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Managing Intensity in Knowledge Work: Self-Leadership Practices among Danish Management Consultants

Bäcklander, Gisela ; Rosengren, Calle LU orcid and Kaulio, Matti (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)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
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}},
}