Information overload or information famine, data smog, messaging and communication technologies such as e-mail and voice mail just add to the rising problem of knowledge worker stress. As human capital inputs to business production processes, what they know, and how they act on what they know, is arguably one of the key sources of sustainable competitive advantage. The knowledge worker is a critical link in the knowledge value chain. The knowledge worker is a vital resource for nurturing loyal and enduring relationships with important customers. The knowledge worker is not just an expense item on the balance sheet as in industrial age metrics, but an investment in a firm's intellectual capital and brain power.
People are indeed a company's greatest asset.
However human capital assets go home every night and voluntarily come back in the morning, carrying what they know. Much of this knowledge and intellect is in the form of hard to articulate tacit knowledge and experience. Corporations have to create environments for knowledge workers that elicit their passion and commitment. Management needs to truly honour and value what they contribute. They need to support informal communities of knowledge workers that collaborate and learn together.