In this important MBA text the authors adopt a highly integrated approach. Using the three conceptual lenses of power, meaning and design they explore fully the many different ways in which technology and organizations interact. They highlight the major debates within these competing perspectives and argue that the flow of knowledge and ideas within and between organizations is crucial in shaping technologies and organizations alike.

In this important MBA text the authors adopt a highly integrated approach. Using the three conceptual lenses of power, meaning and design they explore fully the many different ways in which technology and organizations interact. They highlight the major debates within these competing perspectives and argue that the flow of knowledge and ideas within and between organizations is crucial in shaping technologies and organizations alike.

Written by a team of highly respected authorities on management and organizational behaviour, this core textbook is grounded in an extensive body of international research and analysis that demonstrates that knowledge work depends primarily on the behaviours, attitudes and motivations of those who undertake and manage it and not simply on the implementation of information systems technology. Throughout the book, engaging case studies and role plays demonstrate the range of perspectives that can be applied to knowledge work, and the organisational conditions under which it can be managed effectively. This book is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students on modules covering Knowledge Management, and ideal for modules in Human Resource Management and Organisational Studies.

The 1980s and 1990s have seen the break-up of conventional approaches to the management of professional expertise. Central Research and Development and technical functions have been demerged, established career structures torn down, and professionalism itself has come under attack. This book surveys these shifts in the management of expertise by presenting empirical findings from both manufacturing and service industries and occupations as diverse as management consultants, IT workers and NHS doctors. It finds that there are commonalities of experience between these different groups, and that a focus on expertise itself - rather than on the experts themselves, or on their professional pretensions - is crucial to understanding the scope and limits of managerial action.

Retail financial services is a sector in which technological change - and in particular information technology (IT) - has become critically important. This book looks at how firms develop a strategic approach to IT in this sector. In the authors' view this hinges on the ability to integrate detailed technological expertise with wider organizational and marketing goals - the "management of expertise".