Empowering Knowledge Workers

Empowering Knowledge Workers describes the work of managers, decision makers, executives, doctors, lawyers, campaign managers, emergency responders, strategists, and many others who have to think for a living. These are people who figure out what needs to be done, at the same time that they do it, and a new approach to support this kind of worker presents the logical starting point for understanding how to take advantage of ACM.

Best Practices for Knowledge Workers describes ACM in the current era of digitization, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), intelligent BPMS and BPM Everywhere. You will learn how support of adaptive, data-driven processes empowers knowledge workers to know in real-time what is happening at the edge points, and to take actions through the combination of rule-driven guidance and their own know-how. It is not a traditionally-automated system but intelligent automation, where technology doesn’t merely replace human decision-making but extends the reach of the knowledge worker; making IoT data actionable. As Sandy Kemsley points out in her foreword: As adaptive case management (ACM) systems mature, we are moving beyond simple systems that allow knowledge workers to define ad hoc processes, to creating more intelligent systems that support and guide them. Knowledge workers still need to dynamically add information, define activities and collaborate with others in order to get their work done, but those are now just the table stakes in a world of big data and intelligent agents. To drive innovation and maintain operational efficiencies, we need to augment case work – typically seen as relying primarily on human intelligence – with machine intelligence. In other words, we need intelligent ACM. Highly predictable work is easy to support using traditional programming techniques, while unpredictable work cannot be accurately scripted in advance, and thus requires the involvement of the knowledge workers themselves. The core element of Adaptive Case Management (ACM) is the support for real-time decision-making by knowledge workers. In award-winning case studies covering industries as a diverse as law enforcement, transportation, insurance, banking, state services, and healthcare, you will find instructive examples for how to transform your own organization. This important book follows these ground-breaking best-sellers on ACM; Thriving on Adaptability, Empowering Knowledge Workers, Taming the Unpredictable, How Knowledge Workers Get Things Done, and Mastering the Unpredictable and provides important papers by thought-leaders in this field, together with practical examples, detailed ACM case studies and product reviews.

Offers a critical perspective on knowledge work, arguing that the rise of knowledge work is not only an economic or managerial issue, it reflects a major social and cultural transformation comparable to the Industrial Revolution. Sheds light on the everyday realities of knowledge work, with empirical evidence from Finland.

This book, Empowering the 21st Century Worker, will expose the research, analysis, implications and findings of on the job training for one learning organisation. It takes a close look at the processes and infrastructure in place for employee training and whether positive organisational change is the result. In an economy that has seen more businesses failing in the last decade, than the previous 100 years, it is always a good investment to conduct initiatives such as on-the-job training; this is an important aspect of fostering positive organisational change. It is also one of the more direct and efficient means of employee empowerment. Any employer, with business and money concerns understands the true path to success and establishing a long-term business, understands that one must give your employees the knowledge, skills and attitudes to get the job done right.

Highly predictable work is easy to support using traditional programming techniques, while unpredictable work cannot be accurately scripted in advance, and thus requires the involvement of the knowledge workers themselves. The core element of Adaptive Case Management (ACM) is the support for real-time decision-making by knowledge workers. How Knowledge Workers Get Things Done describes the work of managers, decision makers, executives, doctors, lawyers, campaign managers, emergency responders, strategist, and many others who have to think for a living. These are people who figure out what needs to be done, at the same time that they do it, and there is a new approach to support this presents the logical starting point for understanding how to take advantage of ACM. Keith Swenson points out, "We are seeing a fundamental shift in our workforce, and in the ways they need to be managed. Not only are companies engaging their customers in new ways, but managers are engaging workers in similarly transformed ways." In award-winning case studies covering industries as a diverse as law enforcement, transportation, insurance, banking, state services, and healthcare, you will find instructive examples for how to transform your own organization. This important book follows the ground-breaking ACM publications, Taming the Unpredictable and Mastering the Unpredictable and provides important papers by thought-leaders in this field, together with practical examples, detailed ACM case studies and product reviews.

The complexities of employee empowerment have been largely underestimated and it is clear that organisations struggle with putting the concept into practice. Rozana Ahmad Huq recognises that effective utilisation of human resources is a strategic issue for organisations. Hierarchical organisations struggle to survive. The growing trend for downsizing and merging of organisations means that they can no longer maintain the 'command and control' approach and employees are given more responsibility and expected to take decisions. However, simply burdening employees with extra responsibility without empowering them does not deliver results. Drawing on her own research in organisations, Dr Huq investigates the concept of empowerment in a new way that combines themes from the disciplines of management and social work, the latter being a domain where empowerment is an important construct. This helps to bridge the gaps in knowledge in the management domain and draws attention to the positive and negative psychological implications for employees of the practice of empowerment that are often ignored by leaders and managers. Ultimately, the author offers a 'practice model' to help people in management and non-management understand the new roles and behaviours that they need to adopt if empowerment is to become a reality. This book is a resource for any business or other organisation genuinely interested in employee empowerment and for those with a responsibility for teaching about it.

Knowledge Workers in the Information Society addresses the changing nature of work, workers, and their organizations in the media, information, and knowledge industries. These knowledge workers include journalists, broadcasters, librarians, filmmakers and animators, government workers, and employees in the telecommunications and high tech sectors. Technological change has become relentless. Corporate concentration has created new pressures to rationalize work and eliminate stages in the labor process. Globalization and advances in telecommunications have made real the prospect that knowledge work will follow manufacturing labor to parts of the world with low wages, poor working conditions, and little unionization. McKercher and Mosco bring together scholars from numerous disciplines to examine knowledge workers from a genuinely global perspective.

Responsibility helps employees feel valuable, and this book aims to show managers how to create an atmosphere of responsibility, benefiting both employees and managers. It explains what empowerment means, why performance improves through empowerment and when to increase responsibility to employees.