Decentralizing knowledge: managing knowledge work in a software engineering firm

It is argued that top-down perspectives on knowledge have dominated management initiatives in this area, at the expense of naturally occurring, or emergent work patterns of R&D organization, and a model of management based on semiorganized individual knowledge exchange or “brokerage” is proposed.

Abstract

The present paper outlines the philosophical background as well as a practical case of so-called decentralized management of knowledge work. It is argued that top-down perspectives on knowledge have dominated management initiatives in this area, at the expense of naturally occurring, or emergent work patterns of R&D organization. A model of management based on semiorganized individual knowledge exchange or “brokerage” is proposed as a solution. This alternative is exemplified in a case study from a software engineering firm. The paper proposes a number of principles that may be used to guide the development of similar models elsewhere.