Optimal multiple stage expansion of competence set (Q1579487)

The authors consider the expansion processes of competence sets which have asymmetric cost functions, intermediate skills, and compound skills; among the skills, cyclic connections are possible. They introduce a concept of the stage expansion process (SEP) of the competence set, and provide mathematical programming methods to find a minimal set SEP and the ordering of expansion. This method can determine the stage ordering of each skill and find an optimal expansion process. The SEP method can be used to design optimal competence sets.