Improving Knowledge Work Processes

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Are traditional reengineering approaches appropriate for improving knowledge work processes? In a study of thirty organizations, the authors found that improvement methods for knowledge work ranged from the classical top-down approach to a more laissez-faire philosophy that allowed professionals to design and execute their own work. Companies should probably choose an intermediate approach that reflects the type of knowledge 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 people who perform it resist structured approaches.

Thomas Davenport is Curtis Mathes Fellowship Professor and director of the Information Management Program at the University of Texas Graduate School of Business. Sirkka Jarvenpaa is associate professor of management science and information systems at the University of Texas Graduate School of Business. Michael Beers is a manager in Ernst & Young's Center for Business.

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