Work

Beyond Taylor: new models in the era of augmented knowledge

Population decline and ageing, innovation and geopolitical tensions are forcing us to rethink the organisation of work

by Anna Migliorati

27 July 2026

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4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The demographic crisis is reducing human capital
Investment in AI is growing, but there is a shortage of skills
Geopolitical tensions are hampering exports and supply chains
New organisational models and corporate culture to boost competitiveness

4' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) – Max Weber and Henry Ford. Well, forget about them – or, at the very least, put them to one side. Because the revolution triggered first by technology, amplified by the predicted demographic crisis which is now beginning to make itself felt, and, finally, set alight by the geopolitical tensions that are reshaping the global balance of power, is now forcing us to consign to the attic a model that no longer meets our needs. Amidst a skills shortage, the emergence of new jobs and the desire for a more sustainable work-life balance, bureaucracy and the division between those who think and those who do simply do not work.

Demographics, technology and geopolitics are undermining old organisational models

The debate on this issue is becoming increasingly heated. According to Francesca Mazzolari, Director of 4.Manager, ‘Artificial intelligence is accelerating a transformation that is already underway: society is changing and new needs and constraints are emerging, but so too are new opportunities. The population and the workforce are shrinking and ageing; companies have to manage multiple generations, and it is becoming increasingly necessary to broaden participation in the labour market, starting with women, whose participation is still held back by persistent gender gaps. We therefore need new organisational models capable of integrating technological innovation, continuous training, skills transfer, flexibility in working arrangements and the development of people’s potential’. For many reasons, which mark an ever-deepening break with past decades.

The first divide is, in fact, demographic. As Giuseppe Torre, Coordinator of the 4.Manager Observatory, points out: ‘We are facing a veritable “demographic hell” that is transforming human capital from an abundant resource into a scarce one; the management ranks are the most accurate reflection of this: according to the Observatory’s reports, over 40 per cent of executives are over 55 years old and only 22 per cent are women; this now widely recognised structural imbalance limits the entry of new talent into top-level roles at precisely the moment when the demand for leaders is becoming more sophisticated’.

The second divide is technological. Studies by the Artificial Intelligence Observatory highlight the paradox of ever-increasing automation against a backdrop of a skills gap: for example, whilst investment in AI-based systems has grown at double-digit rates, the majority of companies complain of a lack of the skills needed to make the most of them. In other words, technology is racing ahead whilst organisations are lagging behind. Furthermore, by gradually taking over repetitive and codifiable tasks, automation is stripping the very work that Taylorism had optimised of its meaning, shifting value towards what machines cannot do: judgement, creativity, responsibility and the ability to integrate different forms of knowledge. These are skills that cannot be commanded; they are cultivated and flourish only in environments based on autonomy and trust.

The third divide is geopolitical. Studies by the Supply Chain Observatory point to a picture of growing uncertainty: over a third of businesses (36 per cent) are facing obstacles to exports, including trade tensions, market fragmentation and the restructuring of supply chains, whilst domestic demand remains stagnant.

Supply chains and managerial capital

An alternative interpretation is possible, as 4.Manager points out. Starting with the supply chain model which, according to the Observatory’s studies, generates over 56 per cent of national added value and 67 per cent of exports, employing around 17 million people, and are already not merely aggregates of businesses that transform materials and energy, but have become cognitive ecosystems – networks of businesses, people and institutions whose competitiveness is measured by their ability to generate, transfer and protect knowledge. Similarly, the Observatory’s studies on managerial expertise confirm that managerial capital acts as a competitive multiplier: where the presence and quality of leadership increase, so too do innovation and the capacity for development.

Change is becoming increasingly imperative, not only to avoid stagnation, but also to avoid the risk of slowing down. A sort of obsolescence of the organisational model is becoming a systemic risk: pyramid-shaped organisations, designed to compete in stable environments, lack the responsiveness required by geopolitical shocks, whereas organisations that distribute responsibility and delegate authority can pick up on weak signals and reconfigure themselves before their competitors do, or even as yet another geopolitical or geo-economic crisis unfolds, notes 4.Manager.

Corporate culture

First and foremost, the culture of innovation is changing: it is ceasing to be a separate function, confined to a single department, and is instead becoming a widespread mindset across the entire organisation, fuelled by the flow of knowledge along the value chain and the cross-fertilisation of different fields of expertise. The culture of sustainability is changing; the Observatory’s findings show that it is now integrated into strategies, with over half of large and medium-sized enterprises committed to a transition towards sustainable models – not merely to comply with regulations, but because sustainability means access to capital and the ability to attract the younger generations. And the culture of wellbeing is changing too; it is ceasing to be a mere perk and becoming a mandatory organisational requirement: work environments that reduce micromanagement and increase autonomy and a sense of purpose are, at the same time, healthier and more productive.

However, this model must start with the leaders. A ‘T-shaped’ profile – vertical specialisation built on a foundation of general knowledge – is no longer enough; what is needed are ‘comb-like’ skills – multiple prongs of in-depth expertise in vertical specialisation, technology, management, interpersonal skills and sustainability – all built upon a common backbone of vision and responsibility, enabling leaders to engage with different worlds and integrate them. And this, as 4.Manager points out, is precisely what the shortage reported by businesses makes so valuable today. Just as much as – and perhaps even more than – AI.

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