IMPROVING KNOWLEDGE WORK PROCESSES

ARE TRADITIONAL REENGINEERING APPROACHES APPROPRIATE FOR IMPROVING KNO WLEDGE WORK PROCESSES? IN A STUDY OF THIRTY ORGANIZAtions, the authors found that improvement methods for knowledge work ranged from the cla ssical top-down approach to a more laissez-faire philosophy that allow ed professionals to design and execute their own work. Companies shoul d probably choose an intermediate approach that reflects the type of k nowledge work, the organizational culture, and the project's business requirements. They must recognize that the nature of knowledge work is different from administrative and operational work and that the peopl e who perform it resist structured approaches.