The Emergence of Knowmads from the Knowledge Workers

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the academic advances in the knowledge management field, by increasing the understanding of the knowmad workforce. Knowledge economy represents the context in which organizations and individuals strive to learn continuously, to remain competitive, and to reach success. In this context, knowledge management joins other management specializations in the dedicated quest of optimizing organizational knowledge dynamics. Over the past decades, in close connection with unpredictable developments in all facets of our lives, which impact the business environment as well, a new typology of workers is being recognized in the knowledge management literature. The knowmads are emerging from the knowledge workers in a context of an intensified knowledge economy and they are developing skills and competencies that are suitable for the global markets, becoming autonomous, innovative, highly adaptable, and entrepreneurial members of the organizations, as this study proves. The research objective of this paper is to find and analyze the core conditions that favor the emergence of the knowmads from the knowledge workers. Through extensive literature review and by using data analysis software, key concepts are identified in close relation with knowmads. In the first part the intensification of the knowledge economy in Society 3.0 is analyzed from a critical perspective while, in the second part, the significant skills and competencies shift is being discussed. The working hypothesis of this research is that knowmads represent a new type of knowledge worker. Therefore, a comparison between the two worker groups from a skill, competencies, and attributes perspective was also implemented for increased methodological coherence. As this paper shows, in the intensified and global knowledge economy environment and under the forces of digitalization, technologization, new key competencies become essential within organizations. The holders of these competencies prove to be the knowmads, the new workers’ group emerging from the knowledge workers in the late 21st century.

Conceptual Atlas of the Knowmad Literature: Visual Mapping with VOSviewer

“…For the time being, the primary and most often recognized frameworks for entrepreneurship are: "being proactive", "taking risks", and "inventing". This is why, based on their basic skills, knowmads can also be considered intrapreneurial individuals or entrepreneurs within the organizations (Iliescu, 2021). Garcia (2012b) outlined a set of abilities that knowmads are considerably more likely to acquire when compared to the traditional knowledge workers after being involved in E-Conceptual Atlas of the Knowmad Literature: Visual Mapping with VOSviewer learning endeavors.…”

“…According to Iliescu (2021), to remain relevant in the increasingly competitive global knowledge market, businesses must understand the complexity of knowmad skills. In a rapidly changing and uncertain economic climate, critical thinking assists knowmads in comprehending the complexity of their mission, while strategic thinking provides them with the necessary driving power to build their destiny via creative decision-making Syrett & Devine, 2012).…”

“…After more than one decade, the knowmad topic is an engaging one, generating interest amongst researchers (Cobo & Moravec, 2011;Garcia, 2012aGarcia, , 2012bKubik, 2013;Moravec, 2008Moravec, , 2013aMoravec, , 2013bMoravec & van den Hoff, 2015;Orel, 2019Orel, , 2020Correa Arias & Garcia Hijar, 2021;Iliescu, 2021;Rosa Fernandez-Sanchez & Silva-Quiroz, 2021). Nevertheless, under the accelerated transformations witnessed during COVID-19 pandemics, with a primary effect on the work arrangements, a better understanding of the knowmadic workforce is required (Iliescu, 2021). As Bratianu and Bejinaru explain, enormous strategic knowledge gaps have been created at the organizational level during the COVID-19 crisis, "and the only way to navigate this crisis is to create emergent knowledge strategies" (2021, p. 11).…”