Work group knowledge requirements for desktop computing

The authors examine the characteristics of the knowledge that office workers require to make effective use of desktop computers, why it is problematic to acquire this knowledge, and ways in which knowledge difficulties are overcome. In an exploratory case study of a high-level secretarial support group successfully using a typical desktop computer configuration, it is found that in spite of considerable experience in computer use and the availability of good external technical support, group members frequently encountered situations where their knowledge was inadequate. They dealt with these persistent knowledge interruptions primarily through an informal collaborative network within the group.<
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