Services on Demand
Article
Indicators
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in Google
Share
South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences
On-line version ISSN 2222-3436
Print version ISSN 1015-8812
Abstract
DAHOOIE, Jalil Heidary; AFRAZEH, Abbas; HOSSEINI, Seyed Mohammad Moathar and ARSALAN, Mohammad Reza Ghezel. Knowledge work difficulty factors: an empirical study based on different groups of knowledge workers. S. Afr. j. econ. manag. sci. [online]. 2012, vol.15, n.1, pp.01-15. ISSN 2222-3436.
The determination of the difficulty factor in knowledge work can be important for improving the performance of knowledge workers. In this article a regression model for investigating the difficulty of knowledge based activities (KBAs) is proposed. Four factors are considered in the model: Uncertainty, Variability of information, Amount of information and Level of skill and expertise. An empirical study based on 119 jobs from three different groups of knowledge workers (i.e. managerial, professional and clerical) shows that there are significant differences between the difficulty of the KBAs in managerial, clerical and professional jobs, and that managerial KBAs are more difficult than the KBAs of the other two groups. Furthermore, regression models indicate that Level of skill and expertise is the most influential factor in the difficulty of the KBAs in each of the three groups.
Keywords : knowledge work; difficulty index; knowledge based activities (KBAs); variability of information; amount of information; uncertainty; level of skill and expertise.