Knowledge Work and Organisational Learning

In this paper it is argued that the terms, knowledge work, knowledge workers, and <p> knowledge intensive firms point to emerging social structures and processes in <p> organisations. This focus allows us to analyse organisations in ways that differ <p> from the notions involving less dynamic forms of organisational configurations. It <p> is further argued that the emphasis on knowledge in organisations raises a <p> fundamental question of learning, i. e. how knowledge workers acquire relevant <p> competencies. However, the answer to this depends on how organisational life <p> and work are understood and conceptualised. Three foci are suggested, <p> organisations viewed through their use of technology, the division of labour, and <p> the social interactions in organisations. These three foci relate to different <p> understandings of learning, namely learning as cognition, as situated, and as the <p> reconstruction of experiences. To illustrate both the emphasis on knowledge and <p> the different perspectives on learning, a case study will be presented.