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With the exponential growth of information and the increasingly rapid rate of change, one of the most valuable resources in organizations today is knowledge workers. These individuals are pivotal to effective change management and organizational sustainability. Knowledge workers process, synthesize and generate knowledge in order to problem-solve and innovate in organizations. Characterized by a high level of education, superior interpersonal communications skills, and exceptional information processing abilities, these employees are generally more concerned with adding value to the organization than earning a high salary. Based on the research, some ways to motivate and retain knowledge workers include: providing challenging and meaningful work, enabling learning and career development opportunities, ensuring adequate resources, recognizing contributions, and creating a supportive environment.
Introduction
Around the world the workforce is rapidly changing, and dynamics are altering how organizations perceive the acquisition, use and generation of knowledge. Workplaces have evolved from pie-industrial apprenticeships to large scale, specialized, and segmented organizations, with defined employee roles and responsibilities (Sauve, 2007). In the information age, knowledge has become the critical raw material and source for creating value (O'Driscoll, 2003; Drucker, 1992). Emphasis has shifted away from physical capital towards human capital. The spotlight is on knowledge workers (KWs), who are seen as the height of competitive advantage through continuous learning and innovation. Ironically, the rhetoric of many organizations has long been that 'people are our most valued asset' , yet ineffective employee learning investments or supports, poor managerial practice and unsupportive work environments persist. A new paradigm is needed that recognizes knowledge workers as valued human assets, not expendable cost centres (Vora, 2004). Optimizing KW performance is the secret ingrethent needed for modern organizational success.
Today 's organizations must accept that no program or activity continues for long without eventual redesign or modification to prevent obsolescence (Drucker & Maciariello, 2004). In the information age, workplaces must embrace Senge's concept of learning organizations
... where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together (Senge, 1990: 3).
Interestingly, varied individual responses to a situation are a distinguishing trait between KWs. A knowledge worker (KW) can...