Knowledge workers: social, task and semantic network analysis

Purpose – To move beyond the literature definitions of knowledge work to provide insight into knowledge workers' identity within the organization. Design/methodology/approach – For knowledge workers, the need to identify themselves as part of a collective within their work environment is important due to the fact that they function in an organizational environment where they do not have the benefit of a traditional, formal bureaucratic structure. By using a combination of network analysis and semantic network analysis, it was possible to gain a clearer understanding of who knowledge workers are and how their interaction creates a sense of identity among these workers, even in a flexible organizational environment. Findings – Knowledge workers see themselves somewhat differently from what the literature predicts. They do engage in interaction to fulfill task needs as well as social needs, are well connected beyond their focal workgroup, and their interaction leads to a shared meaning and identity across this otherwise rather disparate and autonomous group of workers. Research limitations/implications – One of the limitations of this research is that communication events did not take into account the quality of the interaction. Future studies should include this aspect. Originality/value – Perhaps by redefining what one feels is known about the elements of knowledge work and the organizational environment in which they work, and by pairing that knowledge with the communication network of these individuals, one can continue to explore both the essential essence and complexity of this new worker so that management of this worker can be optimized.