Distrust of Employers, Collectivism, and Union Efficacy

Literature, Theory, And Hypotheses

Despite the lack of definitional precision for “knowledge work” there exists a considerable body of academic and practitioner literature which touts the centrality of knowledge work and knowledge-based industries (e.g., Blackler, 1995; Casey, 2004; Mosco, 2008). As noted by Soete (2001), the present debate surrounding the “knowledge-driven,” “learning,” or “knowledge-based” economy or “information society” suggests that the widespread diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is ushering society into an entirely new or “post-industrial” era. This is a new era where value-added has shifted away from material production and handling towards greater emphasis on “immaterial content” (Soete, 2001: 146).