The Role of the Third-Generation University in Cultivating Competent Graduates from the Perspective of Human Resource Architecture

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Human Resource Management, Department of Leadership and Human Capital, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, Faculties of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

2 Department of Policy Making and Public Administration, School of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, School of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 Department of Leadership and Human Capital, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, School of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

4 Department of Leadership and Human Capital, Faculty of Public Administration and Organizational Sciences, Faculties of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

10.22059/jed.2025.402163.654579

Abstract

Objective: The goal of the present research is to examine the role of the Third-Generation University in nurturing competent graduates from the perspective of Human Resource Architecture. By analyzing this role, strategies can be presented for the design and implementation of a smart human resource system in which talents flourish and entrepreneurial competencies are nurtured. Therefore, the present research will address the role of the third-generation university in nurturing competent graduates from the perspective of human resource architecture.

Methodology: The present research has adopted an inductive-qualitative approach and utilized the Systematic Review method, employing the Oakley and Schabram (2010) framework, to deeply examine the role of Human Resource Architecture in Third-Generation Universities toward nurturing competent graduates.The steps of the present research include: determining the goal and research questions; preparing the search protocol using the PRIZMA standard; conducting a comprehensive search in the Scopus database with specified keywords; screening articles based on title, abstract, and journal quartiles Q1 and Q2; assessing the quality of articles using the CASP checklist; extracting data through thematic analysis with an inductive approach; and finally, synthesizing and presenting the findings in the form of main and sub-conceptual codes. It should be noted that to ensure the concepts of graduates' competency, human resource architecture, and third-generation university were present in the articles under review, the title, abstract, and keywords were initially checked in the documents, and an effort was made to prioritize articles most relevant to the research components in the search strategy. Furthermore, due to the limited resources, no time restriction was considered for the search period. Ultimately, the initial sample of articles extracted in the primary search, without screening, was 567 articles. After screening, a final set of 29 articles was obtained.

Findings: The results indicate that this architecture is based on three fundamental pillars (Input, Process, and Output): Competent Executors (faculty and administrators), Synergistic Functions, and Competent Graduates who possess entrepreneurial capacity. First, competent executors, particularly faculty members and administrators, serve as the driving force (Input) of this transformation. Faculty members are no longer merely knowledge transmitters but are mentors, innovators, and entrepreneurs who foster creativity and problem-solving skills in students through innovation in teaching methods and the development of students' psychological capital. This approach necessitates a shift in the mindset of faculty members and their alignment with entrepreneurial visions. Alongside them, university administrators, by adopting a strategic architecture, transform Human Resources into a tool for creating sustainable competitive advantage. The findings emphasize that management must be based on individual competencies and psychological traits so that the workforce ultimately becomes a strategic factor in macro decision-making. Second, synergistic functions, including education, research, and technology (Process), must move away from traditional approaches. Education must shift toward developing employability and entrepreneurial skills, eliminating the gap between education and labor market needs through curriculum redesign. Emphasizing the practical aspect of education and utilizing modern teaching methods, such as active learning, is the key to success in this area. Furthermore, research must move beyond the theoretical state and directly address societal problems by focusing on converting ideas into practical solutions. Finally, technology acts as an enabling platform, not only facilitating the digital transformation of education but also revolutionizing university management by providing data to support strategic decisions. These two processes, in conjunction with each other and within the existing contextual framework, lead to the creation and development of competent graduates—graduates who possess the ability, knowledge, and skills to enter the business world and entrepreneurship, create value, and leave a lasting impact. Thus, based on the research findings, it can be concluded that the third-generation university, with an approach based on Human Resource Architecture across the three stages of Input, Process, and Output, will be able to nurture a generation of graduates who, in addition to educational, research, and technological competencies, are also equipped with entrepreneurial competencies and utilize them practically.



Results and Conceptual Model: The research findings indicate that Human Resource Architecture is a comprehensive and dynamic concept that extends beyond traditional staff management processes. This integrated architecture, aimed at aligning all components including university administrators, functions, and graduates, enables universities to transform into flexible, innovative, and influential organizations in today's complex environments. Success in this path requires a profound transformation in management and educational attitudes and approaches.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Abreu, M., & Grinevich, V. (2024). The entrepreneurial university: strategies, processes, and competing goals. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 49, 1991-2034..https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-024-10085-7

    Adelaja, A. A. (2021). Entrepreneurial education exposure: a comparative investigation between technical and nontechnical higher education. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 28 (5), 711-723. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-12-2020-0429

    Álvarez Álvarez, S. (2024). Employability and entrepreneurship in the training of translators and interpreters: A proposal to develop the entrepreneurial skills of translation and interpreting graduates. Cadernos de tradução, 44 (Spe 1), e95240. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-7968.2024.e95240

    Álvarez Álvarez, S., & Arnáiz Uzquiza, V. (2017). Translation and interpreting graduates under construction: do Spanish translation and interpreting studies curricula answer the challenges of employability?. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 11 (2-3), 139-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2017.1344812

    Ayala Calvo, J. C., & Manzano García, G. (2021). The influence of psychological capital on graduates’ perception of employability: the mediating role of employability skills. Higher Education Research & Development, 40 (2), 293-308. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2020.1738350

    Barabash, V., Milz, M., Kuhn, T., & Laufer, R. (2022). Development of a competence ecosystem for the future space workforce: strategies, practices and recommendations from international master programs in northern Sweden. Acta Astronautica, 197, 46-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.05.017

    Belchior-Rocha, H., Casquilho-Martins, I., & Simões, E. (2022). Transversal competencies for employability: from higher education to the labour market. Education Sciences, 12 (4), 255. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12040255

    Bikse, V., Rivža, B., & Brence, I. (2013). Competitiveness and quality of higher education: graduates evaluation. Journal of teacher education for sustainability, 15 (2), 5266. https://doi.org/10.2478/JTES-2013-0011

    Boyatzis, R. E. (2008). Competencies in the 21st century. Journal of management development, 27 (1), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710810840730

    Calhau, R. F., Almeida, J. P. A., Kokkula, S., & Guizzardi, G. (2024). Modeling competences in enterprise architecture: From knowledge, skills, and attitudes to organizational capabilities. Software and Systems Modeling, 23, 559-598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-024-01151-7

    De la Gala Velásquez, B., Hurtado Palomino, A., Monrroy Villena, A. A., & Gomez Villegas, O. I. (2024). Roots of the entrepreneurial mindset in university students. The International Journal of Management Education, 22 (3), 101049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2024.101049

    Dubois, D. (Ed.) (1998). The competency casebook. Amherst, MA: HRD, & Silver Spring MD: International Society for Performance Improvement.

    Faerman, S.R., Quinn, R.E., Thompson, M.P. and Mcgrath, M.R. (1990), Supervising New York State: a framework for excellence, State Governor’s Office of Employee Relations, New York, NY.

    Feola, R., Parente, R., & Cucino, V. (2021). The entrepreneurial university: How to develop the entrepreneurial orientation of academia. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 12 (4), 1787-1808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-020-00675-9

    Gangadhara, H., & Kumar, J. S. (2024). Integrated model perspective of capital theory, TPB and SCCT towards determining business students' digital entrepreneurial intention in developing country context. The Journal of High Technology Management Research, 35 (2), 100519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hitech.2024.100519

    García-Álvarez, J., Vázquez-Rodríguez, A., Quiroga-Carrillo, A., & Priegue Caamaño, D. (2022). Transversal competencies for employability in university graduates: A systematic review from the employers’ perspective. Education Sciences, 12 (3), 204. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12030204

    Gruman, J. A., & Budworth, M. H. (2022). Positive psychology and human resource management: Building an HR architecture to support human flourishing. Human Resource Management Review, 32 (3), 100911. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2022.100911

    Guerrero, M., & Urbano, D. (2012). The development of an entrepreneurial university. The journal of technology transfer, 37, 43-74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-010-9171-x.

    Guraya, S. Y., & Chen, S. (2019). The impact and effectiveness of faculty development program in fostering the faculty’s knowledge, skills, and professional competence: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Saudi journal of biological sciences, 26 (4), 688-697. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2017.10.024

    1. A. H. Handley, E. Vance and D. Heimerdinger, "A Human Resource Framework for Enterprise Architectures," in IEEE Engineering Management Review, 47 (1), 86-93, https://doi.org/doi: 10.1109/EMR.2019.2898629

    Hart, P. F., & Rodgers, W. (2024). Competition, competitiveness, and competitive advantage in higher education institutions: a systematic literature review. Studies in Higher Education, 49 (11), 2153-2177. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2293926

    Harvey, M., Novicevic, M. M., & Garrison, G. (2005). Global virtual teams: A human resource capital architecture. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16 (9), 1583-1599. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585190500239119

    Hogg, B.A. (1993), European managerial competences, European Business Review, 93 (2),. 21-26, https://doi: 10.1108/EUM0000000001914

    Huang, J., & Kim, H. J. (2013). Conceptualizing structural ambidexterity into the innovation of human resource management architecture: The case of LG Electronics. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24 (5), 922-943. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2012.743471

    Huynh, V. U. T., Ma, Y., Thieu, T. H. O., & Trinh, Q. L. (2024). Practice of Vietnamese tertiary learners’ intercultural competence: An influential factor affecting entrepreneurial capabilities. Heliyon, 10 (4). e26240.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26240

    Iglesias Sánchez, P. P., Jambrino Maldonado, C., & de las Heras Pedrosa, C. (2019). Training entrepreneurial competences with open innovation paradigm in higher education. Sustainability, 11 (17), 4689. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11174689

    Isusi-Fagoaga, R., García-Aracil, A., & Navarro-Milla, I. (2023). Impact of teaching-learning approaches on graduates' learning outcomes: evidence in Belarus. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 13 (6), 1234-1249. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-03-2023-0056

    Kang, S. C., & Snell, S. A. (2009). Intellectual capital architectures and ambidextrous learning: a framework for human resource management. Journal of management studies, 46 (1), 65-92. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2008.00776.x

    Kang, S. C., Morris, S. S., & Snell, S. A. (2007). Relational archetypes, organizational learning, and value creation: Extending the human resource architecture. Academy of management review, 32 (1), 236-256. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2007.23464060

    Klimova, I. I., Sharabarina, N. E., Tikhova, E. A., & Dubinka, S. A. (2018). Communicative competence enhancement. XLinguae, 11 (1XL),https://doi.org/10.18355/XL.2018.11.01XL.07

    Kohale, N., Kini, P., & Mohammed, C. (2024). Relevance of Competency Based Education for Architectural Education in India. F1000Research, 11.13, 835. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.148617.2

    Laguna Sánchez, P., Abad, P., de la Fuente Cabrero, C., & Calero, R. (2020). A university training programme for acquiring entrepreneurial and transversal employability skills, a students’ assessment. Sustainability, 12 (3), 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12030796

    Lepak, D. P., & Snell, S. A. (1999). The human resource architecture: Toward a theory of human capital allocation and development. Academy of management review, 24 (1), 31-48. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1999.1580439

    Lepak, D. P., & Snell, S. A. (2002). Examining the human resource architecture: The relationships among human capital, employment, and human resource configurations. Journal of management, 28 (4), 517-543. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630202800403

    Lo Presti, A., Van der Heijden, B., & De Rosa, A. (2024). Organizational predictors of employability and the moderating impact of boundaryless career attitude: A multi‐wave study among Italian employees. Human Resource Management Journal.35 (2),476-494. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12575

    Lombardi, R., Massaro, M., Dumay, J., & Nappo, F. (2019). Entrepreneurial universities and strategy: The case of the University of Bari. Management Decision, 57 (12), 3387-3405. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-06-2018-0690

    Marrelli, A. F. (1998). An introduction to competency analysis and modeling. Performance Improvement, 37 (5), 8-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.4140370505

    McClelland, D. C. (1973). Testing for competence rather than for intelligence.. American psychologist, 28 (1), 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0034092

    McGaghie, W. C. (1980). The evaluation of competence: Validity issues in the health professions. Evaluation & the health professions, 3 (3), 289-320. https://doi.org/10.1177/016327878000300303

    Mills, J., Platts, K., & Bourne, M. (2003). Competence and resource architectures. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 23 (9), 977-994. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443570310491738

    Ndibalema, I. C., John, E., & Msuya, O. W. (2025). Exploring the role of entrepreneurial selfefficacy into performance of graduateowned small and mediumsized enterprises in Tanzania. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, 17 (5), 2001–2019.https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-03-2024-0146

    Niemi, E., & Pekkola, S. (2020). The benefits of enterprise architecture in organizational transformation. Business and Information Systems Engineering, 62 (6), 585-597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-019-00605-3

    O’Dwyer, M., Filieri, R., & O’Malley, L. (2023). Establishing successful university–industry collaborations: barriers and enablers deconstructed. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 48, 900-931. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-022-09932-2

    Okoli, C., Schabram, K. (2010). "A Guide to Conducting a Systematic Literature Review of Information Systems Research," . Sprouts: Working Papers on Information Systems, 10 (26). http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1954824

    Ordonez de Pablos, P. (2004). The nurture of knowledgebased resources through the design of an architecture of human resource management systems: implications for strategic management. international Journal of technology management, 27 (6-7), 533-543. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTM.2004.004900

    Parakhina, V., Godina, O., Boris, O., & Ushvitsky, L. (2017). Strategic management in universities as a factor of their global competitiveness. International Journal of Educational Management, 31 (1), 62-75. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-03-2016-0053

    Ridder, H. G., & McCandless, A. (2010). Influences on the architecture of human resource management in nonprofit organizations: An analytical framework. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 39 (1), 124-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/0899764008328182

    Rodríguez de Céspedes, B. (2017). Addressing employability and enterprise responsibilities in the translation curriculum. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer, 11 (2-3), 107-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750399X.2017.1344816

    Santos Jaén, J. M., Iglesias Sánchez, P. P., & Jambrino Maldonado, C. (2022). The role of gender and connections between entrepreneurship and employability in higher education. The International Journal of Management Education, 20 (3), 100708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijme.2022.100708

    Schulte, P. (2004). The entrepreneurial university: a strategy for institutional development. Higher education in Europe, 29 (2), 187-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/0379772042000234811

    Soetendorp, R. (2004). ‘Food for engineers’: intellectual property education for innovators. Industry and Higher Education, 18 (6), 363-375. https://doi.org/10.5367/0000000042683584

    Spencer, L. M., & Spencer, P. S. M. (2008). Competence at Work models for superior performance. John Wiley & Sons.

    Staniewski, M. (2006). Human resources architecture of European Union new member country: case of Poland. Journal of Problems and Perspectives in Management, 4 (2), 5-13. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.4 (2).2006.13

    Tahirsylaj, A., & Sundberg, D. (2025). Five visions of competence-based education and curricula as travelling policies: a systematic research review 1997–2022. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220272.2025.2492605

    Vekeman, E., Devos, G., & Valcke, M. (2016). Human resource architectures for new teachers in Flemish primary education. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44 (6), 970-995. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143215587309

    Vera Galván, J. R., Díaz López, O., & González, E. (2024). Analysis of the General Skills of Graduates in Environmental Sciences: The View of Students, Teachers and Employers. International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy, 14 (6).3. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijep.v14i6.48595

    Wegner, D., Thomas, E., Teixeira, E. K., & Maehler, A. E. (2020). University entrepreneurial push strategy and students’ entrepreneurial intention. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 26 (2), 307-325. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-10-2018-0648

    Weinert, F. E. (1999, April). Concepts of competence. OFS.

    White, R. W. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: the concept of competence. Psychological review, 66 (5), 297-333, https://doi: org/10.1037/h0040934.

    Yu, X., & Zhang, B. (2021). Innovation strategy of cultivating innovative enterprise talents for young entrepreneurs under higher education. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 693576. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.693576.

    Zavyalova, E., Sokolov, D., & Lisovskaya, A. (2020). Agile vs traditional project management approaches: Comparing human resource management architectures. International journal of organizational analysis, 28 (5), 1095-1112. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-08-2019-1857.

Journal of Entrepreneurship Development
Volume 18, Issue 5
February 2026
Pages 267-290

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics