Learning and getting to know: the case of knowledge workers

In this paper it is argued that the terms, knowledge work, knowledge workers and knowledge-intensive firms point to emerging social structures and processes in organizations. This focus allows us to analyse organizations in ways that differ from the notions involving less dynamic forms of organizational configurations. It is further argued that the emphasis on knowledge in organizations raises a fundamental question of learning, i.e. how knowledge workersacquirerelevant knowledge. However, theanswerto this depends on how organizational life and work are understood and conceptualized. Three focuses are suggested: organizations viewed through their use of technology, the division of labour, and the social interactions in organizations. These three focuses relate to different understandings of learning, namely learning as cognition, as situated, and as the reconstruction of experiences. To illustrate both the emphasis on knowledgeand thedifferent perspectiveson learning, acasestudy will bepresented.

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