Horizontal differentiation is a general concept and not restricted to certain configurations. A recommendation about the level of horizontal differentiation has to be associated with the specific configuration that is considered, but for each there is a choice. The horizontal differentiation measure is relative and must be seen in the context of the givenunit of analysis.

Horizontal differentiation is the degree to which specialisation of tasks occurs in an organization. Differentiation is high when there is a large number of small tasks that are specialized based on experience, education and training.

Measures for the horizontal differentiation are:

• Number of job titles
• Proportion of employees with an advanced degree