Who owns my soul? The paradox of pursuing organizational knowledge in a work culture of individualism

A meta-analysis of themes resulting from some human resource studies of information professionals is contrasted with trends in IT worker human resource management in order to highlight an apparent paradox in the path toward organizational knowledge management. Findings from three studies of information sector workers in Europe and America are contrasted with data from a recent information technology workforce convocation conducted in the United States in order to focus attention on the paradox in the movement toward knowledge management and organizational productivity. On the one hand, the human resource studies document the shift in focus from individual productivity to organizational productivity as the means to competitive success. Hence, the management of organizational knowledge has become paramount. At the same time, however, the hiring practices of information sector employers - as brought out at the IT workforce convocation - are encouraging employees to focus on individual rather than organizational gain. In order for firms to reap the benefits of their intellectual assets this paradox must be addressed.