Research literature on leadership of knowledge workers: where are we, and where should we be heading?
Journal of Intellectual Capital
ISSN: 1469-1930
Article publication date: 6 August 2020
Issue publication date: 17 February 2021
Abstract
Purpose
With the transition into a knowledge economy, the concept of leading knowledge workers (KWs) has gained an increasing amount of attention in organisational studies and among practitioners. The emerging literature on the leadership of KW addresses an important phenomenon, but theoretical underpinnings and empirical inquiry into leadership effectiveness in a KW context do not agree on a common conceptualisation of KWs. Thus, a concerted research effort seems warranted.
Design/methodology/approach
The purpose of this study is to take stock of the existing literature on the leadership of KW. Based on a critical literature review, this paper provides a timely synthesis of the diffuse literature and identifies research gaps facing the leadership of KW field.
Findings
This paper suggests that the literature to date is deficient in terms of theory and evidence for how KWs are different from other classes of workers and argues that this deficiency stands in the way of developing ideas about how KWs could be effectively led.
Research limitations/implications
This paper extends a discussion on establishing “KW” as a clear, independent construct and how the nomological network in which KW is situated (i.e. leadership antecedents, and workplace outcomes) may be elucidated, extended and researched.
Originality/value
This paper extends beyond the identified research gaps and findings to present an agenda for future research. Specifically, we propose that insights from research in educational psychology should be used as a platform for theorising about how to lead in a KW context.
Keywords
Citation
Issahaka, A.W. and Lines, R. (2021), "Research literature on leadership of knowledge workers: where are we, and where should we be heading?", Journal of Intellectual Capital, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 122-148. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-10-2019-0240
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited