The central role of knowledge work in today's information economy requires inprovements in knowledge work productivity. This paper identifies asynchronous communication's role in minimizing the incidence of knowledge work disruptions. We analyze the nature of knowledge work, formulate a stage model of knowledge work, and idnetify generalized functional forms for the impact of disruptions. We syntheize these component concepts into a computational form for assessing the impact of knowledge work distruptions. using our concepts, and organization can estimate (to a level of accuracy permitted by available or estiamted data) the benefits that asynchronous communication can bring about.
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