Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Digitalization in knowledge work: the dream of enhanced performance

Cognition, Technology & Work volume 21, pages 237–252 (2019)Cite this article

A Correction to this article was published on 21 February 2019

This article has been updated

Abstract

The landscape and nature of knowledge work is changing due to digitalization. There are many expectations set for the digitalization and its impact on knowledge work performance. In this paper, the purpose is to critically examine the effects of digitalization on knowledge work performance through an empirical study consisted of multiple datasets representing knowledge workers in four different professions and three vocation sectors. The study is able to show that even though knowledge workers gain several benefits from digitalization, the effects of opposite, value destroying factors, are still stronger. This study contributes to the timely discussion on modern work by identifying the potential restraints and showing their relation to performance. Moreover, based on the results of the study, the critical areas that need managerial attention in digitalizing knowledge work are highlighted.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Change history

  • 21 February 2019

    According to decision by the rector of University of Tampere, a version of the paper was submitted and published due to negligence.

References

  • Agnihotri R, Troutt MD (2009) The effective use of technology in personal knowledge management: a framework of skills, tools and user context. Online Inf Rev 33(2):329–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Airila A, Hakanen JJ, Luukkonen R, Lusa S, Punakallio A (2013) Positive and negative mood trajectories and their relationship with work ability, self-rated health, and life satisfaction. J Occup Environ Med 55(7):779–785

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alexandre B, Reynaud E, Osiurak F, Navarro J (2018) Acceptance and acceptability criteria: a literature review. Cognit Technol Work 20(1):1–3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amabile TM, Conti R, Coon H, Lazenby J, Herron M (1996) Assessing the work environment for creativity. Acad Manag J 39(5):1154–1184

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson C (2006) The long tail: why the future of business is selling less of more. Hyperion, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Barber LK, Santuzzi AM (2015) Please respond ASAP: workplace telepressure and employee recovery. J Occup Health Psychol 20(2):172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barley SR, Meyerson DE, Grodal S (2011) Email as a source and symbol of stress. Organ Sci 22(4):887–906

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bekdik B (2017) Improving productivity in building construction—by repetitions in products, processes, and organisations. Doctoral dissertation, DTU Management

  • Ben-Arieh D, Pollatscheck MA (2002) Analysis of information flow in hierarchical organizations. Int J Prod Res 40(15):3561–3573

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Blackler F (1995) Knowledge, knowledge work and organizations: an overview and interpretation. Organ Stud 16(6):1021–1046

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bontis N, Richards D, Serenko A (2011) Improving service delivery: investigating the role of information sharing, job characteristics, and employee satisfaction. Learn Organ 18(3):239–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bordi L, Okkonen J, Mäkiniemi JP, Heikkilä-Tammi K (2017) Employee-developed ways to enhance information ergonomics. In: Proceedings of the 21st international academic Mindtrek conference, pp 90–96. ACM

  • Brown R, Duck J, Jimmieson N (2014) E-mail in the workplace: the role of stress appraisals and normative response pressure in the relationship between e-mail stressors and employee strain. Int J Stress Manag 21(4):325–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CardioMood (2015) How to check stress level with CardioMood. Retrieved from http://blog.cardiomood.com/post/107832125256/how-to-check-stress-level-with-cardiomood

  • CardioMood (2017a) Expert tools for heart rate analysis: mobile apps and web dashboard for HRV analysis. Retrieved from http://www.cardiomood.com

  • CardioMood (2017b) Methods of HRV analysis. Retrieved from http://blog.cardiomood.com/post/112068958936/methods-of-hrv-analysis

  • Castells M (2010) The rise of the network society. Wiley-Blackwell, Malden

    Google Scholar 

  • Charlton SG (2002) Measurement of cognitive states in test and evaluation. In: Charlton SG, O’Brien TG (eds) Handbook of human factors testing and evaluation. Lawrence Erlbaum, Mahwah, pp 97–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen W (2013) Internet use, online communication, and ties in Americans’ networks. Soc Sci Comput Rev 31(4):404–423

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi JN (2007) Change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior: effects of work environment characteristics and intervening psychological processes. J Organ Behav 28(4):467–484

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chou Y-C, Chuang HHC, Shao BBM (2014) The impacts of information technology on total factor productivity: a look at externalities and innovations. Int J Prod Econ 158(2014):290–299

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Darr ED, Kurtzberg TR (2000) An investigation of partner similarity dimensions on knowledge transfer. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process 82(1):28–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Day A, Scott N, Kelloway EK (2010) Information and communication technology: implications for job stress and employee well-being. In: Perrewé PL, Ganster DC (eds) New developments in theoretical and conceptual approaches to job stress. Emerald Group Publishing, Bingley, pp 317–350

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Dayasindhu N (2002) Embeddedness, knowledge transfer, industry clusters and global competitiveness: a case study of the Indian software industry. Technovation 22(9):551–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Drucker PF (1999) Knowledge-worker productivity: the biggest challenge. Calif Manag Rev 41(2):79–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dyer JH, Nobeoka K (2000) Creating and managing a high-performance knowledge-sharing network: the Toyota case. Strateg Manag J 21(3):345–367

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erlich A, Bichard JA (2008) The welcoming workplace: designing for ageing knowledge workers. J Corp Real Estate 10(4):273–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira A, Du Plessis T (2009) Effect of online social networking on employee productivity. S Afr J Inf Manag 11(1):1–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Franssila H, Okkonen J, Savolainen R (2015) Developing measures for information ergonomics in knowledge work. Ergonomics 59(3):435–448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaudioso F, Turel O, Galimberti C (2017) The mediating roles of strain facets and coping strategies in translating technostressors into adverse job outcomes. Comput Hum Behav 69:189–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldman AS (1959) Information flow and worker productivity. Manag Sci 5(3):270–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez I, Morer P (2016) Ergonomics for the inclusion of older workers in the knowledge workforce and a guidance tool for designers. Appl Ergon 53:131–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greene C, Myerson J (2011) Space for thought: designing for knowledge workers. Facilities 29(1/2):19–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grudin J (2006) Enterprise knowledge management and emerging technologies. In: Proceedings of the 39th annual Hawaii international conference on system sciences, p 57. IEEE Computer Society, Washington, DC

  • Haas MR, Hansen MT (2007) Different knowledge, different benefits: toward a productivity perspective on knowledge sharing in organizations. Strateg Manag J 28(11):1133–1153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim SW, Narasimhan R (2002) Information system utilization in supply chain integration efforts. Int J Prod Res 40(18):4585–4609

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Kowalkowski C, Kindström D, Gebauer H (2013) ICT as a catalyst for service business orientation. J Bus Ind Mark 28:506–513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraft P (2012) Programmers and managers: the routinization of computer programming in the United States. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lahti RK, Darr ED, Krebs VE (2002) Developing the productivity of a dynamic workforce: the impact of informal knowledge transfer. J Org Excell 21(2):13–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laschinger HKS, Finegan J, Shamian J (2002) The impact of workplace empowerment, organizational trust on staff nurses’ work satisfaction and organizational commitment. Adv Health Care Manag 3:59–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lerch C, Gotsch M (2015) Digitalized product-service systems in manufacturing firms: a case study analysis. Res Technol Manag 58:45–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magsamen-Conrad K, Upadhyaya S, Joa CY, Dowd J (2015) Bridging the divide: using UTAUT to predict multigenerational tablet adoption practices. Comput Hum Behav 50(3):186–196

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maier C, Laumer S, Weinert C, Weitzel T (2015) The effects of technostress and switching stress on discontinued use of social networking services: a study of facebook use. Inf Syst J 25(3):275–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ManicTime (2017) Manic Time website. Retrieved from http://www.manictime.com

  • Mark G, Voida S, Cardello A (2012) A pace not dictated by electrons: an empirical study of work without email. In: Proceedings from SIGCHI’12: conference on human factors in computing systems, pp 555–564. ACM, Austin, TX

  • Mark G, Iqbal ST, Czerwinski M, Johns P (2014) Bored mondays and focused afternoons: the rhythm of attention and online activity in the workplace. In: Proceedings of the 32nd annual ACM conference on human factors in computing systems, pp 3025–3034. ACM, Toronto, Canada

  • Mark G, Iqbal S, Czerwinski M, Johns P, Sano A (2016) Email duration, batching and self-interruption: patterns of email use on productivity and stress. In: Proceedings of the 2016 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems, pp 1717–1728. ACM, San Jose, CA

  • Michaelis B, Wagner JD, Schweizer L (2015) Knowledge as a key in the relationship between high-performance work systems and workforce productivity. J Bus Res 68(5):1035–1044

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller KI, Monge PR (1986) Participation, satisfaction, and productivity: a meta-analytic review. Acad Manag J 29(4):727–753

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumeier A, Wolf T, Oesterle S (2017) The manifold fruits of digitalization-determining the literal value behind. In: Proceedings of the 13th international conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI), St. Gallen, Switzerland, pp 484–498

  • Norman DA (1999) Affordance, conventions, and design. Interactions 6(3):38–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okkonen J (2004) The use of performance measurement in knowledge work context. Tampere University of Technology, Tampere

    Google Scholar 

  • Okkonen J (2009) Measuring knowledge work performance, practical implications. Lambert Academic Publishing, Lambert

    Google Scholar 

  • Okkonen J, Heimonen T, Bordi L (2017) Off-the-shelf assessment of information ergonomics. In: Proceedings of the 21st international academic Mindtrek conference, pp 83–89. ACM

  • Orlikowski W (1992) Learning from notes: organizational issues in groupware implementation. In: Proceedings of the 1992 ACM conference on computer-supported cooperative work, pp 362–369. ACM, Toronto, Ontario

  • Osiurak F, Jarry C, Le Gall D (2010) Grasping the affordances, understanding the reasoning: toward a dialectical theory of human tool use. Psychol Rev 117(2):517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palvalin M, Vuori V, Helander N (2017) Knowledge transfer and work productivity. In: Spender JC, Schiuma G, Gavrilova T (eds) Proceedings of 12th international forum on knowledge asset dynamics, pp 1120–1134. St. Petersburgh, Russia

  • Parida V, Sjödin DR, Lenka S, Wincent J (2015) Developing global service innovation capabilities: how global manufacturers address the challenges of market heterogeneity. Res Technol Manag 58(5):35–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson ES, Woods DD, Cook RI, Render ML (2007) Collaborative cross-checking to enhance resilience. Cognit Technol Work 9(3):155–162

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paulin D, Suneson K (2012) Knowledge transfer, knowledge sharing and knowledge barriers—three blurry terms in KM. Electron J Knowl Manag 10(1):81–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Polar (2017) Polar website. Retrieved from http://www.polar.com

  • Porta M, House B, Buckley L, Blitz A (2008) Value 2.0: eight new rules for creating and capturing value from innovative technologies. Strategy Leadersh 36(4):10–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter ME, Heppelmann JE (2014) How smart, connected products are transforming competition. Harvard Bus Rev 92(11):64–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Prensky M (2001) Digital natives, digital immigrants. On Horizon 9(5):1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ragu-Nathan TS, Tarafdar M, Ragu-Nathan BS, Tu Q (2008) The consequences of technostress for end users in organizations: conceptual development and empirical validation. Inf Syst Res 19(4):417–433

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riege A (2005) Three-dozen knowledge-sharing barriers managers must consider. J Knowl Manag 9(3):18–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salanova M, Llorens S, Cifre E (2013) The dark side of technologies: technostress among users of information and communication technologies. Int J Psychol 48(3):422–436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sassen S (1998) Globalization and its discontents: essays on the new mobility of people and money. New Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmenner RW (2004) Service businesses and productivity. Decis Sci 35(3):333–347

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schneckenberg D (2009) Web 2.0 and the empowerment of the knowledge worker. J Knowl Manag 13(6):509–520

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selkämaa R (2018) Decreasing time-waste in production through digitalization. Aalto University, Helsinki

    Google Scholar 

  • Shu Q, Tu Q, Wang K (2011) The impact of computer self-efficacy and technology dependence on computer-related technostress: a social cognitive theory perspective. Int J Hum Comput Interact 27:923–939

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shujahat M, Sousa MJ, Hussain S, Nawaz F, Wang M, Umer M (2017) Translating the impact of knowledge management processes into knowledge-based innovation: the neglected and mediating role of knowledge-worker productivity. J Bus Res (article in press)

  • Sink DS (1983) Much ado about productivity: where do we go from here. Ind Eng 15(10):36–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Soroor J, Tarokh M, Keshtgary M (2009) Preventing failure in IT-enabled systems for supply chain management. Int J Prod Res 47(23):6543–6557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tarafdar M, Tu Q, Ragu-Nathan TS, Ragu-Nathan BS (2011) Crossing to the dark side: examining creators, outcomes, and inhibitors of technostress. Commun ACM 54(9):113–120

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Titus S, Bröchner J (2005) Managing information flow in construction supply chains. Constr Innov 5(2):71–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Treldal N (2017) Digitalization as driver for standardized specification and design of buildings: in search of an efficient building design management methodology. Doctoral dissertation, Technical University of Denmark, Department of Civil Engineering

  • Tuomi I (2004) Economic productivity in the knowledge society: a critical review of productivity theory and the impacts of ICT. First Monday 9(7)

  • Turel O, Gaudioso F (2018) Techno-stressors, distress and strain: the roles of leadership and competitive climates. Cognit Technol Work 20(2):309–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Ark B (2015) Productivity and digitalisation in Europe: paving the road to faster growth. Digiworld Econ J 100:107–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Voth D (2002) Why enterprise portals are the next big thing. Learn Train Innov 3(9):24–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Wajcman J, Rose E (2011) Constant connectivity: rethinking interruptions at work. Organ Stud 32(7):941–961

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Woods DD, Patterson ES, Roth EM (2002) Can we ever escape from data overload? A cognitive systems diagnosis. Cognit Technol Work 4(1):22–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu F, Huberman BA, Adamic LA, Tyler JR (2004) Information flow in social groups. Physica A 337(1–2):327–335

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Yu Y, Chen Y, Shi Q (2018) Cellular automaton and tacit knowledge sharing. In: Strategy and performance of knowledge flow: university-industry collaborative innovation in China, pp 109–120

  • Zhuge H (2002) A knowledge flow model for peer-to-peer team knowledge sharing and management. Expert Syst Appl 23(1):23–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Industrial and Information Management, Tampere University of Technology, P.O. Box 541, 33100, Tampere, Finland

    Vilma Vuori & Nina Helander

  2. School of Information Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Jussi Okkonen

Authors
  1. Vilma Vuori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nina Helander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jussi Okkonen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vilma Vuori.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vuori, V., Helander, N. & Okkonen, J. Digitalization in knowledge work: the dream of enhanced performance. Cogn Tech Work 21, 237–252 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-018-0501-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10111-018-0501-3

Keywords

search

Navigation