Attitude, aptitude, ability and autonomy: ther emergence of "off-roaders", a special class of nomadic worker

This is an electronic version of an article published in Harmer, B. M., & Pauleen, D. J. (2010). Attitude, aptitude, ability and autonomy: the emergence of ‘offroaders’, a special class of nomadic worker. Behaviour & Information Technology, 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2010.489117 Behaviour & Information Technology is available online at: www.tandfonline.comFreedom to choose when, where and on what to work might be viewed as mere telework. However, when we mix the adoption of ubiquitous technologies with personalities that take pleasure in problem solving and achievement for its own sake, a strong need for autonomy, the freedom to work wherever and whenever the mood strikes, and add a dash of entrepreneurial spirit, then perhaps we are seeing an emergent class of worker, and even the possibility of new organisational forms. This research draws on adaptive structuration theory to search for evidence of a different way of working, hidden among otherwise familiar patterns. It concludes by considering what implications the employment of such individuals might have for management processes with organisations

When knowledge is insufficient: Wisdom in a complex world

How to manage uncertain and unpredictable situations has been a major challenge facing managers and academics for decades. The development of practice and theory in knowledge management has been one important response. In this paper, however, we argue that knowledge and knowledge management may not be sufficient when dealing with emergent and unforeseen situations as knowledge tends to be past-oriented in terms of its formative components, while emergent situations are future-oriented, which may or may not be rooted in the past. In this paper, therefore, we explore this past-present-future conundrum by explaining how mere reliance on the past may restrict organizations’ ability to deal with emergent situations in the future. Finally, the role of innovation and wisdom will be introduced as a bridge connecting current past-oriented knowledge to unknown and unpredictable future-oriented events

KM Among Academics: Do as I teach not as I do

This paper seeks to investigate the relationship between knowledge management and creative individuals in the workplace. Since academic staff are often considered to be creative- and conceptual thinkers, academic staff and managerial University staff were approached for their views on knowledge sharing procedures within a University. The findings indicate that academics prefer informal knowledge sharing environments with peers and they seem to be reluctant towards formal structures and predefined rules to share knowledge. We also found that academics must perceive clear personal advantages before embracing the use of workplace-provided ICTs. This paper concludes with a summary of the findings and recommendations for future research

Studying Human-Centered IT Innovation Using a Grounded Action Learning Approach

This paper describes how two research methodologies, grounded theory and action learning, were combined to produce a rigorous yet creative and flexible method for field study of a recent IT-based innovation, virtual teams. Essentially, an action learning program was used to train facilitators of virtual teams and generate research data while grounded theory techniques were used to analyze and interpret the data. This paper shows how this combined method can be used to develop local and practical theory for complex, human-centered areas of information technology. The implications of this grounded action learning approach for practice and research in IS will be discussed

Working Toward Wisdom in IS Education: Developing an Integral Knowledge-to-Wisdom Teaching Framework

The success of tertiary teaching depends much on teachers’ approach to teaching. Although the suitability of university teachers is often measured by teachers’ qualifications, publications in the relevant discipline, and teaching experience, a teacher’s understanding of the nature of what is taught in the classroom may more significantly influence students’ learning experience and future contribution to society. This commentary is based on Integral Theory, specifically the conceptualization of a wisdom meta-competencies model. We have developed an integral “knowledge-to-wisdom” teaching framework that proposes an integral set of pedagogical strategies for introducing wisdom-based teaching into Information Systems education. Implications of the study are presented as well as limitations and areas of future research

KM governance:the mechanisms for guiding and controlling KM program

Purpose: To establish and sustain their KM programs organizations need to establish mechanisms to ensure their governance. KM programs require business integration, senior management involvement and decision making authority. The present research investigates the KM governance mechanisms organizations use to guide and control their KM programs. The research seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the governance of KM and to support organizations in the development of their KM programs. Methodology: The study employs multiple case research methodology to analyze the KM governance arrangements of twelve international organizations and identify patterns in their governance configurations. Findings: The analysis identifies a range of structural, process and relational mechanisms that are critical for governing an organizational KM program. Different patterns among the KM governance mechanisms are identified which lead to the development of generic KM governance typologies. Research implications: The development of the KM governance framework allows future research to systematically investigate the KM governance phenomenon. As the present study is based on a configurational analysis future research should particularly target the performance implications of different KM governance configurations. Practical implications: The research provides insights into the diversity of KM governance mechanisms and their impact on a KM program. The KM governance framework can assist managers in reviewing their present and prospective KM programs and thereby support benchmarking or re-organization efforts. Originality: Building on prior research that has focused on individual KM governance aspects, the present study adopts a comprehensive perspective integrating structural, process and relational governance mechanisms

How Emerging Technologies Change the Way New Zealanders Work and Live: Research in Progress

This paper reports on an exploratory study of early adopters’ perceptions of the effects of technology on the way they work and live. Narrative enquiry was used to gather early adopter stories and grounded theory to analyse the data. Narrative enquiry allowed participants to tell the stories that they perceived to be important and grounded theory permitted emergence of a meta-narrative that revolved around the transformative effects of technology on the way the participants work and how technology transforms the participants and their relationship to work two transformations that are inextricably linked. This narrative of transformation is based at the intersection of people, technology and work and revolves around concepts of enablement, communication, flexibility, relationship, ability and management

Cause or Cure: Technologies and Work-Life Balance

Knowledge workers whose employers allow them the freedom to access organizational resources from outside the premises, and/or outside normal working hours, are able to reach a new equilibrium in the balance between work and life. This research uses narrative method to obtain stories from a number of such knowledge workers in New Zealand, and observes how the participants make sense of the choices open to them, and reach decisions about them The research finds that despite expressed resentments, such people have tended to move the equilibrium in ways that accommodate more work. Implications of this research are that despite the short term productivity gains, organizations would do well to ensure that these well motivated staff are managed for their long term well being and continued contribution to the organization