Managing Knowledge Workers: New Skills and Attitudes to Unlock the Intellectual Capital in Your Organization [Hardcover]

Frances Horibe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 1999

An indispensable guide to the new techniques for managing knowledge workers

They are the idea people, whose brain power and experience have become more valuable to their companies than physical assets or products (think Microsoft). Today's knowledge workers are so in demand, especially in the high-tech sector, that many command large salaries and will job-hop at the drop of a hat. This hands-on guide gives managers practical, doable strategies for motivating and keeping knowledge workers without breaking the bank or sacrificing productivity and quality. It goes beyond the quick-fix of throwing money at the problem and offers realistic solutions for effectively managing the human side of intellectual capital.

• Features case studies, anecdotes, and examples of companies using the new managing techniques, including IBM, Deloitte & Touche, and Transport Canada

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Horibe advises managers on how to create a supportive environment for employees whose knowledge, skills, and experiences form a company's intellectual capital. He provides practical strategies for managing, motivating, and retaining such workers and includes case studies and sample dialogs of difficult management situations and their successful resolution.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"With an insightfully crafted guide to the implementation of intellectual capital concepts, Frances Horibe has made a tremendous contribution to leveraging people and their knowledge in the context of the new economy."
— Hubert Saint-Onge, Senior Vice President, Strategic Capabilities, The Mutual Group

"Managing Knowledge Workers is an excellent reference guide, addressing the challenges all business leaders face in maximizing the creation of shareholder wealth by harnessing the human capital of a capable and committed workforce."
— Gordon J. Feeney, Vice Chairman, Royal Bank Financial Group

"Provides a roadmap to optimizing our knowledge workers and maximizing our technology investment. Should be read by managers at all levels of the organization."
— Ken Henry, Vice President, Business Excellence, Manulife Financial

"We've finally figured out that the proxy for business success is customer loyalty. Managing Knowledge Workers is essential reading for those wanting to understand how to ensure the loyalty of those people essential to achieving customer loyalty— our employees!"
— David Carlson, Assistant VP, Customer Care, Newbridge Networks

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 22, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471643181
• ISBN-13: 978-0471643180
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,419,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent practical guide to making kn. mgt. theory work., August 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Managing Knowledge Workers: New Skills and Attitudes to Unlock the Intellectual Capital in Your Organization (Hardcover)

A lot of the business books that I read offer theory that sounds promising, but that I have a hard time using in my real world. This book takes the theories of knowledge management and gives practical, usable ideas for how to make them work on the ground with today's generation of workers. There are even actual dialogues showing effective and ineffective ways of dealing with situations that ring very true (sometimes uncomfortably so). The author clearly knows her field and has a breadth of real-world experience behind her...and a sense of humour to boot! (That's a breath of fresh air in my business book library.) I found this book well-organized, a pleasure to read and full of practical wisdom. I heartily recommend it.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This useful book is a "must read" for managers., August 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Managing Knowledge Workers: New Skills and Attitudes to Unlock the Intellectual Capital in Your Organization (Hardcover)

This is an excellent, useful book. It provides practical, down-to-earth applications of knowledge management concepts to the real world of the manager. It is obvious that the author has solid management experience and can speak with authority on what works and what doesn't. Fortunately, it is not a dry, academic treatise. It is, rather, a humourous and highly readable blend of theory and practice which would appeal to senior managers who want to learn how to create the conditions for high productivity from well-educated workers.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A sound 'primer', June 13, 2000

By 

Bill Godfrey (Mt Stuart, TAS Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Managing Knowledge Workers: New Skills and Attitudes to Unlock the Intellectual Capital in Your Organization (Hardcover)

An easy to read, simple description of the basics of people management in knowledge organisations. It brings together well established principles and practices and puts them into a 'knowledge' context. Could be useful for managers in the early stages of movement from a 'traditional' to a 'knowledge' mind-set.