Promoting organizational development in the knowledge economy: the T-shaped capabilities

With the aim of deepening the study of the individual and organizational capabilities set necessary to survive and develop in a knowledge economy, in this study we theoretically explore and discuss the concept of ‘T-shaped’ capabilities. The paper is rooted in the recent notion of ‘T-shaped’ endowment and moves from the distinction between capabilities and competences. A T-Shaped profile includes both vertical competences (I-Shaped competences) and ‘horizontal capabilities’. After analyzing the T-shaped endowment at an individual level, we propose an innovative organizational design characterized by a nesting (“recursive”) architecture of T-shaped capabilities; then we discuss the crucial set of organizational variables necessary to effective develop an organization by fostering and managing T-shaped capabilities. Managerial implication and future research paths are finally discussed.