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The knowledge economy and the restructuring of employment: the case of consultants

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  • Rory Donnelly

    (Birmingham Business School, r.donnelly@bham.ac.uk)

Abstract

Knowledge workers are said to be the vanguard of a new era in work and employment, with some even claiming that these workers have been freed from the constraints of organizational employment (Pink, 2001; Reed, 1996). However, many knowledge workers operate as employees and emerging research suggests that the interplay between these workers and organizations generates strong competing tensions. This article proposes that these conflicts lead to a hybridization of the employment relationship.The findings from this case study of a large consultancy firm suggest that these tensions along with organizational context, the form of knowledge work, the seniority of the individual and the level and nature of client influence play an important role in shaping the degree and balance of this hybridization in contemporary bureaucracies.

Suggested Citation

  • Rory Donnelly, 2009. "The knowledge economy and the restructuring of employment: the case of consultants," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 23(2), pages 323-341, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:woemps:v:23:y:2009:i:2:p:323-341
    DOI: 10.1177/0950017009102861
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chris Warhurst & Paul Thompson, 2006. "Mapping knowledge in work: proxies or practices?," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 20(4), pages 787-800, December.
    2. Tam Yeuk‐Mui May & Marek Korczynski & Stephen J. Frenkel, 2002. "Organizational And Occupational Commitment: Knowledge Workers In Large Corporations," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(6), pages 775-801, September.
    3. Cliff Bowman & Juani Swart, 2007. "Whose Human Capital? The Challenge of Value Capture When Capital is Embedded," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 488-505, June.
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