Competence Building Strategy in the Textile Complex: A Study of the Impact of Cultural and Identitarian Aspects

Abstract

This article discusses the profile of the remaining textile industry workforce as a strategic factor for the building of competencies in the companies of the sector. It investigates the impact of the cultural and identitarian traits developed by the workforce within century-old organizations on productive dynamics. The discussion is justified in a precarious working context seeking competitive differentials. The theoretical framework is supported by a reflexive axis that gives first priority to the combination of complementary topics. This article is based on exploratory and qualitative research developed through a multiple case methodology (Yin, 2005) covering textile factions and cotton mills from the micro-regions of Curvelo and Diamantina, Minas Gerais State. The body of the work included fifty-one operating and directive-level respondents and the data were collected through interviews between October 2009 and March 2010. The NVIVO software and Content Analysis were used for data processing based on categories and frequency counting (Bardin, 1979). The results indicate that from a structural viewpoint, the retention of a qualified workforce, both technically and skillfully, was an alternative to the shaping of the workforce and the stabilization of the productive process. Concerning the relational and formative dimensions, the study concluded that learning developed fundamentally by means of experienced tutors. Competence building resulted from some deliberate strategy consisting of social and historical aspects within the work environment.