FOSTERING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES THROUGH SOFT SKILLS: A STRATEGIC IMPERATIVE FOR A VUCA WORLD

Dora Abidi ()
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Dora Abidi: Ph.D. Student, Graduate School of Economics, Osaka University

No 18-08, Discussion Papers in Economics and Business from Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics

Abstract: During the last decade, the need and importance of soft skills are significantly increasing because of three main reasons. Firstly, the firm fs performance is highly associated to the firm f interaction with its external environment that involves customers and local stakeholders. Secondly, the workplace productivity is highly depending on the quality of relationship and communication among the employees. Thirdly, today fs environment is considered as a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) situation and represents serious challenge. Thus, firms should create people oriented skills such as problem solving and communication. In addition, decisions makers should develop an accurate response when they meet the unexpected. They could be the employees from upper to mid-level position employees. Drawing on these critical conclusions, this study aims at providing empirical evidence on the positive impact of employees f soft skills on firm fs capabilities in terms of innovation performance, firm fs knowledge, explorative and exploitative behavior and strategic flexibility. The survey was conducted with 67 firms based in Tunisia, which is one of the leading emerging countries in the MENA region that has recently faced social and economic changes. Our results concur with the employer survey and explain the reason why employers are increasingly looking for these skills in their employees.

Keywords: Soft skills; innovativeness; VUCA; Tunisia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 12 pages
Date: 2018-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ara, nep-bec and nep-cse
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