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The demand for executive skills

Author

Listed:
  • Joe Fuller
  • Stephen Hansen
  • Tejas Ramdas
  • Raffaella Sadun
Abstract
We use a unique corpus of job descriptions for C-suite positions to document skills requirements in top managerial occupations across a large sample of firms. A novel algorithm maps the text of each executive search into six separate skill clusters reflecting cognitive, interpersonal, and operational dimensions. The data show an increasing relevance of social skills in top managerial occupations, and a greater emphasis on social skills in larger and more information intensive organizations. The results suggest the need for training, search and governance mechanisms able to facilitate the match between firms and top executives along multiple and imperfectly observable skills.

Suggested Citation

  • Joe Fuller & Stephen Hansen & Tejas Ramdas & Raffaella Sadun, 2021. "The demand for executive skills," CEP Discussion Papers dp1797, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1797
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

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    2. Chaturvedi, Sugat & Mahajan, Kanika & Siddique, Zahra, 2023. "Using Domain-Specific Word Embeddings to Examine the Demand for Skills," IZA Discussion Papers 16593, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Cnossen, Femke & Piracha, Matloob & Tchuente, Guy, 2021. "Learning the Right Skill: The Returns to Social, Technical and Basic Skills for Middle-Educated Graduates," GLO Discussion Paper Series 979, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    4. Greta Morando & Lucinda Platt, 2022. "The Impact of Centre‐based Childcare on Non‐cognitive Skills of Young Children," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(356), pages 908-946, October.
    5. A. Baltrunaite & S. Formai & A. Linarello & S. Mocetti, 2024. "Ownership, Governance, Management and Firm Performance: Evidence from Italian Firms," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 10(3), pages 993-1027, November.
    6. Audinga Baltrunaite & Sara Formai & Andrea Linarello & Sauro Mocetti, 2022. "Ownership, Governance, Management and Firm Performance: Evidence from Italian Firms," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 678, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    7. Christina Langer & Simon Wiederhold, 2023. "The Value of Early-Career Skills," CESifo Working Paper Series 10288, CESifo.
    8. Nicolai J. Foss & Peter G. Klein, 2023. "Why managers still matter as applied organization (design) theory," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 12(1), pages 7-18, June.
    9. Seegmiller, Bryan & Papanikolaou, Dimitris & Schmidt, Lawrence D.W., 2023. "Measuring document similarity with weighted averages of word embeddings," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Andrew Caplin & David J. Deming & Søren Leth-Petersen & Ben Weidmann, 2023. "Economic Decision-Making Skill Predicts Income in Two Countries," NBER Working Papers 31674, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    job descriptions; skills requirements; C-suite positions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation

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