Managing knowledge workers

Learning objectives
 Define a knowledge worker
 Identify the characteristics of knowledge workers and
understand the human resource management challenges
presented by them
 Explain how knowledge workers are managed
 Identify and discuss the dilemmas associate with the
management of knowledge workers
 Understand how social identity can resolve some of the
tensions involved in the management of knowledge workers

What is a knowledge worker?
Knowledge workers can be defined as
employees who apply their valuable
knowledge and skills (developed through
experience) to complex, novel and abstract
problems in environments that provide rich
collective knowledge and relational
resources.
(Swart, 2006)

Qualities of the definition
 Possession of individual knowledge
 Application of knowledge
 Situations need to be novel and complex
 Collective knowledge and social networks
 Output of knowledge is difficult to judge

Knowledge worker expectations: the individual
perspective
 Pay is most important (this is because jobs are not
hierarchical or status driven) (May, Korczynski &
Frenkel, 2002)
 Intrinsic nature of work (variety, challenge and
learning)
 Co-worker relations and the amount of influence in
decisions that influence your work
 Work organisation and managerial relations
 Development of cutting-edge skills

Managing knowledge workers
Knowledge workers and Boundaries

Managing knowledge work: the organisational
perspective
 Knowledge intensive firms operate in volatile fast-
moving environments
 Fluid organisation of knowledge work
 Project-based work
 Product/service
 Client
 Reliant on client relationships (B2B)
 Especially significant for small organisations
 Client influences on knowledge work