Organizations rely on their employees’ expertise (i.e. very high domain-specific competence relative to
peers) and specialization (i.e. moderate to high competence in tasks for which no direct peers are
responsible) to foster innovation and knowledge-sharing processes. While previous research demon-
strated the pivotal role of experts and specialists, there remains scant knowledge on their skill profiles and
embeddedness in organizational networks. Employing social network analysis (N = 344), we explore the
relationships between the reception of advice requests – quantified by in-degree centralities – and self-
assessed skills, expertise, and specialization. The results suggest a halo effect, as proficiency in one skill
bundle is related to advice requests in other skill bundles. Furthermore, we use an exponential random
graph model (ERGM) to provide evidence of similarities in skills, tenure, and leadership responsibility
between advice-giver and advice-seeker. Finally, we use optimal matching analyses to compare skill
profiles of individuals in our sample with theoretically derived ideal types of skill profiles for experts and
specialists. The study underscores the need to further investigate expertise and specialization, emphasiz-
ing the importance of distinguishing between diverse knowledge carriers and skill profiles within career
development, talent management, and knowledge management.
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