Managing Intensity in Knowledge Work: Self-Leadership Practices among Danish Management Consultants
(2021) In Journal of Management & Organization (JMO) 27(2). p.342-360- Abstract
- This paper examines the sources of knowledge workers’ work intensity and the self-leading strategies they apply to deal with it. The paper is based on focus group interviews with management consultants in a Danish management consultancy firm. Work intensity was identified as resulting from a combination of: (1) a results-only focus, (2) vagueness, (3) boundaryless work, and (4) low control of the quantitative load. A framework for self-leading strategies is developed based on the dimensions of reactive/proactive and self-focused/externally-focused strategies in different combinations. The results indicate that while consultants expressed a belief in internal self-discipline strategies of a more reactive nature, in fact, external and... (More)
- This paper examines the sources of knowledge workers’ work intensity and the self-leading strategies they apply to deal with it. The paper is based on focus group interviews with management consultants in a Danish management consultancy firm. Work intensity was identified as resulting from a combination of: (1) a results-only focus, (2) vagueness, (3) boundaryless work, and (4) low control of the quantitative load. A framework for self-leading strategies is developed based on the dimensions of reactive/proactive and self-focused/externally-focused strategies in different combinations. The results indicate that while consultants expressed a belief in internal self-discipline strategies of a more reactive nature, in fact, external and proactive strategies were the most effective in practice. In conclusion, the paper contributes to an extension of self-leadership theory to better account for current research on self-control. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/a8c50a6f-ad62-408c-a907-3c9aec425a9d
- author
- Bäcklander, Gisela ; Rosengren, Calle LU and Kaulio, Matti
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-03-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Journal of Management & Organization (JMO)
- volume
- 27
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 19 pages
- publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85055550241
- ISSN
- 1833-3672
- DOI
- 10.1017/jmo.2018.64
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a8c50a6f-ad62-408c-a907-3c9aec425a9d
- date added to LUP
- 2018-09-12 13:25:18
- date last changed
- 2022-04-25 08:50:33
@article{a8c50a6f-ad62-408c-a907-3c9aec425a9d, abstract = {{This paper examines the sources of knowledge workers’ work intensity and the self-leading strategies they apply to deal with it. The paper is based on focus group interviews with management consultants in a Danish management consultancy firm. Work intensity was identified as resulting from a combination of: (1) a results-only focus, (2) vagueness, (3) boundaryless work, and (4) low control of the quantitative load. A framework for self-leading strategies is developed based on the dimensions of reactive/proactive and self-focused/externally-focused strategies in different combinations. The results indicate that while consultants expressed a belief in internal self-discipline strategies of a more reactive nature, in fact, external and proactive strategies were the most effective in practice. In conclusion, the paper contributes to an extension of self-leadership theory to better account for current research on self-control.}}, author = {{Bäcklander, Gisela and Rosengren, Calle and Kaulio, Matti}}, issn = {{1833-3672}}, language = {{eng}}, month = {{03}}, number = {{2}}, pages = {{342--360}}, publisher = {{Cambridge University Press}}, series = {{Journal of Management & Organization (JMO)}}, title = {{Managing Intensity in Knowledge Work: Self-Leadership Practices among Danish Management Consultants}}, url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/53897931/managing_intensity_in_knowledge_work_selfleadership_practices_among_danish_management_consultants_3.pdf}}, doi = {{10.1017/jmo.2018.64}}, volume = {{27}}, year = {{2021}}, }