IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v11y2021i4p110-d651787.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Soft Systems Approach to Knowledge Worker Productivity: A Purposeful Activity Model for the Individual

Author

Listed:
  • Helga Guðrún Óskarsdóttir

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Guðmundur Valur Oddsson

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Jón Þór Sturluson

    (Department of Business Administration, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland)

  • Rögnvaldur Jóhann Sæmundsson

    (Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland)

Abstract

This research attempted to find and define holistic systems that affect the productivity of the knowledge worker (KW), using the soft systems methodology (SSM). It is not enough to look at the management and improvement of knowledge worker productivity (KWP) from the viewpoint of the organization. The viewpoint of the individual KW needs to be considered as well. The KW owns the means of production; they carry their knowledge in their heads and take it with them when changing jobs. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that describes the process in which the KW uses resources to execute actions to create tangible or intangible artifacts with the intention of generating value. It was based on interpretations and inferences made from an extensive literature review using the snowballing method. This paper highlights what implications the lessons learned from the conceptual framework have on managing and improving KWP and delves deeper into four key concepts: value in knowledge work, knowledge, personal resources, and competencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Helga Guðrún Óskarsdóttir & Guðmundur Valur Oddsson & Jón Þór Sturluson & Rögnvaldur Jóhann Sæmundsson, 2021. "A Soft Systems Approach to Knowledge Worker Productivity: A Purposeful Activity Model for the Individual," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-26, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:11:y:2021:i:4:p:110-:d:651787
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/11/4/110/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/11/4/110/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Helga Guðrún Óskarsdóttir & Guðmundur Valur Oddsson, 2017. "A Soft Systems Approach to Knowledge Worker Productivity—Analysis of the Problem Situation," Economies, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-27, August.
    2. Denise Albieri Jodas Salvagioni & Francine Nesello Melanda & Arthur Eumann Mesas & Alberto Durán González & Flávia Lopes Gabani & Selma Maffei de Andrade, 2017. "Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: A systematic review of prospective studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(10), pages 1-29, October.
    3. Ronald Maier, 2007. "Knowledge Management Systems," Springer Books, Springer, edition 0, number 978-3-540-71408-8, March.
    4. Grace Shalini A/P Radhakrishnan & Abdul Basit & Zubair Hassan, 2018. "The Impact of Social Media Usage on Employee and Organization Performance: A Study on Social Media Tools Used by an IT Multinational in Malaysia," Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 1(7), pages 48-65.
    5. Andrea Eriksson & Arne Orvik & Margaretha Strandmark & Anita Nordsteien & Steffen Torp, 2017. "Management and Leadership Approaches to Health Promotion and Sustainable Workplaces: A Scoping Review," Societies, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-17, May.
    6. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    7. Philip Ebert & Wolfgang Freibichler, 2017. "Nudge management: applying behavioural science to increase knowledge worker productivity," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 6(1), pages 1-6, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muhammad Ali Butt & Faisal Nawaz & Saddam Hussain & Maria José Sousa & Minhong Wang & Muhammad Saleem Sumbal & Muhammad Shujahat, 2019. "Individual knowledge management engagement, knowledge-worker productivity, and innovation performance in knowledge-based organizations: the implications for knowledge processes and knowledge-based sys," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 336-356, September.
    2. Terri L. Griffith & Emma S. Nordbäck & John E. Sawyer & Ronald E. Rice, 2018. "Field study of complements to supervisory leadership in more and less flexible work settings," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 7(1), pages 1-26, December.
    3. Andrea Kő & Réka Vas & Tibor Kovács & Ildikó Szabó, 2019. "Knowledge Creation from the Perspective of the Supply Chain. The Role of ICT," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 41(3), pages 311-329, September.
    4. Lu, Jinfeng & Dimov, Dimo, 2023. "A system dynamics modelling of entrepreneurship and growth within firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 38(3).
    5. Olunifesi Adekunle Suraj, 2016. "Managing Telecommunications for Development: An Analysis of Intellectual Capital in Nigerian Telecommunication Industry," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(01), pages 1-30, March.
    6. Soufiane Mezzourh & Walid A Nakara, 2009. "Governance and innovation : A Knowledge-based approach [La gouvernance de l'innovation : une approche par la connaissance]," Post-Print halshs-01955966, HAL.
    7. M. Max Evans & Ilja Frissen & Anthony K. P. Wensley, 2018. "Organisational Information and Knowledge Sharing: Uncovering Mediating Effects of Perceived Trustworthiness Using the PROCESS Approach," Journal of Information & Knowledge Management (JIKM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(01), pages 1-29, March.
    8. Chris Kimble & José Braga Vasconcelos & Álvaro Rocha, 2016. "Competence management in knowledge intensive organizations using consensual knowledge and ontologies," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 18(6), pages 1119-1130, December.
    9. Maurizio Zollo, 1998. "Strategies or Routines ? Knowledge Codification, Path-Dependence and the Evolution of Post-Acquisition Integration Practices in the U.S. Banking Industry," Center for Financial Institutions Working Papers 97-10, Wharton School Center for Financial Institutions, University of Pennsylvania.
    10. Duniesky Feitó Madrigal & Alejandro Mungaray Lagarda & Michelle Texis Flores, 2016. "Factors associated with learning management in Mexican micro-entrepreneurs," Estudios Gerenciales, Universidad Icesi, vol. 32(141), pages 381-386, December.
    11. Yildiz, H. Emre & Murtic, Adis & Zander, Udo, 2024. "Re-conceptualizing absorptive capacity: The importance of teams as a meso-level context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    12. David Vallat, 2015. "Une alternative au dualisme État-Marché : l’économie collaborative, questions pratiques et épistémologiques," Working Papers halshs-01249308, HAL.
    13. Gaviria-Marin, Magaly & Merigó, José M. & Baier-Fuentes, Hugo, 2019. "Knowledge management: A global examination based on bibliometric analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 194-220.
    14. Christoph P. Kiefer & Pablo Del Río González & Javier Carrillo‐Hermosilla, 2019. "Drivers and barriers of eco‐innovation types for sustainable transitions: A quantitative perspective," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 155-172, January.
    15. Ahammad, Mohammad Faisal & Tarba, Shlomo Yedidia & Liu, Yipeng & Glaister, Keith W., 2016. "Knowledge transfer and cross-border acquisition performance: The impact of cultural distance and employee retention," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 66-75.
    16. Liuan Wang & Lu (Lucy) Yan & Tongxin Zhou & Xitong Guo & Gregory R. Heim, 2020. "Understanding Physicians’ Online-Offline Behavior Dynamics: An Empirical Study," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(2), pages 537-555, June.
    17. Stefano D’Angelo & Angelo Cavallo & Antonio Ghezzi & Francesco Di Lorenzo, 2024. "Understanding corporate entrepreneurship in the digital age: a review and research agenda," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 18(12), pages 3719-3774, December.
    18. Anders Melander & Tomas Mullern & David Anderssson & Fredrik Elgh & Malin Löfving, 2022. "Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Collaborative Research—in Dialogues We Trust," Systemic Practice and Action Research, Springer, vol. 35(5), pages 655-677, October.
    19. Schilling, Melissa A. & Green, Elad, 2011. "Recombinant search and breakthrough idea generation: An analysis of high impact papers in the social sciences," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 1321-1331.
    20. Carmelina Bevilacqua & Yapeng Ou & Pasquale Pizzimenti & Guglielmo Minervino, 2019. "New Public Institutional Forms and Social Innovation in Urban Governance: Insights from the “Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics” (MONUM) in Boston," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:11:y:2021:i:4:p:110-:d:651787. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.