An Analysis Of Perceptions Regarding Knowledge-Worker Instructional Needs In Graduate Management Programs

Relevance in Management programs has become a major issue for colleges and universities. The literature posits that proactive educational institutions need to retool and refocus their programs to be consistent with business organizations which have been transformed by technology and global commerce. This study addresses the reliability of contemporary perceptions and postulates expressed in the literature related to effectively managing knowledge-work professionals. A literature search of knowledge-worker writings was collected and perceptions were extracted for further evaluation. These extracted attributes were set into a thirty-five item questionnaire and administered to three demographic groups including: (a) knowledge-workers, (b) knowledge-worker managers, and (c) knowledge worker educators. Results indicate that if such a validated perception-based program were offered it would raise fulfillment of needs for knowledge-workers, managers, and educators and offer a unique, identifiable program related to teaching and researching related to this new management paradigm

A Twenty-First Century Incongruity: Perceptions Regarding Knowledge Work Didactics

This study examines twenty-first century didactics associated with knowledge worker (KW) assertions and assesses their ranking precedence among four demographically segmented populations. The assertions were typed into three question groups: (1) postulates, (2) competencies, and (3) training methods and set into a questionnaire administered to participants across four work classifications: (a) technical worker-students, (b) non-technical worker-students, (c) managers, and (d) educators. The three question groups were opinion/response measured across the four work classifications. The questions were then rank ordered to assess the degree of inter-group ranking correlation. Incongruities were discerned in priority between how these assertions (postulates, competencies, and training methods) are perceived by sampled educators delivering didactics and the three knowledge worker driven sample population groups. Findings also indicate only limited intra-group ranking congruity within the three work classification groups. The highest ranked intra-group congruity assertions are identified for further investigation to raise the level of interest and involvement in expanding graduate school didactics for KW students. Finally, this study suggests more research is needed to establish validity and relevance for teaching didactics, classroom delivery systems, and instructor-perceived values of today\u27s KW/students. As KW industry-driven competencies and technology standards are culturally ingrained into the 21st century KW/student environment, it is essential for educators to create relevant strategies and teaching methods to meet their needs in an environment not alien to the knowledge worker