Meaning & use
organizational capability
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountablebusiness
The ability of an organization to perform tasks and achieve its goals effectively.
Grammar: Often used in the plural 'organizational capabilities' to list specific skills or systems.
Patterns
- organizational capability in something
- build/develop organizational capability
- core organizational capability
The company invested in training to improve its organizational capability.
Strong organizational capability is essential for rapid growth.
They assessed the organizational capabilities of the two merging firms.
nouncountablebusiness
A specific skill, process, or resource that gives an organization an advantage.
Grammar: Often used in the plural when referring to multiple distinct abilities.
Patterns
- a key organizational capability
- develop organizational capabilities
- leverage organizational capabilities
Supply chain management is a critical organizational capability for retailers.
The firm's organizational capabilities include advanced data analytics.
They identified three organizational capabilities that set them apart.
Word forms
| plural | organizational capabilities |
|---|
Common combinations
- build organizational capability
- The leadership program aims to build organizational capability.
- core organizational capability
- Innovation is a core organizational capability for tech companies.
- develop organizational capabilities
- We need to develop organizational capabilities in digital marketing.
- assess organizational capability
- Consultants were hired to assess organizational capability.
- strengthen organizational capability
- The new CEO promised to strengthen organizational capability.
Synonyms and how they differ
- organizational capacity
- Focuses more on the amount of work or resources an organization can handle, rather than its skills.
- organizational competence
- Similar but often refers to proven ability in a specific area, while capability can be potential.
Word family
- organizational adjective
- Relating to an organization or its structure.
- capability noun
- The power or ability to do something.
- organize verb
- To arrange or form into a structured whole.
Commonly confused: organizational capability or organizational capacity?
organizational capability vs organizational capacity
Capacity is about how much an organization can do; capability is about what it can do well.
Practice
The company's ______ to innovate quickly gives it a competitive edge.
Choose one answer.
Organizational capability refers to the ability to perform tasks effectively, which fits 'to innovate quickly'. Organizational capacity refers to the amount of work that can be handled, not the skill itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “organizational capability”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.