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The evolving knowledge base of professional service sectors

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Abstract

The objective of the paper is to analyse the degree of heterogeneity across Professional Service sectors. While previous research concentrates on the criteria of industrial classification of these sectors, we propose an empirical analysis of employment structures and the associated skill bases. By shifting the focus from sectoral ‘boundaries’ to sectoral ‘structures’ we are able to appreciate under a novel perspective the emergence and evolution of specialization patterns.

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Notes

  1. This literature is voluminous, and a full review is beyond the scope of the present paper. See systematic reviews of these themes: Tether et al. (2005), Violante (2008) and Vona and Consoli (2011).

  2. It is important to clarify that ‘problem-solving’ is used here to refer to a broad class of cognitive processes that identify and remove obstacles in the implementation work tasks. This resonates with the view that decision-making, both for individuals and business firms, entails confronting routines, decision rules, procedures and incentives that are known and understood only in part. Problem-solving entails the adoption of trial-and-error procedures to select locally satisficing options. By reducing large combinatorial spaces of possibilities to a manageable scale, problem-solving operates as a compass while exploring the complex landscapes of decision-making. Thus, while not all problem-solving activities directly induce innovations, the vast majority of innovations are achieved by engaging some degree of problem-solving. We thank an anonymous referee for calling our attention to this point.

  3. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrci.htm#54

  4. See Appendix A for further details.

  5. Employment data of Engineering and Testing are included in Architectural Services for year 2000.

  6. The survey data Sourceforge.net on Open Source developers is broadly similar. See Giuri et al. (2010).

  7. Comparable initiatives for data collection in Europe are still at primordial stage. See e.g. http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/EN/Information-services/vet-bib-bibliographic-database.aspx; or http://www.eskills-monitor.eu/. See Cedefop (2009).

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the administrators of the National Center for O*NET Development for making data available. We thank participants at the 6th Iberian International Business Conference (Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain) and at the Stan Metcalfe Festschrift (University of Manchester, England) for comments on a preliminary version of this manuscript. The remarks by Stan Metcalfe, Peter Allen, Cristiano Antonelli, Franco Malerba, Franco Montobbio, Pier Paolo Saviotti and Ulrich Witt are gratefully acknowledged. D. Consoli acknowledges financial support from the European Community (FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008-235278). The usual caveats apply.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Valencia, Spain

    Davide Consoli

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Castilla La-Mancha, Cuenca, Spain

    Dioni Elche

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  1. Davide Consoli
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Correspondence to Davide Consoli.

Appendices

Appendix A

O*NET, the Occupational Information Network, is a database of worker attributes and job characteristics maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the National Center for O*NET Development, through its contractor Research Triangle Institute. It is the replacement for the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) and the primary source of occupational information for the US labor market. Data Collection is carried out in two steps: (1) identification of a random sample of businesses expected to employ workers in the targeted occupations, and (2) selection of a random sample of workers in those occupations within those businesses. New data are collected by means of a survey circulated among job incumbents (National Research Council 2010). Occupations in O*NET are defined according to the criteria of the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. Data Collection provides descriptive ratings based on the questionnaire covering various aspects of the occupation: Worker Characteristics, Worker Requirements, Experience Requirements, Occupation Requirements, Occupational Characteristics, and Occupation-Specific Information. In addition to the questionnaires completed by workers and occupation experts, additional ratings are provided by occupation analysts. Responses from all three sources – workers, occupation experts, and occupation analysts – are used to provide complete information for each occupation. The standardized skill set on which the questionnaire is built contains the categories reported in the table below.

I. Basic skills

IV. Social skills

  Active learning

Coordination

  Active listening

Instructing

  Critical thinking

Negotiation

  Learning strategies

Persuasion

  Mathematics

Service orientation

  Monitoring

Social perceptiveness

  Reading comprehension

V. Systems skills

  Science

Judgment and decision making

  Speaking

Systems analysis

  Writing

Systems evaluation

II. Complex problem solving skills

VI. Technical skills

  Complex problem solving

Equipment maintenance

III. Resource management skills

Equipment selection

  Management of financial resources

Installation

  Management of material resources

Operation and control

  Management of personnel resources

Operation monitoring

  Time management

Operations analysis

Programming

Quality control analysis

Repairing

Troubleshooting

Technology design

Appendix B

NAICS code

Sectors

541100

Legal services

541200

Accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services

541300

Architectural, engineering, and related services

541330

Engineering services

541380

Testing laboratories

541400

Specialized design services

541500

Computer systems design and related services

541600

Management, scientific, and technical consulting services

541700

Scientific research and development services

541800

Advertising, public relations, and related services

541900

Other professional, scientific, and technical services

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Consoli, D., Elche, D. The evolving knowledge base of professional service sectors. J Evol Econ 23, 477–501 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00191-012-0277-1

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