One of the most important elements of human resource management are competencies. They are combined into competency models, for the assessment of knowledge, skills, values and behaviours of the employees, in order to adjust to changes, globalization and competition. The rail industry in Slovenia has been facing changes, for example new competitors, emerging technologies and demographic decline. These are reasons why competencies and competency models in the rail industry in Slovenia and worldwide need to be defined and introduced among the employees.
This master's thesis explores the competencies and competency models of executive railway workers involved in traffic operations. The purpose of the master's thesis is to use scientific methods to determine which competencies are essential to selected employees and to create a competency model for them. We have first examined the theoretical aspects of competencies and competency models and then in the cooperation with experts, prepared a questionnaire. On the basis of the data obtained from the survey, we have first conducted the factor analysis and eliminated the variables that did not reach set standards. The remaining variables were combined into competencies by factors and named according to the descriptions of the variables.
During the research it was found that the competency model contains eight competencies of seventy-three variables which represent their descriptions. The employees consider that the most important ones are: "Professionalism", "Emergency management", "Information management" and "Discipline". In comparison of the created competency model and foreign models for similar profiles of employees, we have identified differences that may be a result of a gap in technological development.
The result of the master's thesis is a competency model, which would, through the implementation across the railway industry in Slovenia aid employees, human resources workers, managers and others in achieving exceptional results at work, enable them further development and help them address future challenges.
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