what it means to be a
knowledge worker

Knowledge

• Knowledge is information that has been
incorporated into someone’s view of the
world.
Richardson, Beiers, Bruno, Deng, Henschke, “Computing for Business Success”
•
• Can be Explicit or Tacit.

Societal Progression

• The third (and current) wave of human
socio-economic development is the
Knowledge Society.
• First wave; the Agricultural Society.
• Second wave; the Industrial Society.
h ttp:/ e n.wikipe dia .org /
/ wiki/Knowle dg e _worke r

The Knowledge Society

• A society where most people spend most
of their working time dealing with data,
information or knowledge.
• Knowledge is used to provide economic
benefit.
• Knowledge and education is regarded as
an asset – “Human Capital” or “Human
Resources”.

The Knowledge Worker

• A term first coined by Peter Drucker
(1959).
• A person who produces information, ideas
or knowledge in the workplace.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_worker

Involves

• Knowledge Work
writing, analyzing, advising.
• Knowledge Functions
capturing, organizing, and providing access to knowledge.
• Knowledge Processes
preserving, sharing, integration.
• Knowledge Management
link generation of knowledge with its use.
• Knowledge Organizations
transfer outputs (knowledge services), to enable external use.
• Knowledge Services
support other organizational services.
• Social Networks
enable knowledge organizations to co-produce knowledge outputs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_worker

Tools

Commonly includes:
Computer Information Technology
•
Computer hardware and software and
•
productivity tools.
Intranets and Extranets.
•
Telecommunication technology
•

Concepts

Availability and sharing of information.
•
Education.
•
Broad variety of skills and use of skills.
•
Communication.
•
Networking.
•
Innovation.
•
Flexibility.
•
Technological literacy.
•

What does it all mean?

• Being a knowledge worker is a diverse and
complex concept.
• Knowledge is regarded as the most
important asset in modern (knowledge)
society.
• It involves working with data, information
or knowledge as opposed to manual labor.
• Is highly integrative, requiring a number
of skills.
• It is the largest occupational type.
• It requires continuous learning.