Virtual Organization of Expertise and Knowledge in the Federal Government of Canada

A critical assessment of the relationship between governing institutions and a knowledge based economy and its key sectors embodied in expertise at the Universities involved.

A Canadian perspective on changes in the nature of knowledge, work places and work arrangements including issues of scale (global versus local), employment equity, the role of new technologies in office and teamwork, and challenges to institutional learning, expressed in accessible project reports for decision makers and publications on the topic for the academic community.

Policy seminars for key government decision makers concerned with knowledge work and the knowledge-based economy.

Historical studies on the evolution of the bureaucracy and background research using publicly available documents.

Comparative studies of large private and public sector institutions in different countries and sectors at different points in the research innovation supply consumption impact and reuse cycles of knowledge intensive economies and their cultures.

Investigation of recruitment, internal mobility and retention issues. Outsourcing and organizational learning opportunities in current business plans. Sector specific relationships between private sector innovation and the availability of expertise and knowledge to public sector regulators.

Team Members and Specializations

Prof. Rob Shields, Principal Investigator, Innovation Management Research Unit�, Carleton University:
Role: Project Manager. Information technologies, "expertise". Impact of virtual teamwork on worker and facility management strategies.
Background: Architecture, Social Anthropology, Urban Geography. Studies of spatiality including place images and mythologies, regionalism, notions of virtual space. Innovation and workplace cultures.

Prof. Suzan Ilcan, Co-investigator, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor:
Role: Background study of team working and bureaucracy. Equity issues, work histories.
Background: Sociology, Ethnography, Social Anthropology. Historical research on equity, gender, cultural issues, local and global.

Prof. Edwina Taborsky, Co-Investigator, Sociology and Anthropology, Bishops University/University of Toronto:
Role: Theories of knowledge, forms of knowledge. Knowledge-management systems.
Background: Anthropology, Evolution and Development, Philosophy, Semiotics, Semantics, Information Development, Management and Decision-theory.

Prof. Daniel O'Connor, Co-Investigator, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor:
Role: Research partner contact. Recruitment and mobility of knowledge-workers.
Background: Social theory and communications. Organization of small groups and teams.

Knowledge Based Economies

Comment:

Virtual Organization of Expertize and Knowledge Project Objectives

Virtual Organization of Expertize and Knowledge: Expected Results

Methodology

Team Members and Specializations

Comment: Bill C25 The Public Service Modernization Act formalizes changes in the governance of the Canadian federal public service away from a traditional culture of merit toward an ‘enterprise culture' of flexibly managed, interchangeable ‘knowledge workers' while services and specialized professional skills are contracted out. The beginnings of this change was detected and further developments predicted in our research. Virtual Organization of Expertize and Knowledge Project Objectives Our research traces the generation and flows of knowledge and the mobility of knowledge workers. This project seeks to answer three questions: 1. What are the definitions and forms of knowledge, work arrangements, and workplaces in a so called knowledge based economy at global / local scales? 2. What are the changing demands that a 'knowledge based economy' places on the regulatory operations of governments? 3. What are the implications of a knowledge based economy, on a sector specific basis, for recruitment and movement of expertise in the Public Service? Research Summary / Sommaire
Virtual Organization of Expertize and Knowledge: Expected Results A critical assessment of the relationship between governing institutions and a knowledge based economy and its key sectors embodied in expertise at the Universities involved. A Canadian perspective on changes in the nature of knowledge, work places and work arrangements including issues of scale (global versus local), employment equity, the role of new technologies in office and teamwork, and challenges to institutional learning, expressed in accessible project reports for decision makers and publications on the topic for the academic community. Policy seminars for key government decision makers concerned with knowledge work and the knowledge-based economy. Methodology Case studies of federal government organizational approaches in relation to : areas characterized by new forms of knowledge and knowledge management key sectors within the knowledge based economy sector specific regulatory frameworks. This approach includes: Historical studies on the evolution of the bureaucracy and background research using publicly available documents. Comparative studies of large private and public sector institutions in different countries and sectors at different points in the research innovation supply consumption impact and reuse cycles of knowledge intensive economies and their cultures. Investigation of recruitment, internal mobility and retention issues. Outsourcing and organizational learning opportunities in current business plans. Sector specific relationships between private sector innovation and the availability of expertise and knowledge to public sector regulators. Team Members and Specializations Prof. Rob Shields, Principal Investigator, Innovation Management Research Unit�, Carleton University: Role: Project Manager. Information technologies, "expertise". Impact of virtual teamwork on worker and facility management strategies. Background: Architecture, Social Anthropology, Urban Geography. Studies of spatiality including place images and mythologies, regionalism, notions of virtual space. Innovation and workplace cultures. Prof. Suzan Ilcan, Co-investigator, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor: Role: Background study of team working and bureaucracy. Equity issues, work histories. Background: Sociology, Ethnography, Social Anthropology. Historical research on equity, gender, cultural issues, local and global. Prof. Edwina Taborsky, Co-Investigator, Sociology and Anthropology, Bishops University/University of Toronto: Role: Theories of knowledge, forms of knowledge. Knowledge-management systems. Background: Anthropology, Evolution and Development, Philosophy, Semiotics, Semantics, Information Development, Management and Decision-theory. Prof. Daniel O'Connor, Co-Investigator, Sociology and Anthropology, University of Windsor: Role: Research partner contact. Recruitment and mobility of knowledge-workers. Background: Social theory and communications. Organization of small groups and teams. copyright Innovation Research Unit 2003, all rights reserved. contact: innovation@carleton.ca Updated: March 26, 2003 Jane Hampson rev 17/2/02 -rs