Types of knowledge work: Differences between experts and novices?
Thomas Davenport in his “Thinking for a Living” (Chapter 2) offers a set of classifications of the types of knowledge work.
The first one is a martix structured around complexity (C) of knoweldge work (ranging from routine to interpretation/judgement-based) and level of interdependence (I) requried (from individual cator-based to reliant on collaborative groups). It includes transaction model (low C, low I); integration model (low C, high I); collaboration model (high C, high I), and expert model (high C, low I).
I am wondering if within each of these general types of knowledge work, there are differences in the nature of tasks that novices and experts carry out. Take for example the collaboration model. Davenport claims that knowledge work of this type is characterised by being improvisational, highly reliant on deep expertise across functions, and dependent on fluid deployment in flexible teams. He uses investment banking as a typical example of this type of knowledge work. But how likley is a novice investment banker to have such deep cross-functional expertise? Novices will probably start off by doing more routine and process-reliant tasks (the key characteristics of transaction and integration model), which will increase in complexity and level of interaction as their skills and expertise develops. Davenport’s classification model doesn’t seem to reflect a developmental trajectory that exists within each type of work.
We are currently using this classification within a research study in a global multinational company. It would be interesting to see if the upcoming surveys in each of the specialist testbeds within this company will show any differences between novices and experts in relation to the nature and the types of the knowledge work.
***** UPDATE on Oct 2, 2011: This study has now been published in the Journal of Knowledge Management. The full reference is:
Margaryan, A., Milligan, C., & Littlejohn, A. (2011). Validation of Davenport’s Classification Structure of Knowledge-intensive Processes. Journal of Knowledge Management, 15(4), 568-581.
[...] a comment » Another classification of knowledge work that Davenport suggest (see previous post) is based on the type of knowledge activity – finding, creating, packaging, distributing of [...]
Levels of knowledge work « Charting the Labyrinths
September 26, 2008 at 16:18
[...] I have written earlier about a research study in which we are looking at developing interventions (approaches, tools) for supporting knowledge work and learning in the workplace. [...]
Classification of knowledge-intensive processes: What does Davenport’s matrix tell us? « Charting the Labyrinths
October 2, 2011 at 13:30
[...] had a paper published in the Journal of Knowledge Management. The paper reports the findings from this and this work I blogged about in [...]
New paper published in the Journal of Knowledge Management « Charting the Labyrinths
October 2, 2011 at 13:44