of these people
on Iran’s health care system. Considering the importance of this issue, in this
paper, we have tried to inform the main challenges causing ineffective use of
talented students in the Iranian medical universities.
Research Method
This is an applied study conducted using qualitative method in 2012. The
research population included clear-sighted people and experts of the Talented
Students Offices across Iranian medical universities. We interviewed these
people until data reached a saturation point when 16 were interviewed. 8 other
people were interviewed based on their experience and related expertise. All
interviews were recorded and transcribed. The length of interviews varied
between 35 and 50 minutes. Data were analyzed using framework analysis
method which included five stages of identifying, identifying a Thematic
Framework, indexing, charting and mapping and interpreting ( Lacey and Luff,
2001).
All interviews were separately indexed and a list of coded were developed to fill
the pre-developed thematic framework. At this stage, one or two indices were
assigned to all parts containing related information in interviews. Then holding
meetings with other researchers, these indices were investigated and changed if
necessary. Then charting stage was conducted to compare interviewees’ opinions
about each component of thematic model and to determine the relationship
between thematic model’s components and their subgroups. Thematic model’s
components were interpreted in a process similar to indexing stage. All above-
mentioned stages were conducted without the use of software. Thematic
framework was frequently revised through the process of analysis.
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Results
Talent management challenges in Iranian medical universities were
classified in the form of 7 basic themes and 21 sub-themes (see table 1).
Theme I: Inappropriate identification: experts mentioned that first; there must
be an agreement on the appropriate definition of talents and its judgment
criteria. "Firstly, it is better to have a clear definition of talented students and to
determine what features a talented student should have" (P 2).
Approaches to the definition and the ways of dealing with talented student
were so diverse that some respondents opposed separation of this group
from the rest of students. “Basically, separation of a group of students and
identification of them as talented students is controversial and I am opposed to
have this separation" (P 1).
According to the experts, one-dimensional view to the Office
entrance requirements for students and merely considering fixed
requirements are weaknesses of the current process of identifying talented
students. "Achieving a high rank in tests (such as entrance exam of universities,
tests held in the Ministry, etc.) is not an accurate index. Determining a
particular rank, for example 500 or less in university entrance exam and 1-3 in
Master test are not acceptable criteria to reject next-ranked people"(P21).
Some students are capable in research, or cultural or artistic activities.
They may not be identifies as talented students due to the current
inappropriate definition of talented students and its one-dimensional
criteria. "Considering factors such as research, educational, artistic interests,
and other capabilities are also required to support talented students" (P 16).
Some distinguished students are not motivated enough to register at
the Talent Office due to various reasons. This leads to problems in
identifying these individuals. "Lack of enough motivation in some prone
students makes their identification difficult and deprives the Office from such
individuals" (P 17).
Some interviewees believed that the activities of Talent Office were not
properly introduced. "At university, there is no mechanism across the Offices to
identify talented students, except for short printed announcements and recently
the universities' website" (P 19). Some respondents asserted that providing
more extensive mechanisms at universities are required to correctly
identify prone students. "Lack of a stable organization and a strong position in
the universities as well as lack of a diligent administrator lead to missing to
identify talented students" (P 17).
Theme II: Low Motivation: Low motivation among prone students was one
of the problems mentioned by experts. This could be due to the students'
belief that the system was not supporting them.. "Talented students must
believe that the ministry and the university are concerned about leading and
supporting them" (P 8). In addition, participation of faculty members and
students' families is essential to motivate them. "In this regard, head of
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departments and faculty members in all fields should pay special attention to
these students and help them to achieve a good level of self-esteem, self-
confidence and motivation" (P 13).
Unfortunately, learning environment of talented students does not make
them familiar with real problems of society. "If they do not know what's
going on in the society, they will be frustrated after graduation when faced with
society's problems, and consequently isolation or brain drain phenomenon will
occur" (P 2).
According to the experts, although there were many concessions in
regulations for granting privileges to talented students, they were not
practically granted these concessions. "Cases such as participation in
international seminars and support for research projects are mentioned in the
regulation, but indeed, there are many problems in their implementation and no
proper funding is predicted to grant them" (P 13). Some respondents believed
that the needs of students when awarded are not considered. "Unfortunately,
we see all students as same and want to award all of them, so we award them
something, for example a USB flash drive" (P 10).
Theme III: Lack of a coherent empowering plan for students: According
to the respondents, there was no coherent plan in the ministry and medical
universities to empower students. "The ministry has no special plan to
empower talented students. The ministry just pays some money to the universities
and gives them total authority over this budget, with no clear strategy.
Universities can spend this money at any programs based on their own taste,
with no feedback to the ministry about where they have spent the budget."(P 11).
According to the experts, there were some regulations and programs about
where the universities should spend their budget, but these programs were
not properly implemented at universities for certain reasons. "If these
programs are correctly implemented, problems will be partly solved, but they are
not correctly implemented at some universities" (P 8).
Ignoring talented students’ opinions was another weakness
mentioned by the respondents. "Workshops such as teaching methodology,
English language, etc. are held, but these are not enough. To achieve good
results, some courses should be added to students' fixed curriculum based on
their needs" (P 13).
Theme IV: Faulty policy-making: lack of an assigned administrator in charge
of policy making considerations was one of the serious problems. "Different custodians for talent management with different views (MOHME,
Ministry of Science, National Elites Foundation, etc.), who provide different
policies and partial implementation of policies frustrate students" (P 1). In
respondents’ opinion, there was no coherent and holistic policy established
about Talent-Students offices’ performance. "The ministry is more focused on
codifying regulations such as offering talented students some facilities for
studying at postgraduate levels rather than the strategic planning for the Talent
Office" (P 6). “It is the case at all universities. We do not know why we invite
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talented students, for what, and what we want to do with these students. This is a
chronic pain that we need its remedy" (P 2).
According to the interviewees, the universities' and experts' opinions were
not systematically adopted to make policies in guiding talented students'
issues. "The opinions of experts or Talent Offices are not collected and analyzed
in the universities. Usually, an individual or a group of individuals makes
decisions in a special council through a few limited meetings" (P 9). In addition,
policies were updated, although the universities were experiencing rapid
environmental changes. "It is better to hold meetings periodically and clearly
with more participation from universities and keep them updated" (P 14).
Theme V: Improper organizational communications: There were little
communications between the Offices all around the country and the
ministry. "There is no continuous and active communication between Offices
and the ministry" (P 17). There were also no suitable communication
between Offices across universities. "The MOHME cannot provide university-
specific procedures, because it is not directly connected to the students and their
problems. Therefore, if the Offices communicate with one another, major
problems will be specified and solved by cooperation" (P. 18). "We have no
common meeting and can get informed of programs only by visiting other
offices’ websites which do not show Offices' activities well" (P 15).
Theme VI: Problematic resources and structure: Lack of a proper structure
and a defined formal organizational post is one of the problems of Talent
Offices at universities. "Currently, there is no structure for Talent Offices at
universities and people in charge of talented students at universities have no
official post" (P 8). This leads to more managerial changes in these offices
having a negative effect on the office’s performance. The offices'
financially poor status weakens them in supporting prone people. "Unfortunately, we have problems with financial support and cannot suitably
support a student having a new idea" (P 10). “Some programs, such as holding
training classes, workshops for talented students, performing research projects
require adequate funding and funding deficiency is a major problem in the
implementation of guidance and support programs" (P 1).
Theme VII: Improper organizational culture: There was no appropriate
organizational culture to support prone students. “This positive attitude
should be created at all levels, from the ministry to the university to understand
the importance of talented student and to support them when needed" (P 13).
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Discussion
There were many problems, concerning talent management in
Universities of Medical Sciences, involved in identifying prone students,
students’ motivation, empowering students as Offices’ members, offices’
policy-making, organizational communications, organizational resources
and structure and culture.
Findings of this study showed that there was no agreement on
definition of key concepts among managers of the talent program. In other
words, all people and universities use “talented students” term, but their
views to this term are very different. This problem, i.e. lack of agreement
on key issues is observed in some other areas of Iranian health system
(Dehnavieh et al, 2011).
After properly defining this group, we should determine suitable
criteria to identify them. Identifying these people as the most effective
resources and national assets of each country is one of the most important
tasks of the society ( Hofman and Berg, 2000) According to our findings;
low motivation among students causes some problems in appropriately
identifying them. Similar studies show low motivation among medical
students (Shakibai, 2005).
It seems that there are serious problems in empowering talented
students concerning coherent planning by the ministry and universities.
Moreover, the existing programs were implemented imperfectly. Talent
programs should identify all capabilities and talents among students in
different areas and prepare a suitable condition to empower them. Such an
approach should be performed with a special attention and comprehensive
planning ( Dalvy and Abzary, 2009) In addition, these programs should be
determined through students’ participation. Since participation causes
people to comment, it leads to better implementation of decisions, and
consequently optimization of organizational activity ( Zareian, 2007).
Problems of policy-making for leading talented students include
unilateral movement towards policy-making, outdated policy-making,
improper mixed of policy-making group and unassigned policy-making
custodian. Generally, a suitable policy-making can prevent many future
problems and mismatches, but unfortunately, it sometimes causes serious
problems at operational levels (Dehnavieh et al, 2011). To codify a
comprehensive talent management, we should firstly determine the basis
and the trend of decisions leading to policy-making ( Momeni, 2010).
Communication problem at all levels associated with Talent Offices
in the country was another major problem is this regard. Communications
in the organization are very important so that we can say the first task of
manager is to develop communication system inside and beyond the
organization ( Iran-Nejad and Sasan-Gohar, 2003). Similar studies show
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inter-part communications problem in Iranian medical universities
(Ibrahimi pour et al , 2012). In addition, some structural problems and
resource shortcomings and lack of appropriate culture increased the
challenges.
The following figure shows the relationship between problems
identified in this study.
Figure 1: Relationship between talent management challenges in Iranian medical universities
This was a qualitative study aiming to identify talent management
challenges in Iranian medical universities. The present study had some
limitations, most importantly ignoring talented students’ opinions in order
to identify the problems.
Conclusion
"Talent management" policy-making in Iran should be performed
with more stability, with a holistic planning and more cooperation between
Talent Offices across universities. Inter-part communications between
offices and the ministry should be enhanced by taking actions such as
holding meetings and other communication tools. Offices’ structures at
universities should be revised, and repeated managerial changes in this
unit should be avoided. Considering financial problems of the offices may
culture
Resources
shortcomings
and problematic
structure
Low-motivated
students
Communication
problems
Correct
identification
Empowering
students
imperfectly
policy-
making and
management
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be useful in this regard. Finally, it is recommended to create an appropriate
culture between all related layers affecting this talent management.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Authors thank all people giving the researchers their valuable time for
interview.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
FUNDING
Kerman University of Medical Sciences grant.
ETHICS COMMITTEE APPROVAL
Ethic Committee of Kerman University of Medical Sciences
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Figures and Tables
Table 1. The most significant challenges identified
Theme and Subgroups
Theme 1: inappropriate identification
Disagreement over the definition of talented people
Lack of comprehensive identification criteria
students’ motivational problems in communicating with the office
Lack of proper cooperation to identify students
Theme 2: Low-motivated students
No belief in system support
Diminishing role of masters and entourages in motivating students
Failure to inform students
lack of proper management of talent offices
Ignoring student’s need to choose an incentive
Theme 3: Lack of a coherent empowering plan for students
Lack of coherent planning by the ministry and university
Incomplete implementation of existing programs
Lack of students participation
Theme 4: Faulty policy-making
Unassigned policy custodian
Unilateral movement in the direction of policy
Outdated policy-making
Disproportionate combination of policy-making team
Theme 5: Improper organizational communications
Problems of offices in communicating with the ministry
Interoffice communication problems
Theme 6: Problematic resources and structure
Unspecified structure of offices
Problems associated with sources
Theme 7: Improper organizational culture
Organizational culture problems