An Informational Perspective Towards Knowledge Work: Implications for Knowledge Management Systems

Abstract

This paper presents an informational orientation towards knowledge work and draws implications of such a perspective on the functionality offered by knowledge management technologies. Discussion ensues on the nature of organizational knowledge and its strong association with information. In light of this discussion, knowledge work is defined as the application of comprehended information and viewed as a set of knowledge creation, distribution, and use processes. Implications are drawn based on this perspective for knowledge management technologies to provide organizational participants with access to information content, the ability to communicate this information with others, and the means by which to utilize this information in work practice. It is argued that by doing so, these technologies can better support organizational knowledge work.