How knowledge organizations work: the case of detectives

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize detectives in police investigations as knowledge workers. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature review covering knowledge organizations, police organizations, police investigations, and detectives as knowledge workers. Findings – The paper finds that the changing role of the detective as a resource influences investigation performance in solving complex and organized crime. Research limitations/implications – This exploratory research provides no final conclusions. Practical implications – Leadership in police investigations needs to focus on knowledge management among detectives rather than information collection in each criminal case. Originality/value – Until this paper, the secretive nature of the detective world has been unexplored by manpower researchers.