Service economy, knowledge, and the need for T-shaped innovators

The paper is rooted in the recent Service Science line of research focused on the notion of ‘T-shaped’ knowledge. To the aim of theoretically and conceptually discuss the knowledge endowment required to a ‘T-shaped’ innovator, focus is on the notion of dynamic capabilities as characterizing the human side of service innovation. After a short introduction (Section 1), a model of the affirmation of the knowledge economy and the emergence of the consequent need for T-shaped innovators according to an escalation framework is presented (Section 2). Then, on the basis of the interpretation of T-shaped knowledge developed by adopting a Viable Systems Approach (vSa) perspective, conceptual links between the notions of incremental and radical innovation, on the one hand, and of capabilities and competences, on the other hand, are explored (Section 3). The paper findings provide a taxonomy of T-shaped innovators’ capabilities that turn out to be more and more crucial to develop innovation in a context of growing complexity (Section 4). Finally, it moves on to discuss the organizational and technological aspects of management of T-shaped innovators (Section 5), outlining some managerial implications and future research paths (Section 6).

[1]  David J. Teece,et al.  Technology, Organization, and Competitiveness: Perspectives on Industrial and Corporate Change , 1998 .

[2]  D. Goleman.  Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ , 1995 .

[3]  E. Wenger.  Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems , 2000 .

[4]  Sergio Barile,et al.  Decisioni e scelte in contesti complessi , 2013 .

[5]  L. R. Goldberg.  THE DEVELOPMENT OF MARKERS FOR THE BIG-FIVE FACTOR STRUCTURE , 1992 .

[6]  Clive H. Elphick,et al.  Brain of the Firm , 1981 .

[7]  Mario Calabrese,et al.  Il Governo Dei Sistemi Complessi Tra Competenze Attuali E Capacità Potenziali (The Government Of Complex Systems Between Current Competences and Potential Capabilities) , 2013 .

[8]  Donald A. Norman,et al.  Incremental and Radical Innovation: Design Research vs. Technology and Meaning Change , 2014, Design Issues.

[9]  Sergio Barile,et al.  A New Perspective of Systems Complexity in Service Science , 2010 .

[10]  Giancarlo Nota,et al.  Structure and Dynamics of a 'T-Shaped' Knowledge: From Individuals to Cooperating Communities of Practice , 2012 .

[11]  Marialuisa Saviano,et al.  Managerial Choices between Systems, Knowledge and Viability , 2013 .

[12]  B. Nooteboom.  Learning and Innovation in Organizations and Economies , 2000 .

[13]  Vittorio Chiesa,et al.  Technology strategy in competence-based competition , 1994 .

[14]  P. Burke.  A Social History of Knowledge: From Gutenberg to Diderot , 2000 .

[15]  Francesco Polese,et al.  Reflections on Service Systems Boundaries: A Viable Systems Perspective – The Case of the London Borough of Sutton , 2012 .

[16]  Ian Miles,et al.  Innovation and Skills , 2010 .

[17]  Gaetano M. Golinelli,et al.  L’approccio sistemico vitale: nuovi orizzonti di ricerca per il governo dell’impresa , 2013 .

[18]  Edward de Bono,et al.  Lateral thinking , 1999, Current Biology.

[19]  D. Goleman,et al.  Social Intelligence , 2006 .

[20]  Mooweon Rhee,et al.  Exploration and Exploitation , 2016 .

[21]  E. Thorndike.  Intelligence and its uses. , 1920 .

[22]  H. Chesbrough.  Business Model Innovation: Opportunities and Barriers , 2010 .

[23]  Daniel A. Levinthal,et al.  Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning , 2007 .

[24]  Paul P. Maglio,et al.  Toward a Science of Service Systems , 2010 .

[25]  Kim B. Clark,et al.  Architectural Innovation: The Reconfiguration of Existing Product Technologies and the Failure of , 1990 .

[26]  Paul P. Maglio,et al.  Steps Toward a Science of Service Systems , 2007, Computer.

[27]  SavianoMarialuisa,et al.  Structure and Dynamics of a “T-Shaped” Knowledge , 2012 .

[28]  Paul P. Maglio,et al.  Innovation and Skills: Future Service Science Education , 2010 .

[29]  D. Foray.  Economie de la Connaissance , 2002 .

[30]  James M. O'Toole,et al.  A Social History of Knowledge: From Gutenberg to Diderot , 2001 .

[31]  Paul P. Maglio,et al.  Fundamentals of service science , 2008 .

[32]  Alfio Cariola,et al.  L’approccio sistemico di Gaetano M. Golinelli al governo dell’impresa. Riflessioni di sintesi , 2011 .

[33]  Yochai Benkler,et al.  The wealth of networks: how social production transforms markets and freedom , 2006 .

[34]  G. Hamel,et al.  Competence-based competition , 1994 .

[35]  J. Lopreato,et al.  General system theory : foundations, development, applications , 1970 .

[36]  P Paniccia.  Dinamiche temporali e cognitive nell'approccio sistemico al governo dell'impresa , 2002 .

[37]  S. Beer.  The Brain of the Firm , 1972 .

[38]  Paolo Piciocchi,et al.  An Integrated SS-VSA Analysis of Changing Job Roles , 2010 .

[39]  Francesco Polese,et al.  An Introduction to the Viable Systems Approach and its Contribution to Marketing , 2012 .

[40]  Murray R. Barrick,et al.  THE BIG FIVE PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS AND JOB PERFORMANCE: A META-ANALYSIS , 1991 .

[41]  Stephen L. Vargo,et al.  On value and value co-creation: A service systems and service logic perspective , 2008 .

[42]  Gandolfo Dominici,et al.  viable Systems Approach (vSA): Governing Business Dynamics , 2015 .

[43]  Sergio Barile,et al.  The dynamic of informative varieties in the processes of decision making , 2009 .

[44]  M. Malaba.  Together , 2012 .

[45]  G. Day.  The Capabilities of Market-Driven Organizations , 1994 .

[46]  G. Golinelli,et al.  L'approccio sistemico vitale. Verso la scientificazione dell'azione di governo , 2008 .

[47]  Giancarlo Nota,et al.  Knowledge sharing and cooperation among communities of practices: a possible scenario? , 2011 .

[48]  F. Braudel.  La dinamica del capitalismo , 1987 .

[49]  Cristina Simone.  Conoscenza e impresa. Percorsi strategici, modelli organizzativi, casi di studio , 2011 .

[50]  Paul P. Maglio,et al.  The service system is the basic abstraction of service science , 2009, Inf. Syst. E Bus. Manag..

[51]  Gustavo Stubrich.  The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization , 1993 .

[52]  Morten T. Hansen,et al.  Introducing T-shaped managers. Knowledge management's next generation. , 2001, Harvard business review.

[53]  Tasneem Hameed,et al.  Change. , 2018, The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association.

[54]  P. Burke,et al.  A social history of knowledge , 2000 .

[55]  Sergio Barile,et al.  Foundations of Systems Thinking: The Structure-System Paradigm , 2011 .

[56]  Sergio Barile,et al.  Dynamic Capabilities and T-Shaped Knowledge: A Viable Systems Approach , 2013 .

[57]  D. Teece,et al.  DYNAMIC CAPABILITIES AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT , 1997 .

[58]  Stephen L. Vargo,et al.  Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing , 2004 .

[59]  W. Ashby,et al.  Requisite Variety and Its Implications for the Control of Complex Systems , 1991 .

[60]  E. Bono.  The use of lateral thinking. , 1967 .

[61]  Paul P. Maglio,et al.  Toward a Science of Service Systems Value and Symbols , 2010 .

[62]  Yves Laberge.  Morin, E., Motta, R. et Ciurana, É.-R. (2003). Éduquer pour l’ère planétaire. La pensée complexe comme méthode d’apprentissage dans l’erreur et l’incertitude humaines. Paris : Balland. , 2004 .

[63]  L. Bertalanffy.  General system theory : foundations, development, applications , 1977 .

[64]  Paul Watzlawick,et al.  The Interactional view : studies at the Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, 1965-1974 , 1977 .

[65]  E. Bono.  Lateral Thinking: A Textbook of Creativity , 1970 .