Download or read book Thinking for a Living written by Thomas H. Davenport and published by Harvard Business Press. This book was released on 2005-09-13 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowledge workers create the innovations and strategies that keep their firms competitive and the economy healthy. Yet, companies continue to manage this new breed of employee with techniques designed for the Industrial Age. As this critical sector of the workforce continues to increase in size and importance, that's a mistake that could cost companies their future. Thomas Davenport argues that knowledge workers are vastly different from other types of workers in their motivations, attitudes, and need for autonomy--and, so, they require different management techniques to improve their performance and productivity. Based on extensive research involving over 100 companies and more than 600 knowledge workers, Thinking for a Living provides rich insights into how knowledge workers think, how they accomplish tasks, and what motivates them to excel. Davenport identifies four major categories of knowledge workers and presents a unique framework for matching specific types of workers with the management strategies that yield the greatest performance. Written by the field's premier thought leader, Thinking for a Living reveals how to maximize the brain power that fuels organizational success. Thomas Davenport holds the President's Chair in Information Technology and Management at Babson College. He is director of research for Babson Executive Education; an Accenture Fellow; and author, co-author, or editor of nine books, including Working Knowledge: How Organizations Manage What They Know (HBS Press, 1997).
Download or read book Rise of the Knowledge Worker written by James Cortada and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-11-03 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A generation of magnificent scholars, from Peter Drucker to Jack Welch, have taught us that understanding business issues and the profound changes the world's economy is undergoing makes sense if set in historical context. Today the best managers in the world demand to know how things came to be as they are. This collection of essays is designed to give the reader an historical perspective on the fastest growing sector of the work force: knowledge workers. The articles tell you how knowledge workers evolved from manufacturing and agricultural jobs and then go on to give you some insight as to what the future roles of knowledge workers will be. The readings in this volume come from a variety of sources not normally looked at by managers and business executives. There are reports from historians, sociologists, academics, and economic experts. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction on the material, its significance, and something about the context in which it was written, including brief biographical comments on the author. The Rise of the Knowledge Worker is intended for business people, managers, leaders, government employees, and students.
Download or read book The New Knowledge Workers written by Dariusz Jemielniak and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'The knowledge worker is a welcome addition to the ethnographic investigation of high-tech work. The author's thoughtful comparative approach, contrasting the oft-studied American knowledge workers with their less familiar Polish counterparts, offers a refreshing take on the post industrial workplace and demonstrates once again the profound changes that high-tech work has made in the nature of work, the worker and the workplace, far beyond Silicon Valley.' Gideon Kunda, Tel Aviv University, Israel 'The body of research addressing knowledge-intensive and creative work is massive and is quickly growing, but Dariusz Jemielniak manages to bring some new issues and perspectives to the table in his carefully designed study of the Polish and American computer programming community, making concepts such as time, trust, and motivation constitutive elements of contemporary knowledge work. Being able to bring together ethnographic research and organization theory and social science more broadly, The New Knowledge Workers is a significant contribution to the understanding of contemporary working life in the so-called "knowledge society".' Alexander Styhre, University of Gothenburg, Sweden 'Jemielniak's book combines detailed comparative ethnographic observations with organizational analysis to highlight how little we actually know about the operations of knowledge-intensive organizations. Arguing that ancient commonplaces about a "greener", more egalitarian, post-Taylorist future rely on ignoring real-time observations of real people in context, Jemielniak's portrait of the knowledge society of the 21st century shows it to be more like the Fordist society of the 20th century than the utopia so many futurists choose to imagine. His book tells us it is time to begin observing again if we wish to "know" rather than "believe" what the future holds for us.' Davydd J. Greenwood, Cornell University, US This critical ethnographic study of knowledge workers and knowledge-intensive organization workplaces focuses on the issues of timing and schedules, the perception of formality and trust and distrust in software development as well as motivation and occupational identity among software engineers. The book is a cross-cultural, comparative study of American and European high-tech workplaces that addresses the issues currently of interest to both Academia and to practice and provides a rare international comparison of organizations from both sides of the Atlantic. Its conclusions shed new light on the problems typical for software projects. The book specifically focuses on, and gives voice to, the perspectives of knowledge workers rather than managers and will thus be useful to not only scholars and human resource managers from software companies, but also to high-tech professionals. Scholars and professionals in organization studies, management, HRM, innovation and knowledge management will find this book engaging and enlightening.
Download or read book Knowledge Workers in the Information Society written by Catherine McKercher and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2008 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowledge Workers in the Information Society addresses the changing nature of work, workers, and their organizations in the media, information, and knowledge industries. These knowledge workers include journalists, broadcasters, librarians, filmmakers and animators, government workers, and employees in the telecommunications and high tech sectors. Technological change has become relentless. Corporate concentration has created new pressures to rationalize work and eliminate stages in the labor process. Globalization and advances in telecommunications have made real the prospect that knowledge work will follow manufacturing labor to parts of the world with low wages, poor working conditions, and little unionization. McKercher and Mosco bring together scholars from numerous disciplines to examine knowledge workers from a genuinely global perspective.
Download or read book Empowering Knowledge Workers written by Layna Fischer and published by Future Strategies Inc.. This book was released on 2013-12-01 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Empowering Knowledge Workers describes the work of managers, decision makers, executives, doctors, lawyers, campaign managers, emergency responders, strategists, and many others who have to think for a living. These are people who figure out what needs to be done, at the same time that they do it, and a new approach to support this kind of worker presents the logical starting point for understanding how to take advantage of ACM.
Download or read book Landmarks of Tomorrow written by Peter F. Drucker and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on 2011-12-31 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Landmarks of Tomorrow forecasts changes in three major areas of human life and experience. The first part of the book treats the philosophical shift from a Cartesian universe of mechanical cause to a new universe of pattern, purpose, and process. Drucker discusses the power to organize men of knowledge and high skill for joint effort and performance as a key component of this change. The second part of the book sketches four realities that challenge the people of the free world: an educated society, economic development, the decline of government, and the collapse of Eastern culture. The final section of the book is concerned with the spiritual reality of human existence. These are seen as basic elements in late twentieth-century society. In his new introduction, Peter Drucker revisits the main findings of Landmarks of Tomorrow and assesses their validity in relation to today’s concerns. It is a book that will be of interest to sociologists, economists, and political theorists.
Download or read book Effective Knowledge Work written by Klaus North and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2011-10-24 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Addresses the following questions: What is knowledge work? What are strategies and methods for increasing productivity, quality, effectiveness and value of knowledge work? Can knowledge workers be managed, and if yes, how? What are adequate methods for measuring performance of knowledge workers?
Download or read book Managing Knowledge Workers written by A. D. Amar and published by Praeger. This book was released on 2002 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the emergence of a new, powerful breed of organization--the knowledge organization--comes a bold challenge to the management of people. Employees with special cutting-edge knowledge and the ability to transform it into marketable goods and services cannot be managed in the old way. Only new ways and updated and adapted ways can work. Amar provides an in-depth understanding of who these knowledge workers are, and how to select, adapt, and develop new concepts, principles, strategies, and techniques to manage them effectively. With practical, ready-to-use assessment tools and instruments to redesign obsolescent management practices, this is an essential resource.
Download or read book Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers Techies Nerds written by Johanna Rothman and published by Addison-Wesley. This book was released on 2013-07-15 with total page 503 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the digital version of the printed book (Copyright © 2004). Proven Methods for Attracting, Interviewing, and Hiring Technical Workers Good technical people are the foundation on which successful high technology organizations are built. Establishing a good process for hiring such workers is essential. Unfortunately, the generic methods so often used for hiring skill-based staff, who can apply standardized methods to almost any situation, are of little use to those charged with the task of hiring technical people. Unlike skill-based workers, technical people typically do not have access to cookie-cutter solutions to their problems. They need to adapt to any situation that arises, using their knowledge in new and creative ways to solve the problem at hand. As a result, one developer, tester, or technical manager is not interchangeable with another. This makes hiring technical people one of the most critical and difficult processes a technical manager can undertake. Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets & Science of Hiring Technical People takes the guesswork out of hiring and diminishes the risk of costly hiring mistakes. With the aid of step-by-step descriptions and detailed examples, you'll learn how to write a concise, targeted job description source candidates develop ads for mixed media review résumés quickly to determine Yes, No, or Maybe candidates develop intelligent, nondiscriminatory, interview techniques create fool-proof phone-screens check references with a view to reading between the lines extend an offer that will attract a win-win acceptance or tender a gentle-but-decisive rejection and more An effective hiring process is crucial to saving an organization the costs and consequences of a bad hiring decision. Not only is a bad hire costly in terms of recruiting expenses and the time spent hiring, it can also bog down or derail projects that may already be running late. You, your team, and your organization will live with the long-term consequences of your hiring decision. Investing time in developing a hiring strategy will shorten your decision time and the ramp-up time needed for each new hire. Technical leaders, project and program managers, and anyone putting together a team of technical workers will greatly benefit from this book.
Download or read book How Knowledge Workers Get Things Done written by Nathaniel Palmer and published by Future Strategies Inc.. This book was released on 2012-01-01 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Highly predictable work is easy to support using traditional programming techniques, while unpredictable work cannot be accurately scripted in advance, and thus requires the involvement of the knowledge workers themselves. The core element of Adaptive Case Management (ACM) is the support for real-time decision-making by knowledge workers. How Knowledge Workers Get Things Done describes the work of managers, decision makers, executives, doctors, lawyers, campaign managers, emergency responders, strategist, and many others who have to think for a living. These are people who figure out what needs to be done, at the same time that they do it, and there is a new approach to support this presents the logical starting point for understanding how to take advantage of ACM. Keith Swenson points out, "We are seeing a fundamental shift in our workforce, and in the ways they need to be managed. Not only are companies engaging their customers in new ways, but managers are engaging workers in similarly transformed ways." In award-winning case studies covering industries as a diverse as law enforcement, transportation, insurance, banking, state services, and healthcare, you will find instructive examples for how to transform your own organization. This important book follows the ground-breaking ACM publications, Taming the Unpredictable and Mastering the Unpredictable and provides important papers by thought-leaders in this field, together with practical examples, detailed ACM case studies and product reviews.
Download or read book The Knowledge Work Factory Turning the Productivity Paradox into Value for Your Business written by William F. Heitman and published by McGraw Hill Professional. This book was released on 2019-01-04 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unlock your company’s true potential by eliminating knowledge work waste that’s hiding in plain sight. Back in 1987, Nobel laureate Robert Solow quipped, “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” This costly condition soon became known as the “productivity paradox.” Why does it persist today? Why do knowledge workers spend a third of their days on needless correction, avoidable work and overservice, despite existing office technology that could help, even automate, their actions? And why does nobody notice? The answers—and solutions—are in this book. The Knowledge Work Factory uncovers the well-intentioned waste that hides in plain sight within virtually every organization. It reveals the ingrained perceptual biases that trick our brains into accepting the status quo and missing breakthrough opportunities. It draws stunning parallels to industrial production, which cracked this very code over 100 years ago. Most importantly, it gives you an easy-to-follow, one-stop guide to boost efficiency, productivity, and morale among the very knowledge workers who struggle under the burden of the productivity paradox. Discover your organization’s true, untapped capacity. Maximize the productivity of every single knowledge worker. Uncover “better-than-best practices.” Reap benefits that drop straight to the bottom line. The power is in your hands—with The Knowledge Work Factory.
Download or read book Talent Management of Knowledge Workers written by Vlad Vaiman and published by Palgrave MacMillan. This book was released on 2010-04-29 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Freelancers possess a tremendous amount of knowledge, skill, and ability. Identifying, defining, and implementing talent management strategies aimed at ensuring the effective management of non-traditional knowledge employees in an organization are the key themes of this book.
Download or read book Managing Knowledge Workers written by Frances Horibe and published by eBook Partnership. This book was released on 2015-12-16 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Managing Knowledge Workers provides practical, doable strategies for managing, motivating, and retaining knowledge workers, without breaking the bank. Managing Knowledge Workers focuses not just on understanding the value of knowledge in your organization, but on managing the human side of intellectual capital. Shows how to use other more powerful levers than money to attract and retain the knowledge workers. Provides hands-on advice on creating the right culture and environment through communication, involvement, consultation, and teamwork. Provides practical advice on how to handle new management challenges: how to manage knowledge you don't understand, how to encourage new knowledge to come forward, and much more. Features sample dialogues that offer concrete approaches to dealing with difficult real-life situations"e;With an insightfully crafted guide to the implementation of intellectual capital concepts, Frances Horibe has made a tremendous contribution to leveraging people and their knowledge in the context of the new economy."e;Hubert Saint-OngeSenior Vice President, Strategic CapabilitiesThe Mutual Group"e;Managing Knowledge Workers is an excellent reference guide, addressing the challenges all business leaders face in maximizing the creation of shareholder wealth by harnessing the human capital of a capable and committed workforce."e;Gordon J. FeeneyVice ChairmanRoyal Bank Financial Group"e;Provides a roadmap to optimizing our knowledge workers and maximizing our technology investment. Should be read by managers at all levels of the organization."e;Ken HenryVice President, Business ExcellenceManulife Financial"e;We've finally figured out that the proxy for business success is customer loyalty. Managing Knowledge Workers is essential reading for those wanting to understand how to ensure the loyalty of those people essential to achieving customer loyalty--our employees!"e;David CarlsonA VP, Customer CareNewbridge Networks
Download or read book The Laws of the Knowledge Workplace written by Dariusz Jemielniak and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-03 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Laws of the Knowledge Workplace, Dr Jemielniak has collected research-based chapters providing deep, interdisciplinary insight into knowledge professions, addressing issues of professional identity, emotion, power and authority, trust and indoctrination, and management behaviour. This leads to an examination of issues related to time and work scheduling and its bearing on play, family, symbolic sacrifices, and employee burn-out. In particular, it delves into the identity shifts between knowledge workers and managers, nepotism and turnover intentions among knowledge workers, the implementation of engineering projects, coordination problems in offshore production systems, leadership in virtual teams, decision support systems; taking into account the moral aspects of consequences, netnography as a tool for studying knowledge work, and innovative networks in the aviation industry. The accounts and studies in this book come from management, organization studies, sociology, and anthropology of work perspectives and are fully international in scope. They highlight the scale of the serious changes in occupational roles and to the meaning of work that is taking place in knowledge-intensive environments and give a pointer to what might constitute good and bad management practice in knowledge-intensive companies.
Download or read book Working Knowledge written by Catherine L. Fisk and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2009-11-01 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Skilled workers of the early nineteenth century enjoyed a degree of professional independence because workplace knowledge and technical skill were their "property," or at least their attribute. In most sectors of today's economy, however, it is a foundational and widely accepted truth that businesses retain legal ownership of employee-generated intellectual property. In Working Knowledge, Catherine Fisk chronicles the legal and social transformations that led to the transfer of ownership of employee innovation from labor to management. This deeply contested development was won at the expense of workers' entrepreneurial independence and ultimately, Fisk argues, economic democracy. By reviewing judicial decisions and legal scholarship on all aspects of employee-generated intellectual property and combing the archives of major nineteenth-century intellectual property-producing companies--including DuPont, Rand McNally, and the American Tobacco Company--Fisk makes a highly technical area of law accessible to general readers while also addressing scholarly deficiencies in the histories of labor, intellectual property, and the business of technology.
Download or read book Social Knowledge Organizational Currencies in the New Knowledge Economy written by Kenneth E Russell and published by Mira Digital Publishing. This book was released on 2015-02-27 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is no longer just about what an individual or company knows; it’s what is being shared that is the new organizational currency. It must be one of the key performance indicators of an organization’s value impact. Have you noticed the landscape of Knowledge Management shifting? The speed at which change is occurring is accelerating so quickly some businesses are being left behind. Technology and the very way we gather and use knowledge is evolving seemingly overnight. “Social Knowledge” describes a new road for knowledge and information sharing across the enterprise. Organizations large and small are discovering new value in the knowledge existing in the expected (formal) and the unexpected (informal) communities created by knowledge workers. This book is for serious thought leaders. It rises above the fray of questionable collaboration implementation plans, clunky project tools, or the “one size fits all” knowledge management solutions. Social Knowledge: Organizational Currencies in the New Knowledge Economy was created to guide you through all of the questions you have around establishing a dynamic Social Knowledge Management (SKM) practice within your organization.
Download or read book Knowledge Workers in the Information Society written by Pasi Pyöriä and published by University of Tampere. This book was released on 2005 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers a critical perspective on knowledge work, arguing that the rise of knowledge work is not only an economic or managerial issue, it reflects a major social and cultural transformation comparable to the Industrial Revolution. Sheds light on the everyday realities of knowledge work, with empirical evidence from Finland.
