Concepts of workplace knowledge

This chapter introduces and draws upon the other papers in this volume to address the issue of how task performance is achieved in workplace settings and the extent to which the knowledge needed for task performance is generic (that is, transcends workplace settings). Specific questions involving the mutual interaction of task performance, knowledge use, and people and artifacts are raised. The questions are then explored from a variety of theoretical frameworks, including cultural historical activity theory, cognitive theory, and socio-cultural and socio-linguistic theories.