Knowledge worker - Definition and Overview

Knowledge worker, a term coined by Peter Drucker in 1959, is one who works primarily with information or one who develops and uses knowledge in the workplace.

Management of knowledge workers

Knowledge workers are believed to produce more when empowered to make the most of their deepest skills; they can often work on many projects at the same time; they know how to allocate their time; and they can multiply the results of their efforts through soft factors such as emotional intelligence and trust (Francis Fukuyama, Manuel Castells). Organisations designed around the knowledge worker (instead of just machine capital) are thought to integrate the best of hierarchy, self-organization and networking rather than the worst. Each dictates a different communications and rewards system, and requires activation of knowledge-sharing and action learning. A basic pattern rule of human systems is that when you mix them you will get the worst of each unless you contextually and carefully attend to connecting the best.

Since the 1980s, the difference between the tangible value counted in accountant's books and market valuation has compounded. This difference is known as goodwill or intangibles (http://intangibles-valuation.blogspot.com/) and already exceeds the value of tangibles in most of the world's leading companies. This human value revolves around trust-flows needed to connect knowledge workers, relationship capital and networks wherever systems are sustainable as more than their parts.