The New Knowledge Workers

The New Knowledge Workers PDF Author: Dariusz Jemielniak
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 0857933116
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
'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.

The New Knowledge Workers

The New Knowledge Workers PDF Author: Dariusz Jemielniak
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 0857933116
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 193

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Book Description
'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.

Knowledge Workers in the Information Society

Knowledge Workers in the Information Society PDF Author: Catherine McKercher
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 9780739117811
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 354

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Book Description
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.

Rise of the Knowledge Worker

Rise of the Knowledge Worker PDF Author: James Cortada
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136368183
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
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.

Talent Management of Knowledge Workers

Talent Management of Knowledge Workers PDF Author: V. Vaiman
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230277527
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
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.

The Knowledge Work Factory: Turning the Productivity Paradox into Value for Your Business

The Knowledge Work Factory: Turning the Productivity Paradox into Value for Your Business PDF Author: William F. Heitman
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
ISBN: 1260122166
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
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.

Thinking for a Living

Thinking for a Living PDF Author: Thomas H. Davenport
Publisher: Harvard Business Press
ISBN: 1422166465
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 238

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Book Description
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).

Empowering Knowledge Workers

Empowering Knowledge Workers PDF Author: Layna Fischer
Publisher: Future Strategies Inc.
ISBN: 0984976477
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 220

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Book Description
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.

Managing Knowledge Workers

Managing Knowledge Workers PDF Author: Amar D. Amar
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789798400681
Category : Employee empowerment
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Landmarks of Tomorrow

Landmarks of Tomorrow PDF Author: Peter F. Drucker
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
ISBN: 1412814138
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 291

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Book Description
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.

Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds

Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds PDF Author: Johanna Rothman
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
ISBN: 0133492214
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 503

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Book Description
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.