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Porträtt av Mats Alvesson. Foto.

Mats Alvesson

Professor

Porträtt av Mats Alvesson. Foto.

Knowledge work : Ambiguity, image and identity

Författare

  • Mats Alvesson

Summary, in English

This article takes a sceptical view of the functionalist understanding of the nature and significance of ‘knowledge’ in so-called knowledge- intensive companies. The article emphasizes the slipperiness of the concept of knowledge, the ambiguity of knowledge, its role in what is constructed as knowledge work and the evaluation of work outcomes. Given this ambiguity, the management of rhetoric, image and social processes appears crucial in organizations of this kind. Difficulties in demonstrating competence and performance - as well as the significance of producing the right impression - make work identity difficult to secure. However, this is a key element in doing knowledge work. Successful rhetoric, image production and orchestration of social interactions call for the regulation of employee identities.

Avdelning/ar

  • Företagsekonomiska institutionen

Publiceringsår

2001

Språk

Engelska

Sidor

863-886

Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie

Human Relations

Volym

54

Avvikelse

7

Dokumenttyp

Artikel i tidskrift

Förlag

SAGE Publications

Ämne

  • Business Administration

Nyckelord

  • ambiguity
  • identity
  • knowledge-intensive companies
  • professional services
  • rhetoric

Aktiv

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt

  • ISSN: 0018-7267