Talent - Innate or acquired? Theoretical considerations and their implications for talent management

Human Resource Management Review

Volumn 23, Issue 4, 2013, Pages 305-321

  Meyers, M Christina ^a   van Woerkom, Marianne ^a   Dries, Nicky ^b  

^a TILBURG UNIVERSITY   (Netherlands)

^b UNIVERSITY OF LEUVEN   (Belgium)

Author keywords

Nature; Nature nurture interaction; Nurture; Talent management

Indexed keywords

EID: 84886780851     PISSN: 10534822     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2013.05.003     Document Type: Article

References (147)

1. Abbott A., Collins D. Eliminating the dichotomy between theory and practice in talent identification and development: Considering the role of psychology. Journal of Sports Sciences 2004, 22:395-408.
2. Abbott A., Collins D., Martindale R., Sowerby K. Talent identification and development: An academic review 2002, SportScotland, Edinburgh.
3. Altman Y. The high-potential fast-flying achiever: Themes from the English language literature 1976-1995. The Career Development International 1997, 2:324-330.
4. Ames D.R., Flynn F.J. What breaks a leader: The curvilinear relation between assertiveness and leadership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2007, 92:307-324.
5. Arvey R.D., Rotundo M., Johnson W., Zhang Z., McGue M. The determinants of leadership role occupancy: Genetic and personality factors. The Leadership Quarterly 2006, 17:1-20.
6. Axelrod B., Handfield-Jones H., Michaels E. A new game plan for c players. Harvard Business Review 2002, 80:80-88.
7. Barney J.B. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management 1991, 17:99-120.
8. Becker B.E., Huselid M.A. Strategic human resources management: Where do we go from here. Journal of Management 2006, 32:898-925.
9. Biswas-Diener R., Kashdan T.B., Minhas G. A dynamic approach to psychological strength development and intervention. The Journal of Positive Psychology 2011, 6:106-118.
10. Bouchard T.J. Genetic and environmental influences on adult intelligence and special mental abilities. Human Biology 1998, 70:257-279.
11. Boudreau J.W., Ramstad P.M. Talentship, talent segmentation, and sustainability: A new HR decision science paradigm for a new strategy definition. Human Resource Management 2005, 44:129-136.
12. Boyatzis R.E. Competencies in the 21st century. The Journal of Management Development 2008, 27:5-12.
13. Brady F. Bobby Fischer: Profile of a prodigy 1989, Dover Publications, Mineola, NY.
14. Briscoe J.P., Hall D.T. Grooming and picking leaders using competency frameworks: Do they work? An alternative approach and new guidelines for practice. Organizational Dynamics 1999, 28:37-52.
15. Bronfenbrenner U., Ceci S.J. Heredity, environment, and the question 'how?': A first approximation. Nature, nurture & psychology 1993, 313-324. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC. R. Plomin, G.E. McClearn (Eds.).
16. Buckingham M. What great managers do. Harvard Business Review 2005, 83:70-79.
17. Buckingham M., Vosburgh R.M. The 21st century human resources function: It's the talent, stupid!. Human Resource Planning 2001, 24:17-23.
18. Bullock N., Gulbin J.P., Martin D.T., Ross A., Holland T., Marino F. Talent identification and deliberate programming in skeleton: Ice novice to Winter Olympian in 14 months. Journal of Sports Sciences 2009, 27:397-404.
19. Burke L.A., Hutchins H.M. Training transfer: An integrative literature review. Human Resource Development Review 2007, 6:263-296.
20. Campion M.A., Fink A.A., Ruggeberg B.J., Carr L., Phillips G.M., Odman R.B. Doing competencies well: Best practices in competency modeling. Personnel Psychology 2011, 64:225-262.
21. Ceci S.J., Barnett S.M., Kanaya T. Developing childhood proclivities into adult competencies: The overlooked multiplier effect. The psychology of abilities, competencies, and expertise 2003, 70-92. Cambridge University Press, New York. R.J. Sternberg, E.L. Grigorenko (Eds.).
22. CIPD Learning and talent development 2012 Retrieved March 6, 2013, from. http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/survey-reports/learning-talent-development-2012.aspx.
23. Clifton D.O., Harter J.K. Investing in strengths. Positive organizational scholarship: Foundations of a new discipline 2003, 111-121. Berret-Koehler, San Francisco. K.S. Cameron, J.E. Dutton, R.E. Quinn (Eds.).
24. Collings D.G., Mellahi K. Strategic talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review 2009, 19:304-313.
25. Colvin G. Talent is overrated: What really separates world-class performers from everybody else 2010, Penguin Group, New York.
26. Csikszentmihalyi M. Fruitless polarities. The Behavioral and Brain Sciences 1998, 21. 411-411.
27. Dai D.Y. Essential tensions surrounding the concept of giftedness. International handbook on giftedness 2009, 39-80. Springer, New York. L.V. Shavinina (Ed.).
28. Dai D.Y., Coleman L.J. Introduction to the special issue on nature, nurture, and the development of exceptional competence. Journal for the Education of the Gifted 2005, 28:254-269.
29. Davidson J.W., Howe M.J.A., Moore D.G., Sloboda J.A. The role of parental influences in the development of musical performance. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 1996, 14:399-412.
30. Day D.V. The difficulties of learning from experience and the need for deliberate practice. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice 2010, 3:41-44.
31. de Bruin A.B.H., Smits N., Rikers R.M.J.P., Schmidt H.G. Deliberate practice predicts performance over time in adolescent chess players and drop-outs: A linear mixed models analysis. British Journal of Psychology 2008, 99:473-497.
32. Deci E.L., Ryan R.M. Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior 1985, Plenum Press, New York.
33. Detterman D.K., Ruthsatz J. Toward a more comprehensive theory of exceptional abilities. Journal for the Education of the Gifted 1999, 22:148-158.
34. Dries N. The psychology of talent management: A review and research agenda. Human Resource Management Review 2013, 23:272-285. (in this issue).
35. Dries N., Pepermans R. Using emotional intelligence to identify high potential: A metacompetency perspective. Leadership & Organization Development Journal 2007, 28:749-770.
36. Dries N., Pepermans R. 'Real' high-potential careers: An empirical study into the perspectives of organisations and high potentials. Personnel Review 2008, 37:85-108.
37. Dries N., Vantilborgh T., Pepermans R. The role of learning agility and career variety in the identification and development of high potential employees. Personnel Review 2012, 41:340-358.
38. Eichinger R.W., Lombardo M.M. Learning agility as a prime indicator of potential. Human Resource Planning 2004, 27:12-16.
39. Ericsson K.A. Deliberate practice and the modifiability of body and mind: Toward a science of the structure and acquisition of expert and elite performance. International Journal of Sport Psychology 2007, 38:4-34.
40. Development of professional expertise: Toward measurement of expert performance and design of optimal learning environments 2009, Cambridge University Press, New York. K.A. Ericsson (Ed.).
41. Ericsson K.A., Charness N. Expert performance: Its structure and acquisition. American Psychologist 1994, 48:725-747.
42. Ericsson K.A., Krampe R.T., Tesch-Römer C. The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological Review 1993, 100:363-406.
43. Ericsson K.A., Nandagopal K., Roring R.W. Toward a science of exceptional achievement: Attaining superior performance through deliberate practice. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2009, 1172:199-217.
44. Ericsson K.A., Prietula M.J., Cokely E.T. The making of an expert. Harvard Business Review 2007, 85:114-121.
45. Feldman D.H., Katzir T. Natural talents: An argument for the extremes. The Behavioral and Brain Sciences 1998, 21:414.
46. Gagné F. Transforming gifts into talents: The DMGT as a developmental theory. High Ability Studies 2004, 15:119-147.
47. Gagné F. Motivation within the DGMT 2.0 framework. High Ability Studies 2010, 21:81-99.
48. Gallardo-Gallardo E., Dries N., González-Cruz T. What is the meaning of 'talent' in the world of work?. Human Resource Management Review 2013, 23:290-300. (in this issue).
49. Galton F. Hereditary genius: An inquiry into its laws and consequences 1869, MacMillan, New York.
50. Gelens J., Dries N., Hofmans J., Pepermans R. The role of perceived organizational justice in shaping the outcomes of talent management: A research agenda. Human Resource Management Review 2013, 23:341-353. (in this issue).
51. Gobet F., Campitelli G. The role of domain-specific practice, handedness, and starting age in chess. Developmental Psychology 2007, 43:159-172.
52. Grote D. Forced ranking: Making performance management work 2005, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.
53. Guest D., Conway N., Dewe P. Using sequential tree analysis to search for 'bundles' of HR practices. Human Resource Management Journal 2004, 14:79-96.
54. Gulbin J.P. Identifying and developing sporting experts. Developing sport expertise: Researchers and coaches put theory into practice 2008, 60-72. Routledge, New York. D. Farrow, J. Baker, C. MacMahon (Eds.).
55. Helsen W.F., Starkes J.L., Hodges N.J. Team sports and the theory of deliberate practice. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 1998, 20:12-34.
56. Henkens K., Remery C., Schippers J. Shortages in an ageing labour market: An analysis of employers' behaviour. International Journal of Human Resource Management 2008, 19:1314-1329.
57. Hoge M.A., Tondora J., Marrelli A.F. The fundamentals of workforce competency: Implications for behavioral health. Administration and Policy in Mental Health 2005, 32:509-531.
58. Howard R.W. Linking extreme precocity and adult eminence: A study of eight prodigies at international chess. High Ability Studies 2008, 19:117-130.
59. Howe M.J.A. The origins of exceptional abilities 1990, Blackwell, Oxford.
60. Howe M.J.A. The psychology of high abilities 1999, New York University Press, New York.
61. Howe M.J.A., Davidson J., Sloboda J. Innate talents: Reality or myth?. The Behavioral and Brain Sciences 1998, 21:399-407.
62. Huselid M.A., Becker B.E. Bridging micro and macro domains: Workforce differentiation and strategic human resource management. Journal of Management 2011, 37:421-428.
63. Iles P., Preece D., Chuai X. Talent management as a management fashion in HRD: Towards a research agenda. Human Resource Development International 2010, 13:125-145.
64. Kaiser R.B., Overfield D.V. Strengths, strengths overused, and lopsided leadership. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research 2011, 63:89-109.
65. Karaevli A., Hall D.T. Growing leaders for turbulent times: Is succession planning up to the challenge?. Organizational Dynamics 2003, 32:62-79.
66. Keith N., Ericsson K.A. A deliberate practice account of typing proficiency in everyday typists. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Applied 2007, 13:135-145.
67. Kierein N.M., Gold M.A. Pygmalion in work organizations: A meta-analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior 2000, 21:913-928.
68. Kirkpatrick D.L. Techniques for evaluating training programs. Classic writings on instructional technology 1979, Vol. 1:231-241. Libraries Unlimited, Inc., Englewood, CO.
69. Latham G.P., Pinder C.C. Work motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Annual Review of Psychology 2005, 56:485-516.
70. Lepak D.P., Snell S.A. The human resource architecture: Toward a theory of human capital allocation and development. The Academy of Management Review 1999, 24:31-48.
71. Lewis R.E., Heckman R.J. Talent management: A critical review. Human Resource Management Review 2006, 16:139-154.
72. Lo Presti A. Snakes and ladders: Stressing the role of meta-competencies for post-modern careers. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance 2009, 9:125-134.
73. Locke E.A., Latham G.P. The theory of goal-setting and task performance 1990, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
74. Locke E.A., Latham G.P. What should we do about motivation theory? Six recommendations for the twenty-first century. The Academy of Management Review 2004, 29:388-403.
75. Lombardo M.M., Eichinger R.W. High potentials as high learners. Human Resource Management 2000, 39:321-329.
76. Mäkelä K., Björkman I., Ehrnrooth M. How do MNCs establish their talent pools? Influences on individuals' likelihood of being labeled as talent. Journal of World Business 2010, 45:134-142.
77. McCall M.W. Identifying leadership potential in future international executives: Developing a concept. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research 1994, 46:49-63.
78. McCall M.W. High flyers: Developing the next generation of leaders 1998, Harvard Business School Press, Boston.
79. McCall M.W. Every strength a weakness and other caveats. The perils of accentuating the positive 2009, 41-56. Hogan Press, Tulsa, OK. R. Kaiser (Ed.).
80. McCall M.W. Recasting leadership development. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice 2010, 3:3-19.
81. McCall M.W., Lombardo M.M. What makes a top executive?. Psychology Today 1983, 17:26-31.
82. McLagan P.A. Competencies: The next generation. T+D 1997, 51:40-47.
83. Michaels E., Handfield-Jones H., Axelrod B. The war for talent 2001, Harvard Business School Publishing, Boston.
84. Mih W.C. The fascinating life and theory of Albert Einstein 2000, Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York.
85. Mönks F.J., Katzko M.W. Giftedness and gifted education. Conceptions of giftedness 2005, 187-200. Cambridge University Press, New York. 2nd ed. R.J. Sternberg, J.E. Davidson (Eds.).
86. Ng E.S.W., Burke R.J. Person-organization fit and the war for talent: Does diversity management make a difference?. International Journal of Human Resource Management 2005, 16:1195-1210.
87. Oz S., Eden D. Restraining the Golem: Boosting performance by changing the interpretation of low scores. Journal of Applied Psychology 1994, 79:744-754.
88. Papierno P.B., Ceci S.J., Makel M.C., Williams W.M. The nature and nurture of talent: A bioecological perspective on the ontogeny of exceptional abilities. Journal for the Education of the Gifted 2005, 28:312-332.
89. Passow A.H., Mönks F.J., Heller K.A. Research and education of the gifted in the year 2000 and beyond. International handbook of research and development of giftedness and talent 1993, 883-903. Pergamon, Oxford. K.A. Heller, F.J. Mönks, A.H. Passow (Eds.).
90. Pepermans R., Vloeberghs D., Perkisas B. High potential identification policies: An empirical study among Belgian companies. The Journal of Management Development 2003, 22:660-678.
91. Peterson C., Seligman M.E.P. Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification 2004, Oxford University Press, New York.
92. Pfeffer J., Sutton R.I. Evidence-based management. Harvard Business Review 2006, 84:62-74.
93. Protzko J., Kaufman S.B. Review of the book The genius in all of us: Why everything you've been told about genetics, talent, and IQ is wrong. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts 2010, 4:255-258.
94. Rappaport A., Bancroft E., Okum L. The aging workforce raises new talent management issues for employers. Journal of Organizational Excellence 2003, 23:55-66.
95. Rea D.W. Optimal motivation for talent development. Journal for the Education of the Gifted 2000, 23:187-216.
96. Reilly P. Identifying the right course for talent management. Public Personnel Management 2008, 37:381-388.
97. Renzulli J.S. The three-ring conception of giftedness: A developmental model for promoting creative productivity. Conceptions of giftedness 2005, 246-279. Cambridge University Press, New York. 2nd ed. R.J. Sternberg, J.E. Davidson (Eds.).
98. Renzulli J.S. Reexamining the role of gifted education and talent development for the 21st century: A four-part theoretical approach. Gifted Child Quarterly 2012, 56:150-159.
99. Rosenthal R. The Pygmalion effect and its mediating mechanisms. Improving academic achievement: Impact of psychological factors on education 2002, 25-36. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. J. Aronson (Ed.).
100. Ruthsatz J., Detterman D.K. An extraordinary memory: The case study of a musical prodigy. Intelligence 2003, 31:509-518.
101. Ruthsatz J., Detterman D., Griscom W.S., Cirullo B.A. Becoming an expert in the musical domain: It takes more than just practice. Intelligence 2008, 36:330-338.
102. Schmidt F.L., Hunter J.E. The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85years of research findings. Psychological Bulletin 1998, 124:262-274.
103. Schmidt F.L., Hunter J.E. Select on intelligence. The Blackwell handbook of organizational principles 2000, 3-14. Blackwell, Oxford. E.A. Locke (Ed.).
104. Schmidt F.L., Hunter J.E. General mental ability in the world of work: Occupational attainment and job performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2004, 86:162-173.
105. Schmitt M., Eid M., Maes J. Synergistic person×situation interaction in distributive justice behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2003, 29:141-147.
106. Schwartz B., Sharpe K.E. Practical wisdom: Aristotle meets positive psychology. Journal of Happiness Studies 2006, 7:377-395.
107. Selfe L. Nadia: A case of extraordinary drawing ability in an autistic child 1977, Academic Press, New York.
108. Seligman M.E.P., Csikszentmihalyi M. Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist 2000, 55:5-14.
109. Silzer R., Church A.H. The pearls and perils of identifying potential. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice 2009, 2:377-412.
110. Silzer R., Church A.H. The potential for potential. Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2009, 2:446-452.
111. Silzer R., Church A.H. Identifying and assessing high-potential talent: Current organizational practices. Strategy-driven talent management: A leadership imperative 2010, 213-279. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco. R. Silzer, B.E. Dowell (Eds.).
112. Simon H.A., Chase W.G. Skill in chess. American Scientist 1973, 61:394-403.
113. Sloboda J.A., Davidson J.W., Howe M.J.A. Is everyone musical?. Learners, Learning & Assessment 1999, 46-57. Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd., London. P. Murphy (Ed.).
114. Sloboda J.A., Davidson J.W., Howe M.J.A., Moore D.G. The role of practice in the development of performing musicians. British Journal of Psychology 1996, 87:287-309.
115. Snell S.A., Youndt M.A., Wright P.M. Establishing a framework for research in strategic human resource management: Merging resource theory and organizational learning. Research in personnel and human resources management 1996, 61-90. JAI Press, Greenwich, CT. G.R. Ferris (Ed.).
116. Snyder A.W. Explaining and inducing savant skills: Privileged access to lower level, less-processed information. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 2009, 364:1399-1405.
117. Snyder A.W., Bahramali H., Hawker T., Mitchell D.J. Savant-like numerosity skills revealed in normal people by magnetic pulses. Perception 2006, 35:837-845.
118. Snyder A.W., Mulcahy E., Taylor J.L., Mitchell D.J., Sachdev P., Gandevia S.C. Savant-like skills exposed in normal people by suppressing the left fronto-temporal lobe. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience 2003, 2:149-158.
119. Spreitzer G.M., McCall M.W., Mahoney J.D. Early identification of international executive potential. Journal of Applied Psychology 1997, 82:6-29.
120. Stahl G.K., Björkman I., Farndale E., Morris S.S., Paauwe J., Stiles P., et al. Six principles of effective global talent management. MIT Sloan Management Review 2012, 53:25-32.
121. Sternberg R.J. WICS as a model of giftedness. High Ability Studies 2003, 14:109-137.
122. Sternberg R.J. The WICS model of giftedness. Conceptions of giftedness 2005, 327-342. Cambridge University Press, New York. 2nd ed. R.J. Sternberg, J.E. Davidson (Eds.).
123. Stoeger H. The history of giftedness research. International handbook on giftedness 2009, 17-38. Springer, New York. L.V. Shavinina (Ed.).
124. Subotnik R.F., Olszewski-Kubilius P., Worrell F.C. Rethinking giftedness and gifted education: A proposed direction forward based on psychological science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 2011, 12:3-54.
125. Talent In Online Etymology Dictionary Retrieved February 14, 2013, from. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=talent&allowed_in_frame=0.
126. Talent In Cambridge Dictionaries Online Retrieved March 6, 2013, from. http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/talent_1?q=talent.
127. Tansley C. What do we mean by the term "talent" in talent management?. Industrial and Commercial Training 2011, 43:266-274.
128. Tarique I., Schuler R.S. Global talent management: Literature review, integrative framework, and suggestions for further research. Journal of World Business 2010, 45:122-133.
129. Terman L.M. Genetic studies of genius. Mental and physical traits of a thousand gifted children 1925, Stanford Univ. Press, Oxford, England.
130. Terman L.M., Oden M.H. Genetic studies of genius. The gifted group at mid-life 1959, Vol. V. Stanford Univer. Press, Oxford, England.
131. Therivel W.A. Creative genius and the GAM theory of personality: Why Mozart and not Salieri?. Journal of Social Behavior & Personality 1998, 13:201-234.
132. Thunnissen M., Boselie P., Fruytier B. Talent management and the relevance of context: Towards a pluralistic approach. Human Resource Management Review 2013, 23:326-336. (in this issue).
133. Ulrich D., Smallwood N. What is talent?. Leader to Leader 2012, 2012:55-61.
134. Vallerand R.J., Blanchard C., Mageau G.A., Koestner R., Ratelle C., Léonard M., et al. Les passions de l'âme: On obsessive and harmonious passion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003, 85:756-767.
135. Vallerand R.J., Houlfort N. Passion at work: Toward a new conceptualization. Emerging perspectives on values in organizations 2003, 175-204. Information Age Publishing, Greenwich, CT. S.W. Gilliland, D.D. Steiner, D.P. Skarlicki (Eds.).
136. Vallerand R.J., Salvy S.-J., Mageau G.A., Elliot A.J., Denis P.L., Grouzet F.M.E., et al. On the role of passion in performance. Journal of Personality 2007, 75:505-534.
137. Vinkhuyzen A.A.E., van der Sluis S., Posthuma D., Boomsma D.I. The heritability of aptitude and exceptional talent across different domains in adolescents and young adults. Behavior Genetics 2009, 39:380-392.
138. Vroom V.H. Work and motivation 1964, Wiley, New York.
139. Walker J.W., LaRocco J.M. Talent pools: The best and the rest. Human Resource Planning 2002, 25:12-14.
140. Walker I.J., Nordin-Bates S.M., Redding E. Talent identification and development in dance: A review of the literature. Research in Dance Education 2010, 11:167-191.
141. Wanzel K.R., Matsumoto E.D., Hamstra S.J., Anastakis D.J. Teaching technical skills: Training on a simple, inexpensive, and portable model. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 2002, 109:258-264.
142. Watson J.B. Behaviorism 1924, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
143. Wechsler D. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Fourth edition 2008, Pearson, San Antonio, TX.
144. Welch J., Welch S. Winning 2005, Harper Business Publishers, New York.
145. Winner E., Drake J.E. The rage to master: The decisive role of talent in the visual arts. Innate talent vs. deliberate practice: A critical examination and future research direction 2013, (in press). S.B. Kaufmann (Ed.).
146. Wood A.M., Linley P.A., Maltby J., Kashdan T.B., Hurling R. Using personal and psychological strengths leads to increases in well-being over time: A longitudinal study and the development of the strengths use questionnaire. Personality and Individual Differences 2011, 50:15-19.
147. Yost P.R., Chang G. Everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Perspectives on Science and Practice 2009, 2:442-445.