Barlett and Ghoshal (2000)

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Personal competencies

Accompanied by this recognition for a new style of management is the search for the right people for the roles. Much focus has been on typical personal characteristics. The only problem with this is that it is too general, when firms need people to suit their individual needs.

The authors, in an attempt to define the personal competencies required for a new organisation, split competencies into three categories:

1. Embedded personal characteristics, such as values, that were an intrinsic part of an individual's character
2. Attributes such as knowledge, experience and understanding that could be acquired through training
3. Specialised skills and abilities linked directly to the job role

William Whyte argued that the employee's behaviour was molded by the firm. In today's knowledge-based era, it is the other way around.