Mohammad Reza Ghezel Arsalan, Jalil Heidary Dahooei and Ali Zolghadr Shojai
– The purpose of this paper is to propose a new framework to assess the value of a knowledge worker (KWr) in his/her organization.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a new framework to assess the value of a knowledge worker (KWr) in his/her organization.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed framework determines the value of each KWr based on his/her contribution to organizational value-added. The framework includes two steps: the contribution of each work process to the total organizational value-added is determined using Knowledge Value Added method; and the value of each KWr is obtained based on the contribution of his/her operational knowledge to the value-added of the processes.
Findings
This article elaborates on how KWrs’ contribution to organizational value-added can be used to assess them. A new framework is designed to serve this purpose. A case study was also carried out in a marketing department of a detergent manufacturing company to test the practical usability of the framework. The statistical analysis of the results confirms the validity of the framework.
Practical implications
The results of this research can be discussed in terms of two main issues. First, this study highlights the imperative role of KWrs in achieving success for organizations in today’s knowledge-based economy. This research urges managers of organizations to fully recognize and measure the importance and value of KWrs and recommends that the mechanisms of human resource management (such as compensation and rewarding systems, hiring process and training and development) can be modified with respect to this value measurement. Second, an applicable framework with specific and clearly defined steps is introduced in this paper, which can be used by organizations to determine the value of KWrs based on their contribution to organizational value-added. The proposed framework has two important characteristics which previous models and frameworks failed to deliver: this new framework contains detailed items and procedures that could be easily obtained and fully understood by practitioners and researchers; and the proposed framework provides the ability to compare all types of KWrs. The results obtained by implementation of this framework give insight into the appropriate managerial approaches to reach personal and organizational goals simultaneously.
Originality/value
Due to the differences between knowledge work (KW) and manual work, the management of KWrs requires its own methods and techniques. In this article, a brand new framework for KWrs’ value assessment is developed based on the characteristics of KW.
Details
Keywords
Jalil Heidary Dahooie, Abbas Afrazeh and Seyed Mohammad Moathar Hosseini
This study attempts to identify the different types of activities that comprise a worker's job, and provide a framework for quantitative definition and segmentation of knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
This study attempts to identify the different types of activities that comprise a worker's job, and provide a framework for quantitative definition and segmentation of knowledge works (KWs).
Design/methodology/approach
Every KW has two main parts: working with knowledge and establishing communication. Thus, in order to provide an exact definition for the KW it is necessary to calculate the knowledge intensity score of a job (JKIS) and communication intensity score of a job (JCIS). For determining these two parameters precisely, jobs were broken hierarchically to tasks and then activities. To identify these activities, an initial list of activities mentioned in the literature was created and then completed with generalized work activities of O*NET. A six‐step framework for calculating of JKIS and JCIS was proposed and finally, different groups of knowledge workers (KWrs) with respect to JKIS and JCIS were identified by using a clustering method.
Findings
This article shows how KW can be defined and segmented based on two dimensions (i.e. knowledge intensity score of a job (JKIS) and communication intensity score of a job (JCIS)). The proposed framework was used to analyze 133 jobs in 11 organizations. Practicality and validity of framework were examined based on this empirical study.
Research limitations/implications
This study is a base for the identification of appropriate managerial frameworks corresponding to each discovered group of KWrs. Using more data can improve the results obtained in this study.
Practical implications
This work emphasizes the importance of defining and clustering KW and proposes a practical method for this aim.
Originality/value
A new framework for the quantification of KW is proposed. This framework is supported by five principles inferred from the literature.
Details
Keywords
Jalil Heidary Dahooie, Mohammad Reza Ghezel Arsalan and Ali Zolghadr Shojai
The purpose of this paper is to propose a new method for knowledge worker productivity measurement which is based on valid principles and appropriate viewpoints.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a new method for knowledge worker productivity measurement which is based on valid principles and appropriate viewpoints.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an extensive and thorough literature review the elements that need to be taken into consideration, while designing a method for knowledge worker productivity measurement, are determined and divided into principles and viewpoints. These elements must be incorporated into the design of knowledge worker productivity measurement methods so that the correctness and accuracy of these methods can be verified. The proposed model, which is based on appropriate principles and viewpoints, determines the outputs of knowledge work with respect to the tasks that a worker’s job includes. Considering nine measures, these outputs are evaluated using fuzzy numbers and, then, quantified. The inputs of knowledge work are knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) required to do the job. These inputs are identified and quantified using Job Element Method. Furthermore, fuzzy Data Envelopment Analysis is employed to model the productivity.
Findings
In this paper, the proposed method for knowledge worker productivity measurement follows both appropriate principles and viewpoints, simultaneously. In order to validate the obtained results and explore the applicability of the proposed method, a case study was carried out at an Iranian organization in electric power industry. Statistical analyses are employed to prove the validity of the results. Based on the obtained results, the productivity of a knowledge worker is said to be high when he/she delivers the expected amount of job outputs considering the values of his/her inputs (KSAs).
Originality/value
The originality of this paper is twofold. First, the extracted principles and viewpoints can serve as a guideline for the development of similar methods. Second, the proposed model offers an effective and efficient tool that can serve as the basis for the comparison among relative productivity of knowledge workers. Furthermore, the obtained results could form a basis to examine the productivity trend of each knowledge worker over different periods of time.