The book addresses the concept of knowledge in a work and organizational context, professional or knowledge work, and knowledge-intensive firms. It provides a critical, moderate social constructivist understanding of these themes and the current interest in knowledge management, organization and the "knowledge economy". Professional service as well as science and high-tech work and firms are treated, reporting case studies of IT and management consultancy firms, advertising agencies and life science based companies. The concepts of knowledge and knowledge management are discussed and dominant functionalist thinking debunked. The ambiguity of knowledge in the input, process and output of professional work is emphasized. It is suggested that we should be careful in assuming too much about the nature, role and effects of "knowledge" in business life and instead take the constructed nature of knowledge seriously and scrutinize knowledge claims. Knowledge talk and claims may frequently be key elements in marketing and identity work as much as they inform us about key activities of professionals and knowledge-intensive firms. The book covers a fairly broad set of management, organization and working life aspects are addressed, including HRM themes and different forms of control including client control and regulation of identity. From a perspective emphasizing the ambiguity of social and business life, rhetoric, symbolism, image, politics of knowledge claims, identity and identity work are viewed as crucial for the understanding and management of professional/knowledge work and organizations. The book is provocative and challenges key assumptions in dominant knowledge and organization thinking, suggesting a novel theoretical approach. The book is intended for third year level undergraduates upwards, and aims to say things also of relevance for scholars. It mixes textbook and research ambitions. As a (moderately) constructivist text with a relatively broad focus, the book may have some potential as a text complementing more conventional textbooks also in general organization and management courses.
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This book provides a critical understanding of some basic aspects of knowledge-intensive work and organizations. The author adopts a social constructivist approach and explores the management and analytical challenges of knowledge-intensive forms.
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1. Introduction ; 2. On Knowledge-Intensive Firms ; 3. Knowledge: Questioning the Functional View ; 4. Image, Rhetoric, and Symbolism ; 5. Socio-Politics of Knowledge Work: Social Connections and Interactions ; 6. Management and Organizational Control ; 7. Human Resource Management and Personnel Concepts ; 8. Knowledge Management ; 9. Identity: Uncertainties and Regulations ; 10. Conclusion
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The real value of this book is that Alvesson's examination of knowledge management provides a much needed antithesis to the popular views on the subject.
Provides a critical understanding of some basic aspects of knowledge-intensive work and organizations. Includes case studies of 'knowledge intensive firms' (KIFs), such as IT firms, management consultancy firms, advertising agencies, and life science companies. Challenges key assumptions in current thinking about knowledge and organization, suggesting a novel theoretical approach.
Les mer
Provides a critical understanding of some basic aspects of knowledge-intensive work and organizations. Includes case studies of 'knowledge intensive firms' (KIFs), such as IT firms, management consultancy firms, advertising agencies, and life science companies. Challenges key assumptions in current thinking about knowledge and organization, suggesting a novel theoretical approach.
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780199259342
Publisert
2004
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press
Vekt
432 gr
Høyde
224 mm
Bredde
145 mm
Dybde
20 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
280

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