The Knowledge Worker: Getting the organizational and informational balance right: a review
Richard Joseph
Associate Professor, Telecommunications Management, Murdoch Business School, Murdoch University, WA
PP: 85
Abstract
Interest in the knowledge economy has led to a greater appreciation of the notion of the knowledge worker. Within the literature, the conceptualization of the knowledge worker is rather diffuse. There is no one clear definition and the term seems to be informed by a variety of different theoretical approaches, in particular organizational studies. However, if the notion of knowledge worker is to be useful in understanding innovation and organizational change, the term deserves closer scrutiny.
It is argued in this paper that, following the work of Macdonald, an information perspective may provide useful insights for clarifying the concept of knowledge worker. This paper is divided into three parts. First, different theoretical and definitional approaches to knowledge worker are discussed. Second, an information perspective is introduced with an emphasis on how it overcomes some of the legacies of an organizational studies approach.
Finally, it is argued that knowledge workers can be best understood by the way people use information in organizations. Interestingly, insight from information policy studies provides a framework for grouping different types of information behaviour. This points to management practices that may promote the positive behavioural aspects of knowledge workers.
Keywords
Knowledge worker, organization, information, management
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