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environment, and came as Darwinism applied in organization community. (Carroll and Hannan,
1995)
[5]
The overseas study of organizational niche has been going on the macro-micro two-tier
routes.
Chinese scholar Wan Lunlai defines the organizational niche in the view of the core competiti-
veness of organization
[7]
.Yan An defines the organizational niche in the view of spaces and
functions
[8]
. Scholars’ definings of niche are the developments of Hutchinson’s super-size
multidimensional niche, and they still maintain a high degree of consistency.
2.2 Application of organizational niche
In the study of organizational ecological system in 1990’s, organizational niche started to be
integrated into enterprise management. Lichtenstein, Gregg Arnold utilized organizational
incubator to simulate organization ecological factors, and study the relationship between different
organizations, and research entrepreneurship
[9]
. Suan & Tan Sen applied the principles of natural
ecosystems to organizational activities
[10]
.
The practical application of organizational niche are focused on the study of niche width, niche
density and niche overlap, which are used to discuss the adaptability of organizational forms to the
environment and the relationship between niche overlap and the culling ratio. In the description of
organizational competition--cooperation relationship, the organizational living status, and the core
competence, the niche theory is of significance and has a unique perspective, which has already
greatly interested the researchers in the field of organization development. For example, Xia
Shun-feng(2003) measures the organizational niche breadth from organizational system functions,
the organizational situation, and the organizational resource control
[11]
.Wan Lun-lai(2004)
measures from the following three dimensions: organizational viability, organizational
development capability, and organizational competence, aided by relative index system and
linear
[7]
.On the basis of series outcome.
3 Introduction of human resource niche
Under the high dynamic background of knowledge economy, the management thoughts are certain
to transform from ”object-oriented” to “people-oriented” Competency-based human resources
management will substitute job-based one, and become the mainstream in the field of
management.
3.1 Job-based human resource management idea
Job-based evaluation thought came from Tylo’s scientific management, whose core ideas are that
organization is polymer of work, and the individual value being reflected by adapting to the job.
Thus resulting evaluation thought and technology are also work-based, which is the basic
individual evaluation idea of subsequently developed Western business management and public
administration.
3.2 Competency-based human resource management idea
Harvard University psychology professor McClelland (1973) first challenged the “work as the
center” evaluation idea, he pointed out utilizing competence instead of intelligence as assessment
criteria, which shook the evaluation idea and technology of “work as the
center”(Mirabile,1997)
[12]
.Competency -based evaluation idea has leaded a revolutionary change
in modern evaluation system. This idea regarding organization as polymer of competence and its
focus on competence and its growth, especially suite to high dynamic and people -oriented
features in the era of knowledge economy.
3.3 The need for human resource niche
Regarding competence as evaluating yardstick is an important transformation in management
thought, and is integrated into the great social development. However, the current study shows that
most of the results are focused on defining the concept of competence and its classifications, but
few on specific evaluation technologies and operation.
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