The Development of Knowledge Workers Concept - Term Paper Example

Knowledge Worker People Introduction Knowledge workers are a special group in an organization that add value to a company through information processing to come up with new information that will define the unsolved problems in a company. Such workers include the bankers, managers, and diplomats. The knowledge workers use their skills in converting their ideas into processes or services. They are also regarded as problem solvers and use their intellectual to make ends meet. Therefore, the paper discusses the historical development of knowledge workers concept. The paper has also outlined the matrix that identifies the basic difference between the knowledge workers and other employees found in the organization. The comparison includes their responsibilities, function, and their role. Increasingly, the paper defines my experience at Syndicate Marketing Company and how the company reflected the function of knowledge workers (Jemielniak, 2012). Historical Development of Concept of Knowledge Workers Knowledge workers are also referred to as free agents, human capital, or even the knowledge entrepreneurs. They constitute one of the fastest rising sectors of the workforce in the globe. The concept was first introduced by Peter Drucker in 1959, who defined knowledge workers as high-level workers who make use of their analytical knowledge and theoretical knowledge from their formal education to innovate services and products. According to Peter Drucker, knowledge is contagious and grows like an organism. The knowledge itself needs to be served and assimilated but not merely stored. The knowledge innovation created the knowledge management, which underwent revolution in 1990 to support the workers to come up processes and standard tools. Focusing on knowledge is declared as one of the values for human social and economic development. Initially, wealth was measured in terms of land. During the second wave, wealth was measured in terms of capital ownership like factories. Increasingly, the ability to own wealth was measured at the rate in which a person owns knowledge and how he employs the knowledge in creating new goods and services. The innovation was reflected on the security and cost on the product. In the knowledge era, 2 per cent of working population works on land, 10 per cent of them work on industries, while the 78 per cent are knowledge workers. The knowledge worker acquires, manipulates, interprets, and applies information to carry out complex, unpredictable, and multidisciplinary work (Davenport, 2005). Knowledge Workers and other Workers in the Organization The core of a firm is characterized by the knowledge workers. The firms use the knowledge, judgment, skills, and their interpretations to move their companies forward ((Jemielniak, 2012). On the other hand, other workers in the organization mobilize the resources suitable for the knowledge workers to implement their ideas. Additionally, different from the knowledge workers who are the leaders, other workers of the organization are followers (Amar, 2012). The knowledge workers invent products, come up with strategies, and keep the company ahead of their competitors. On the other hand, other workers of the organization implements the product invention, implements the strategies, and also ensures that the company meets all the strategies set by the knowledge workers. Increasingly, the knowledge workers are rarely managed by the managers because they know these workers know what they ought to do. They fear to destroy their productivity. However, other workers in the organization face a lot of supervision from their managers; this is because they need proper surveillance to ensure that they do what is required of them. They rarely do perfect jobs on their own. Matrix Knowledge Workers Other Workers in the Organization Roles Explore ideas They implement the already explored ideas Responsibility They create new models, products, and designs The manage the models, products, and designs already created by knowledge workers Function and Performance They measure and manage performance of the company by themselves The managers measure and manage their performance Experience I worked with Syndicate Marketing Company for five years. The company appreciated their workforce in various ways. One of the distinct ways was reflecting the functions of workers in the company, especially the knowledge workers. The company recognized the knowledge workers to have higher experience, expertise, and knowledge. The primary function of the knowledge workers in Syndicate Marketing Company involved creating, distributing or applying the knowledge. The work of the knowledge employee was to come up with new ideas. The company created a flourishing and an imputable environment for the workers by applying fundamental management practices and proper leadership. The management practices for the company focused in building and improving the link between the success and the function of the knowledge workers (McNurlin, Sprague, & Bui, 2009). The knowledge workers used various technologies to keep record of their functions. They did not create everything by themselves. Therefore, the company made the knowledge workers to access appropriate technologies like offering PDAs and accessing the internet. To perfect their functions, the company used to train the knowledge workers so that they can increase their performance. To manage the knowledge workers, the company developed strategies to manage the workers within the company. Syndicate created a wiki that contained the knowledge of the organization alongside other systems that encourage and support the retention and sharing of the knowledge in the firm. The company also provided workspaces where the knowledge workers could share and disseminate similar information to other workers in the organization. They also provided a secret room where the workers could go and think in private without any distractions (Farrell & Fenwick, 2012). Knowledge workers appreciate the autonomy; therefore, the company gave them their space and shunned the managers from supervising and overseeing the knowledge workers closely. The company acknowledged that for the knowledge workers to carry out their duties efficiently, the management need to offer and provide ways so that they can work productively. The managers of the company were responsible for planning and budgeting. They therefore, did not interfere with the functions of the knowledge workers. Rather they provided coaching functions to them as needed by the company. The knowledge workers therefore explored and created ideas (Kroenke, 2011). They left the function of managing and implementing the processes to other workers of the organization. The knowledge workers produced the output bases on the new products, models, and designs. Since the workers were expected to come up with results different from other workers of the organization, they were measured and managed differently from other workers of the organization. The knowledge workers invent products, come up with strategies, and keep the company ahead of their competitors. On the other hand, other workers of the organization implements the product invention, implements the strategies, and also ensures that the company meets all the strategies set by the knowledge workers. The company had an open mind, and recognized various motivations and needs of the workers. This has enabled the company to find innovative and efficient mechanism of keeping the productivity of knowledge workers more effectively. Conclusion Knowledge workers constitute one of the fastest rising sectors of the workforce in the globe. The concept was first introduced by Peter Drucker in 1959, who defined knowledge workers as high-level workers who make use of their analytical knowledge and theoretical knowledge from their formal education to innovate services and products. The core of a firm is characterized by the knowledge workers. The firms use the knowledge, judgment, skills, and their interpretations to move their companies forward. On the other hand, other workers in the organization mobilize the resources suitable for the knowledge workers to implement their ideas. The work of the knowledge employee was to come up with new ideas. The company created a flourishing and an imputable environment for the workers by applying fundamental management practices and proper leadership. The management practices for the company focused in building and improving the link between the success and the function of the knowledge workers Reference Amar, A. D. (2012). Managing knowledge workers unleashing innovation and productivity. Westport, Conn.: Quorum Books. Davenport, T. H. (2005). Thinking for a living: how to get better performance and results from knowledge workers. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press. Farrell, L., & Fenwick, T. J. (2012).Educating the global workforce: knowledge, knowledge work and knowledge workers. London: Routledge. Jemielniak, D. (2012). The new knowledge workers. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar. Kroenke, D. M. (2011). Using MIS (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Education. Sprague, R. H., & McNurlin, B. C. (2009).Information systems management in practice. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. Read More