The impact of knowledge work design: A field study in the Saudi Arabian banking sector

Abstract

This study aims to spotlight the relationship between a knowledge society and a knowledge work design using a field study to explain ideas related to this field as culled from interviews, statistics and scientific references on the subject. There are many variables at play here. Independent variables indicating the character of knowledge societies include technological infrastructure, development and innovation systems, human resources and institutional governance, and dependent variables indicating the character of knowledge work design include the characteristics, skills and job status of knowledge workers. Data were collected using a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 150 individuals working in Saudi Arabian banks. The study yielded a set of results including a Pearson correlation coefficient between the dependent and the independent variables of 0.76 and a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.70 indicating the relationship between techno logical infrastructure and knowledge work design. Moreover, the study results also indicate a meaningful impact of the independent variable on the dependent one: changes in the society studied will lead to variations in knowledge work design (again, including the characteristics of knowledge workers their skills and their job status). The results suggest the wisdom of encouraging, recruiting and developing skilled knowledge workers, if the goal is to achieve sustained human capital as a major source of knowledge capital for banks. Banks must also adhere to rules of institutional governance ensuring that they are managed and controlled to promote transparency and accountability in their work, abiding by laws and regulations to avoid financial and managerial corruption. © 2011 WIT Press.