Expert curve and effect

Hi, welcome to the tenth day of The Leads intellectual challenge: a 30-day challenge with Fatai Kareem. If you would like to learn how you can achieve personal development and growth, read the ninth day challenge here.

Today, he will be discussing a new concept: Expert curve and effect, its implications and applications. This is a concept theorised by Fatai Kareem. If you have been wondering why many organisations demand for professional experience, why organsiations and professionals build their portfolio, why some people acquire many certificates, or how does testimony work, then Expert curve and effect theory can provide the answer. What is Expert curve? What is Expert effect?

According to learning curve theory, a learner's efficiency in a task improves over time the more the learner performs the task, or improves his/her performance. That is, the learner will apply less effort or spend less time to achieve the desirable outcome the more he performs the task, or improves his/her performance. At this stage, he becomes an expert. That is, a learner with prior knowledge of the task with a certain level of competence and efficiency.

Therefore, this expertise builds up the confidence of the employer or consumer of the expertise of the expert by expecting to get desirable outcome from the task or job given to him/her. What shows the relationship between the competence/efficiency/experience of the expert and the confidence of the employer or consumer of such expertise is called "expert curve". While what tends to boost the confidence of the employer or consumer in the expert is called "expert effect".

The Expert curve theory proposes that the more competent, experienced or efficient a person is in performing a task or offering a service, the more confident the employer or consumer of the expertise of the person is likely to be in assigning a task or job to the person.

The Expert curve theory also proposes that the more convincing a person is able to portray his/her competence, experience or efficiency, the more the employer or consumer of such expertise is likely to be confident to assign a task or job to the person. This shows the chance of expert effect taking place.

The Expert curve proposes that there is a positive relationship between the level of competence, efficiency or experience of a person and the level of confidence of the employer or consumer of such expertise. The more you are competent, experienced, or efficient, the more confident the employer or consumer of your expertise is likely to be.

The variants of Expert curve are:

1. Competence-confidence curve: This shows the relationship between the competence of a person or an entity and the confidence of the employer or consumer (clients) of such expertise. The more competent a person or an entity is in performing a task, providing a service or producing a product, the more confident the employer or consumer of such expertise is likely to be. Likewise, the more competent the employees of an organisation is, the more confident the consumer or client of the organsiation is likely to be; and vice versa. 

2. Experience-confidence curve: this shows the relationship between the years of experience in a particular field or task and the confidence of the employer or consumer of such expertise. The more experienced a person or an entity is in producing a product or providing a service or performing a task, the more confident the employer or consumer of such expertise is likely to be; and vice versa.

3. Efficiency-confidence curve: this shows the relationship between the efficiency of a person or an entity and the confidence of the employer or consumer (client) of such expertise. The more efficient a person or an entity is in performing a task, providing a service or producing a product, the more confident the employer or consumer of such expertise is likely to be; and vice versa.

4. Quality-confidence curve: this shows the relationship between the quality of service or product provided by a person or an entity and the confidence of the employer or consumer (client) of such provision. The higher the quality of product or service provided by a person or an entity, the more confident the employer or consumer of such product or service is likely to be; and vice versa.

5. Review-confidence curve: this shows the relationship between the review given about the expertise of a person or an entity and the confidence of the employer or consumer of such expertise. Positive reviews boosts the confidence of the employer or consumer (client). While a negative reviews reduces the confidence of the employer or consumer of such expertise. The higher the number of positive reviews about the expertise of a person or an entity, the more confident the employer or consumer is likely to be. Likewise, the higher the number of negative reviews about the expertise of a person or an entity, the less confident the employer or consumer of such expertise is likely to be.

In order to achieve this Expert curve, Expert effect is usually put into action. This is that which that boosts the confidence of the employer or consumer (clients) of the expertise of an expert making them to give a task or job to the expert. This Expert effect sets a positive expectation for the employer or consumer (clients) that the desirable outcome will be achieved.

A practical case study of this theory and its application is LinkedIn. LinkedIn gives you the opportunity to portray yourself as an expert through headline, summary, experience, achievements, education, post, group, and connections.

Ways by which people and entities apply Expert curve and effect:

• Certification: People undergo training, take lectures, and participate in activities that increase their knowledge and experience and build their skills. And they earn certificate after successful completion. These certificates are shown on their CV, resume and LinkedIn profile, which show that they have such knowledge, skills or experience.

Likewise, organsiations and firms obtain certificates that show that they are providing standard, safe and quality product and service, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements. And they also earn certificate of excellence in recognition of their excellent service.

• Qualifications: people attend schools to earn a qualification in a particular field of study. With the qualification, they are expected to be able to perform some tasks effectively and efficiently. They add the qualification to their CV, resume and LinkedIn profile to show that they are an expert in a particular field.

• Partnership/Collaboration/Affiliation: some organsiations partner, collaborate or affiliate with other organsiations. This tends to create a perspective with which they are perceived. For instance, if company A partners with company B that is well known for its quality products and does not partner with a company that provides fake products, then company A may be perceived to be offering quality products as well. 

• Portfolio Management: an expert or  organisation that manages its portfolio very well tends to take advantage of Expert effect.  Some clients demand for portfolio in order to evaluate how well the expert or organsiation can perform the job to be assigned to them. By presenting the portfolio, the client becomes more confident in such expertise.

• Review: some experts or organisations do ask satisfied customers or clients to give a positive review of their products or service. This tends to boost the confidence of prospective consumers or clients in such expert or organisation.

• Recommendation: this can come in two ways: recommendation from satisfied customers or clients, and recommendation from a trusted body that has evaluated the quality and competence of the expert or organsiation. This tends to assure the consumer or employer of satisfactory outcome.

• Achievement: achievements made by individuals are shown on their CV, resume and LinkedIn profile. Likewise, organsiations show their achievements to their clients.

• Testimony: this involves sharing how an expert or an organisation helps its consumer or clients to solve their problems. This tends to assure prospective consumers or clients of getting solution to their problems from the expert or organsiation. 

• Specialisation: this shows the area of specialisation where a person or organisation is an expert. And it tends to direct clients that are in need of such specialisation to the person or organisation.

The Expert curve and effect applies to other areas of life and business activities. It is possible for this curve to be negative due to some factors. This will be discussed in the next challenge.

Case study

1. Goodluck and Lucky are newly graduated students of Finance. Goodluck is skilled in financial modelling and advance Excel. While Lucky is skilled in advance Excel. They both apply for the post of Assistant Financial Analyst at XYZ ltd; they both perform well at the interview.  Who has the higher chance of being recruited?

2. Miss Zu is in need of a digital marketer for her seminar campaign. She checks one website and gets a list of 3 digital marketers she can contact. The first marketer has 6 positive reviews and 30 negative reviews. The second marketer has  25 positive reviews and 3 negative reviews. While the third digital marketer has no review. Who is she likely to contact?

3. XYZ ltd is an affiliate of JKLM LTD. Of recent, JKLM LTD is censured by the government for producing substandard products. This has been published in the newspaper and announced on the TV. Can this affect the reputation of XYZ ltd? How can it affect XYZ ltd?

Disclaimer: All names used are for illustration purpose.

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