ABSTRACT
Workers today need knowledge that is high in 'use' value which is specific to their work function, and which is short-lived, taking account of the dynamic nature of modern workplaces. In this book I shall argue that this kind of knowledge is developed collaboratively at work. Knowledge work and innovation emphasises the practical, and is interdisciplinary (i.e. not confined to one section of the workforce, but inclusive of all workers, whatever their background), contextual (i.e. influenced by the environ ment of the workplace) and procedural (i.e. concerned with processes and procedures). However, workplaces can be incoherent, can lack a structure to support learning and can have outcomes that are wholly specific to the particular enterprise involved. The question of how we deal with this forms the context for this book.
