Turning Knowledge into Action: HR practices and Organizational Careers v What are the types of knowledge in organizations? v How can we turn knowledge into action? v What has been the traditional paradigm for careers? v What are some new paradigms for careers in organizations? v Southwest Airlines: Business strategy, HR practices, and careers

Knowledge and Organizational Tasks v Task variability : The number of exceptions a unit or individual encounters while performing a task v Task Analyzability : The degree to which the task performance must rely on tacit or explicit knowledge Types of Knowledge Task Variability Task Analyzability LowHigh Low High Craft RoutineEngineering Nonroutine Critical Dimensions

Turning Knowledge into Action v Why before how: Philosophy is important v Knowing comes from doing v Action counts more than elegant plans v There is no doing without mistakes v You need to drive out fear v Fight competition not each other v Measure what matters v What leaders do (time, resources) matter

Traditional Career Paradigm v The mutual loyalty contract –implicit trading of employee compliance in return for job security –allowing rewards to be routinely deferred into the future –assuming employment and career opportunities are standardized by the firm v One employer focus –relying on the firm to specify jobs and their associated occupational skill base –firm specific learning v Top-down firm –strategic direction is determined by the top management –competitiveness and added value are the responsibility of corporate experts –independent enterprise is discouraged v The fortress Firm –little identification with other firms which are viewed as competitors –prohibitions against “job hopping” and re-hiring people who previously left the firm v Corporate allegiance –social relationships within corporate boundaries –being loyal to the group rather than the project is encouraged

New Career Paradigm v Discrete Exchange –explicit exchange of specific rewards in return for task performance –basing job rewards on the current market value of the work –exercising flexibility as each party’s interest and market circumstances change v Occupational Excellence –identifying with and focusing on the occupation –emphasizing occupational skill development –getting training in anticipation of future job opportunities v Organizational Empowerment –Strategic positioning is dispersed to separate business units –everyone is responsible for adding value and improving competitiveness –new enterprise, spin-offs and alliance building are encouraged v Regional Advantage –shared identification and presumed interdependence with a regional firms –sharing information and coaching is not a company bound activity –people move in and out of firm-based and contract or consulting work v Project Allegiance –shared commitment to the project goals –financial and reputational rewards stem from project outcomes

The Core Competencies v Culture that influence employee identification and behavior v Know-how accumulated knowledge of employees and their shared understanding of firm’s internal practices v Networks of interpersonal relationships that represent social capital v Knowing why that influences a person’s identification with the firm culture v Knowing how is the skills and knowledge a person may bring to a firm to perform tasks v Knowing whom is the set of interpersonal relations an employee brings to a firm The Firm The Career

The Shamrock Organization Organization of today is made up of three very different groups of people, groups with different expectations, managed differently, paid differently, and organized differently. 1- Professional Core 2- Contracting out 3- Flexible labor

The Federal Organization A variety of individual groups allied together under a common flag with some shared identity It combines autonomy with cooperation. It is not decentralization. The Center does not direct or control so much as coordinate, advise, influence, and suggest The parts have the initiative, the drive, and the energy. The Center acts on behalf of the parts. It is built on the idea of subsidiarity.