ADVANCEMENT OF THE PRACTICE
FIGURE 4
Mean Relevance of and Exposure to Knowledge Areas by Job Level
Note. Q = quadrant.
fication of emergent patterns and the catego- rization of elements, which in turn enhances the comprehension of the interplay between relevance and exposure (Minenko, 2023). Using SPSS Statistics version 28.0, we plot- ted mean relevance of and exposure to each KA onto a 4-quadrant graph with the x-axis representing the midpoint of the scale on which participants rated exposure (2.5) and the y-axis representing the midpoint of the scale on which participants rated relevance (2.5; Figure 1). In quadrant analysis, the midpoint is used to describe positive or nega- tive directionality and increasing or decreas- ing scale (Pratt Lile, 2021). The means of the individual KAs were used as interval-level measurements, which indicates that respondents perceive equal intervals between the points and consider the numerical values associated with the
scale (Sullivan & Artino, 2013). Quadrant 1 was identified as a location of priority needs because the KAs in this quadrant are high relevance and low exposure, meaning that even though respondents indicated that these KAs are relevant to their work, they are not highly exposed to these KAs. One solution to this problem could be to increase train- ing in the KAs represented in quadrant 1. Quadrant 2 was another location for priority needs because the KAs in this quadrant are high relevance and high exposure. Thus, it is advisable to maintain the inclusion of the KAs identified in quadrant 2 in easily acces- sible training programs. Quadrant analysis, in conjunction with the comparison of means—specifically between the constructs of relevance and exposure— plays a pivotal role in elucidating the intricate relationship between these variables.
Quadrant Analysis by Job Level We employed the NCS framework, which was strategically designed to facilitate a strong food regulatory career path along four job levels (i.e., entry, journey, technical, and lead- ership), and then conducted a quadrant anal- ysis stratified by respondent job level (Inter- national Food Protection Training Institute, n.d.). Employees at dierent levels face varied responsibilities and have diering degrees of influence and interaction with organizational needs. Pinpointing areas that need specific support and development can enable the cre- ation of strategies tailored to each job level’s unique needs. We analyzed data for each job level to find mean relevance and exposure values, which were plotted onto four separate quadrant graphs, one for each job level. We observed distributions of relevance and exposure to
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Volume 87 • Number 1
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