The shift in the strategic role that knowledge plays in business is forcing business managers to actively participate in, if not lead, knowledge management for decision making. Unfortunately there are not enough generic models or even guidelines for incorporating the management of knowledge into business and especially business strategy formulation. This leads to business managers considering knowledge management as being separate from business, leading to an inability to align knowledge management goals with corporate goals. The goal of the study was therefore to investigate the interdependency between knowledge, knowledge management and business from a managerial/strategic perspective rather than from a technological perspective. This was done to supply practitioners and managers with guidelines for successful institutionalization and management of knowledge. In order to achieve this goal, research focused on the following objectives: <ul> <li>Heightening awareness of the critical role knowledge plays as a strategic corporate resource.</li> <li>Determining the issues/models/methods and perspectives available, to guide strategists in the quest to efficiently and effectively manage knowledge, within a strategic/managerial perspective.</li> <li>The progression of knowledge management maturity from a strategic/managerial perspective.</li> <li>Knowledge management’s performance in relation to the objectives and measures that determine the overall efficiency and effectiveness of an organization.</li> <li>Formulation of guidelines (a knowledge management maturity questionnaire) to aid practitioners and strategists to successfully assess knowledge management maturity.</li> </ul> Finally, to expand the research beyond purely theoretical and/or academic value, i.e. to validate all propositions made in the scholarly review as being valid and applicable in a real world scenario, the knowledge management maturity questionnaire was tested in South African industry. Although not directly supportive of the aim, the knowledge gained from conducting research in industry supply knowledge management practitioners with a baseline of data to benchmark knowledge management maturity upon. The thesis therefore concludes with a summary of the main findings of the knowledge management maturity in 86 South African-based organizations. In focusing on the evolution of strategy, it was determined that knowledge has played an enabling role in the formulation of strategies. It was proposed that the evolution of strategy will continue not by replacing previous notions, but rather by building knowledgeably upon previous thought. The proposition was made that in order to set the stage for the successful institutionalization of knowledge management, organizations should decide upon issues that are proven to lead to the implementation of a knowledge management culture. In order to ensure uniformity in the institutionalizing of these issues, it was proposed that not only should issues be encapsulated within policy, but also that the strategic management process be used to determine the priority of issues. In placing knowledge management issues, policies and strategies in a chronological order, a new maturity model was formulated to reflect the progression of knowledge management endeavours from within a strategic/managerial perspective. Differences in opinion with regard to innovation’s role as measurement criteria for knowledge management were also critically reviewed. It was found that although numerous authors support a link between knowledge management and innovation, empirical evidence is not supportive. It was argued that the link between knowledge management and innovation is blurred, primarily due to the interdependency between knowledge, strategy and knowledge management. Owing to the complex nature of managing knowledge as a strategic enabler, the argument was proposed that the sum of the input will not equal the output. It was therefore proposed that knowledge management enables strategists to formulate winning strategies. The key to determining the value of knowledge management therefore lies in the extent knowledgeable reasoning leads to organisational growth, profitability and sustainability and not purely within the amount of innovation it sparks. As mentioned earlier, building on the inductive reasoning followed in the literature review, a questionnaire of six sections, constituting 101 descriptive questions, was developed and used to empirically test the knowledge management maturity of 86 South African-based organizations. With regard to the level of knowledge management maturity reached it was found that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Information Management (IM) are fairly well institutionalised within South African industry. A large number of South African organizations still consider ICT, and especially, IM to be knowledge management. Most organizations understand the concepts and issues surrounding knowledge management. Organizations agree on the benefits of knowledge management. Findings also indicated that there are differences between the scores forwarded for small, medium, large and extra-large organizations. Also, it was found that there are significant differences between the score by the different managerial levels present within organizations. Organizations in general struggle with the successful institutionalization of formal knowledge management endeavours beyond their borders. Not only is there a strong indication that middle management (supported by senior management) hold the key to successful implementation and diffusion of knowledge management, but knowledge management maturity achievements seem to be more dependent on a deliberate, conscious and calculated managerial effort, than on factors such as organizational size, the industry competing within, number of managerial levels present and resources available such as ICT. The study not only commented on the knowledge management maturity of the 86 South African-based organizations, but also identifies the extent of maturity in South African organizations and industry groupings. It was found those organizations in the construction, building materials and mining sectors, banks and insurance, consulting, auditing, and service delivery and consumer goods and utilities were the leaders regarding knowledge management maturity. Score differences between groupings could mainly be attributed to the consistency of achievement over maturity. It was noted that sector leaders achieved higher than average scores in maturity sections, and in particular regarding the management of ICT and information, the formulation of knowledge management issues, plus policy and strategy. / Thesis (PhD(IT))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Informatics / unrestricted

This thesis explores the contemporary position of the university by examining specific elements within the current knowledge discourse. In presenting a view of the Knowledge Management (KM) movement within the discipline of Management Science this thesis supports the claims that the emerging form of knowledge within the contemporary knowledge discourse is one that relates to or is embedded within performative criteria. This draws on the work of Jean-Francois Lyotard and other ‘postmodern’ thinkers to help explain why we appear to be facing a crucial paradox, i.e. a context where multiplicity and diversity appears to be paramount and yet knowledge itself is conforming to a more stable and less volatile form. This principal paradox is explained with the use of a model of the current knowledge discourse. The contemporary position is presented as one of ‘residual reflection’, where the contestation within the discourse results in a multiplicity of knowledge claims. Inevitably the existing structure of legitimacy within the discourse assists in the validation of knowledge claims within this fluid contested environment where there has not emerged a consensus through which legitimacy can be appropriately assigned. The current knowledge discourse appears to lie within this period of residual reflection and the manifestation of this is outlined in relation to the university. In particular, the university aligns itself with the commodification of knowledge and adopts an uncritical stance in relation to the imposition of market forces within Higher Education. This supports the legitimisation of learning that is external to the university and validates such phenomena as Lifelong Learning, Experiential Learning and other forms of work-based learning. Although not entirely critical of these forms of learning, this thesis presents a cautionary view of these developments. Specifically, the discipline of education in considering the position of the university within the postmodern, often calls for it to adopt or take up the critical position, to critically engage with the trends that appear to be emerging. However, where the university can be seen to be contributing to its own loss of legitimacy there is a danger that the opportunity for the university to undertake this necessary critical engagement is itself being undermined. The university is potentially losing its opportunity to engage within the knowledge discourse in an effective way. In many respects it is contributing to its own loss of legitimacy and in doing so opens up the discourse to other elements which themselves seek legitimacy. In its open acceptance of the benefits to be gained from the uncritical acceptance of the commodification of knowledge the university is doing more than allowing different views to be aired and considered. The university is, in fact, appearing to commercially succeed at the expense of its own position within the knowledge discourse. This thesis does not attempt to support the existence of the university as an institution. In presenting the deteriorating position of the university there is accepted only a greater degree of contestation within the knowledge discourse. The need to reconcile this contestation is necessary but the outcome or the means of reconciliation are not considered here. However, the opportunity for the university to play a part in this reconciliation is not fully appreciated currently, specifically within the academic community. The many claims that the university is in crisis and facing ruin are countered by the presentation of a genuine need, essentially the need to critically engage with the dynamism being experienced within the knowledge discourse. There is assumed to be an opportunity here for the university, but this opportunity is itself being lost and the position of the university, at a time when it appears to be at its most successful, is being undermined. Importantly its own actions are contributing to its inevitable loss of legitimacy and in turn its right or opportunity to position itself as the critical arbiter within the knowledge discourse.

Knowledge is said to be the actionable human quality gained from the capacity to derive mental insight from facts that have been placed in context, analyzed, and synthesized using references of past experience, mental comparison, and consideration of consequences. Knowledge, therefore, provides the key to understanding the world around us. Managing this knowledge can become a challenge for organizations that value the worth of the knowledge of its workers. Knowledge Management (KM) is the effective and accurate management of knowledge (acquisition, creation, storage, sharing, and use) used to promote and support organizational changes that enhance an organization's ability to effectively compete. This research was built on the foundational studies of others who provided empirical evidence of the constructs of KM success and Leadership Social Power (LSP). As many models of KM success have been identified and constructs empirically shown to have an impact on that success, the need for understanding the underlying influences on these constructs becomes increasingly important. This study investigated the constructs of LSP used by organizational leaders to influence KM workers to bring about KM success. This research revealed organizations wishing to secure, improved, or maintain KM success, should ensure their leaders: 1) are committed to KM, 2) encourage quality knowledge, and 3) promote knowledge use. With three fundamental goals in mind, it was empirically demonstrated that LSP was a factor of that success and was able to predict Leadership Commitment to KM, Knowledge Use, and Knowledge Content Quality. This research empirically demonstrated each of the LSP subconstructs influence the dimensions of KM success in different ways.

Due to rapid environmental change, today's business requires a more collaborative management to ensure positive performance. One of the important means that can help firms adapt successfully to a changing environment is knowledge management. The management of information and knowledge as key to retaining competitive advantage and has recently evolved into a more strategically focused research topic for both business and academic study. Managing knowledge, however, is deemed difficult because many companies recognize the importance of their proprietary knowledge and are not willing to share it freely. Recognizing this weakness, many countries have promoted the development of regional clusters where firms can co-develop their competences and competitive advantage against the world's best competitors by sharing knowledge, resources, and innovative capabilities. Other than industrial clusters, trust is also considered an important factor in knowledge management study. Trust reduces the need to monitor others' behaviors, formalize procedures, and it lowers transaction costs. At the macro level, trust can enhance organizations' core competencies and sustain their competitive advantages through co-evolution. This may occur through the development of group collaborations, cooperative relationships, and networks. The study adopted a field survey research method and used multiple regressions as the data analysis technique. The dependent variable in the study was organizational adaptation, while the independent variables were knowledge management, trust and industrial cluster. Data were collected using survey of key informants from 943 companies. The results of the analysis suggested that knowledge management does have significant influence on organizational adaptation and both industrial cluster and trust impact on organizational learning activities. The major contribution of this study is that it offers a more holistic approach in studying knowledge management by adding a new element: knowledge applying. Moreover, this study offers an initial attempt to test industrial cluster in hopes of advancing the research in management related fields.

The thesis deals with the issue of the knowledge management and its principles. The introduction of thesis is addressed to theoretical basics of the knowledge management that is followed by the practical part. The theoretical part provides the starting point for the proposal and applications of system for the chosen company. The main aim of the practical part was to form the application for management of projects and the repository of the knowledge of the chosen company. This aim should be followed by increasing of the work efficiency and enhancing of the access to the information. The resulting application will be set up into the company workings.

As organisations and managers start to realise the strategic value of knowledge within their organisation, several attempts have been made to implement Knowledge Management (KM) within these organisations. The standard approach, which leads to the failure of KM initiatives, is to view KM as a type of technological implementation while failing to realise that the organisation needs to facilitate a KM-friendly environment. Organisations that have successfully implemented KM within their boundaries, structure and scope have developed unique and organisation-specific KM implementations, making it difficult for the success factors associated with these implementations to be transferred to other organisations. As a result, researchers and authors have attempted to develop an ontological or taxonomical mechanism that would assist in the sharing of knowledge within and across organisational boundaries. Due to the organisational specialisation of these mechanisms, these attempts have for the most part been unsuccessful. This study presents foundational work that can be used within an organisation to develop KM initiatives. By focusing on the language used by KM researchers and KM practitioners working with and practising KM within organisations, the author identified multiple terms and concepts that represent the fundamental building blocks of KM. If these building blocks are applied appropriately between different organisations, they can assist in the development of a KM initiative. The identified fundamental building blocks offer a starting point for the development of a KM initiative. As the study focuses on organisational KM needs, these building blocks may be used to implement a KM initiative that would satisfy an organisation‘s KM needs. The goal of this study is therefore to identify the fundamental building blocks of KM that, when applied constructively, would assist the KM practitioner in satisfying an organisation‘s KM needs. In order to achieve this goal, the research focused on the following objectives (as reflected in the research question, subquestions and chapter division):  To identify why there is a need for KM within organisations, and how it has been addressed in research, KM initiatives and organisations.  To clearly delineate the concepts of Knowledge, Management and KM that can be applied in relationship with the process of organisational management.  To identify organisational KM needs as linked to a generic organisation that is associated with a system interacting with its environment (gaining or losing knowledge due to the system‘s nature).  To identify KM‘s fundamental building blocks associated with the language used by KM researchers and practitioners.  To represent the identified fundamental KM building blocks that can be applied to a generic organisation to satisfy organisational KM needs. As a result of the discussion, review and study conducted for this thesis, the author found specific dimensions pertaining to the fundamental building blocks of KM that satisfy organisational needs.  It was established that there is a clear need for organisational KM in an effort to retain and manage knowledge resources to the benefit of the organisation. This highlighted the need for organisational KM, outlining possible solutions plus concerns found in previous research. It was found that although there is a need for organisational KM, this need has been poorly addressed thus far. Based on the discussion and findings in this thesis, it was found that there is a clear distinction between the concepts of Knowledge, Management and KM and it was found that KM provides support for the day-to-day management processes to which it is aligned. This highlighted the nature of Knowledge, Management and KM by redefining the construct of KM based on core considerations related to the concepts of Knowledge and Management and the critical interaction between the two.  It was found that due to the systemic nature of an organisation, knowledge dissipates into the organisational environment. KM is essential to minimise this effect. Furthermore, organisational KM needs can be satisfied by applying the fundamental building blocks of KM during the implementation of an organisational KM initiative.  After analysing the lexicon used by KM practitioners, the building blocks of KM were clearly highlighted by comparing patterns presented within the results analysed for this study.  The final objective highlights and represents the fundamental building blocks of KM that satisfy organisational KM needs as clearly identified from the language used by KM practitioners. By extending this study to the language used by KM practitioners as formulated within communities of practice in describing KM, the results of this study link directly to not only what KM theoretically appears to be, but also to how KM is viewed by people who work within the KM and knowledge environment on a day-to-day basis. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Informatics / unrestricted

Uppsatsens syfte var att undersöka hur kunskapsdelning inom en organisation påverkas när det fysiska mötet inte längre är tillgängligt. Datamaterialet för undersökningen bestod av semistrukturerade intervjuer med anställda som påbörjat sin anställning i samband med COVID-19. Respondenterna arbetade alla inom samma offentliga verksamhet. En teoretisk tematisk analys av empirin genomfördes och fem teman identifierades. Dessa teman var: tillhörighet, missförstånd, hinder, stöttepelare och kunskapsåtervinning.   Resultatet av studien visade att avsaknaden av det fysiska mötet skapade problem i respondenternas kunskapsdelning. Undersökningen visade att frånvaron av det spontana mötet ledde till kommunikativa hinder och missförstånd. Exempelvis upplevdes det svårare att veta om medarbetare förstod vad som kommunicerades då ansiktsuttryck och kroppsspråk fattades. Det var även svårt att uppleva en omfattande tillhörighet till arbetsgruppen på den digitala arbetsplatsen.

With fast developing economy today, knowledge becomes critical resource in organizations since it creates enterprises’ competitive advantages. Thus, the management of knowledge is highly valued as one of the strategic solutions to business success. In China, although the importance of knowledge management is already recognized by enterprises, its development and implementation still face constrains and obstacles. In high-tech industries, especially for IT companies, knowledge is considered as the key assets for the company to achieve higher competitiveness. Even though information technology provided good platform for knowledge management implementation in IT companies, its knowledge management influenced by various factors such as organizational culture, business process problems, interpersonal relationship and etc. As a result, knowledge management implementation ran into difficulties. The objectives of this thesis are to evaluate current knowledge management status in Chinese IT companies and then to provide possible solutions to improve the knowledge management implementation regarding the investigated results. Because of time and resource limitation, this thesis took Taobao, one of the leading IT companies in China to conduct the case study. To conduct the research, this thesis applied qualitative method. It conducted interviews of four employees in Taobao to collect data, and then use grounded theory method to analyze the results. After analysis, the thesis pointed out Taobao’s current problems of knowledge management implementation and further provided possible solutions from following aspects including understanding of knowledge management, knowledge strategy, training, top management support, knowledge management process, network of experts, knowledge sharing and trustworthy personal relationship, information technology, employee involvement and motivation, and organizational culture in order to improve knowledge management implementation in Taobao.

This study is based on the development of a new software, which is used as a recommendationtool for selecting the best product. As part of the software development has an external partnerbeen asked to assist. The report will process the expectations that different people have on anew project but also how information is communicated to an external partner.The results from this study show that a software's function is closely linked to its usability.Therefore shall usability been taken into account when a new resource is created. The study alsoshows the importance of being able to share information, on how the program will beconstituted, to someone outside the organization. / Denna studie hade sin utgångspunkt i ett utvecklingsprojekt av en mjukvara vilken skallanvändas som ett rekomendationsverktyg för att välja ut rätt produkt. Som ett led i dennautveckling har en extern part kopplats in för att hjälpa till med utvecklingen. Rapportenbehandlar bland annat vilka förväntningar olika personer har av ett nytt projekt men även hurinformation förmedlas till en extern part. Resultatet visade att ett programs funktion är starkt knuten till dess användbarhet. Därförbehövs användbarhet tas hänsyn till då en ny resurs skapas. Studien visar även på vikten av attkunna delge information om hur resursen skall vara beskaffad till partnern utanförorganisationen.

Problematisering: Inom försäkringsbranschen har en omfattande förändring nyligen skett genom införlivandet av en ny lag som ställer högre krav på hur kunskap hanteras och delas. Kunskapsdelning är en av de svåraste utmaningarna i modern tid och något som företag ofta misslyckas med. Trots detta tenderar företag att se intern kunskapsdelning som en enkel process när den i själva verket är omfattande och komplicerad och kräver mycket tid och resurser. Tidigare forskning visar på att kunskap resulterar från sociala konstruktioner och är föränderlig, snarare än statisk, samt inriktad på processer och visar på att kunskap är beroende av kontext. Det saknas dock forskning kring processerna för kunskapsdelning och även hur det går till i praktiken och denna studie ämnar att fylla den kunskapsluckan och därmed bidra med en djupare förståelse för intern kunskapsdelning i praktiken, från ett processperspektiv. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att bidra med ökad förståelse av hur ett bank- och försäkringsbolag hanterar intern kunskapsdelning efter en förändring. Metod: Studien är av kvalitativ karaktär med starka inslag från hermeneutiken och har inspirerats av en induktiv ansats med en iterativ process. Nordic Safe Insurances1 har agerat som fallföretag till studien, vilket innebär att företaget har utgjort det enskilda fallet. Detta har utgjort studiens empiri efter att fem semistrukturerade intervjuer med chefer och medarbetare med ansvar för utbildning och utveckling på fallföretaget genomförts, vilka presenteras i separata och detaljrika berättelser. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar på att kunskap delas både formellt och informellt där de formella samspelen utgör grunden för medarbetarnas beteende och syn på verksamheten och är av hög relevans för att interaktioner som sker vid de informella samspelen ska främja kunskapsdelning. Vidare visar resultatet på att ett stort ansvar för kunskapsdelning ligger hos cheferna då ett engagerat och uppmuntrande ledarskap skapar förutsättningar för att medarbetarna ska dela sin kunskap. Interaktioner spelar en övergripande och central roll för att kunskapsdelning ska kunna ske och skapandet av forum som möjliggör detta är därmed av högsta relevans. / Background: In the insurance industry, a change has recently occurred through the incorporation of a new law that has resulted in higher demands on how knowledge is managed and shared. Knowledge sharing is one of the most difficult challenges of modern times and something that companies often fail to address. Despite this, companies tend to see internal knowledge sharing as a simple process when in fact it is extensive and complicated and requires a great amount of time and resources. Previous research shows that knowledge results from social constructs and is changeable, rather than static, and focuses on processes and shows that knowledge is dependent on context. Research on knowledge sharing processes and how it is shared in practice is lacking and this study aims to fill that knowledge gap and thus contribute with a deeper understanding of internal knowledge sharing in practice, from a process perspective. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute with an increased understanding of how an insurance company handles internal knowledge sharing after a change. Methodology: The study is of a qualitative nature with strong elements from the hermeneutic perspective and has been inspired by an inductive approach with an iterative process. Nordic Safe Insurances2 has acted as a case company for the study, which means that the company constitutes the individual case. This constitutes the empirical study after five semi-structured interviews with managers and employees responsible for training and development at Nordic Safe Insurances, which are presented in separate and detailed stories. Conclusion: The study’s result show that knowledge is shared both formally and informally, where formal interplay form the basis for employees’ behavior and views of the business and are of high relevance for interactions that occur at informal interplay to promote knowledge sharing. Furthermore, the result shows that a great responsibility for knowledge sharing lies with the managers as a committed and encouraging leadership creates the conditions for employees to share their knowledge. Interactions play an overall and central role for knowledge sharing to take place and the creation of forums that enables is are of utmost relevance.