Towards a Knowledge Perspective on Organization

Phd Dissertation

The core process-of-knowing in processing of information was found to be reduction of information, defined as "Infoduction". Tradition of the processes-of-knowing and indirect transfer of information were found to constitute vital elements in how organising took place.
Two markets, an Information market and a Know-how market, were identified. Both markets were based on infoduction and were interrelated but they were characterised by different customer relationships. The information market could be seen as a market for products characterised by surplus. On the know-how market, the whole process-of-knowing is transferred in an interactive process. A dichotomy between professional and organisational traditions of knowledge was identified as the most influential. Organising was found to be "non-managed". Power was found to cycle between one of two traditions determining the agenda for discussion.
The strategy was found to be a process that emerged from the professional knowledge tradition. Later, two tracks of expansion emerged and a dual strategic pattern was identified: one based on the professional knowledge tradition and the other on the organisational knowledge tradition. General implications of the study for other information processing organisations are discussed and further research leading towards a more comprehensive Knowledge Perspective on Organisation is suggested.