Very Important Final Paper-7pages

LABOR  IN  THE  KNOWLEDGE  ECONOMY

6.2  INTS  2370

Managing  the  New  Knowledge  Workers

Characteristics  of  ‘new’  knowledge  workers: • Resistant  to  leadership,  willful,  flighty,  and  self-­‐important • Characterized  as  autonomous,  geographically  variable,  and   “gold  collar”  workers

• Work  lacks  routines,  complex,  multidisciplinary,  implicit  and   explicit  knowledge,  high  coordination,  communication,   interaction  and  skill  development

• Is  this  a  lasting  generational  shift  or  just  characteristics  of   young  knowledge  workers?

Managing  the  New  Knowledge  Workers

Structural  issues: • Difficult  to  establish  loyalty  with  short-­‐term  workers • Neutral  offices  or  open-­‐plan  solutions  produce  little  sense  of  belonging   and  identity

• Tech  obviates  need  to  meet  physically  and  culturally – All  lead  to  people  not  knowing  who  is  whom  or  who  one  is  likely  to  meet

• Who  'owns'  the  company  when  central  workers  move  on  taking  their   knowledge  and  customer  relations  with  them?

• How  can  we  develop  the  careers  of  virtual  employees? • When  is  there  need  for  administrative  support  services,  and  where   should  they  be  located  in  the  organization?

Managing  the  New  Knowledge  Workers

Strategies  for  managing  knowledge  workers: • Best  practice  – legitimacy  and  modernization  championing  the   individual

• Individually  designed  strategies  – leader-­‐led  and  often  top  down • The  intellectual  capital  perspective  – focus  on  incentives  and   enablement  but  also  balance

• Significance  of  psychological  factors  – kick  and  the  feeling  of  flow