The impact of leadership, management and power in an international knowledge-intensive organization

Abstract

The shift to knowledge economies and the boom of knowledge-intensive organizations with their expert employees pose new challenges for leadership and management of development work. What is the appropriate amount and form of managerial control that is needed in knowledge-intensive development work? This paper focuses on illuminating the kind of leadership and management efforts that either support or hinder advancing development projects. The results highlight the paradoxical role of power and control, and reveal that employees need freedom and yet strong guidance and managerial commitment to develop work in order to stay motivated. Implications for leading knowledge-intensive development are discussed.Keywords: power, control, innovation, management, responsibility, leadership . 1 Works as a researcher at Aalto University Design Factory, focusing on development work and the formation of business concepts. Her background is in industrial and strategic design and international design business management. P.O. Box 17700, FI-00076 Aalto. E-mail: senni.kirjavainen@tkk.fi, 2 Is the head researcher of Aalto University Design Factory research team. Her work focuses on proactivity, expertise and entrepreneurial behavior. Björklund's background is in cognitive science and work psychology. P.O. Box 17700, FI-00076 Aalto; Aalto University Design Factory, Finland. E-mail: tua.bjorklund@tkk.fi, 3 Has a background in educational psychology. Her work at Aalto University Design Factory focuses on work wellbeing and time effects. P.O. Box 17700, FI-00076 Aalto. Aalto University Design Factory, Finland. E-mail: meri-maaria.eloranta@tkk.fi, 4 Works as a researcher at Aalto University School of Science and Technology. He has a background in interdisciplinary product development, and his research focuses on interdisciplinary co-operation in the front end of innovation.

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