A descriptive study of the themes that emerge when expert employees known as myungjangs acquire, update, and share their domain-related occupational knowledge and skills

While the literature provides useful insights into the nature of experts, much less attention has been paid to how individuals become experts in their jobs in the first place and what they do with their domain-specific information over time. The purpose of the study was to describe the following areas: (1) what expert exployees do to acquire domain-related knowledge and skills related to their occupations; (2) what they do to update those domain-related occupational knowledge and skills; (3) the extent to which they have engaged in sharing domain-related occupational knowledge and skills with others to improve their and others’ domain-related occupational knowledge and skills. The study focused on the experiences of 20 selected individuals who have been formally designated as experts in their occupations, known as DaehanmingukMyungjangs, by the president of the Republic of Korea. The data was gathered using a combination of in-depth open-ended interviews and the critical incident technique. The study yielded a set of themes that advances an understanding of expert employees’ learning approaches. When acquiring domain-related occupational knowledge and skills, the study respondents seek a learning opportunity on the job and repeat given tasks on the job. When updating them, they create a learning opportunity within an extended boundary of work, review the process and the results of work, and master the task. When sharing them with others, they give or receive advice in a non-working situation and provide direct help on the job. This study concludes with the model for becoming a Myungjang based on the findings from the data analysis and the implications for further research and practice.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Resource Education

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2019

Author dc:creator

• Lee, Yoo Min

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jacobs, Ronald L.
• Stine-Morrow, Elizabeth A. L.
• Shah, Sonali K.
• Oh, Eunjung Grace

• Expert employees, Expertise development, Myungjang

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2019 Yoomin Lee

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/105657

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/105657