Since the 1990s, Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) have been largely unsuccessful in the collection of tacit knowledge. The process, whether through direct input by the holder of the tacit knowledge or through an intermediary such as the collection of tacit knowledge through interviews and videos, has not succeeded. Reasons encompass the organizational (such as culture of the organization), the technological (example: poor tools), and the individual (example: knowledge is power, i.e. where experts with rare knowledge results in knowledge hoarding instead of transfer). The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that tacit knowledge could be successfully and consistently collected from the participants themselves and placed into a KMS using a storytelling-based approach. This study extended past research that collected stories for KMS’ using interviews and videos by having participants directly entering their data, as stories, into a KMS. This was a new approach and it was posited that having participants use stories to enter their tacit knowledge themselves into a KMS would overcome their reluctance to provide tacit knowledge thus overcoming barriers to providing tacit knowledge into a KMS The validation methodology was based upon three elements: the deep-dive research element, the issues and solution element, and the dissertation proposition element. The deep-dive research element was the extensive research for the study into knowledge management, storytelling, and other various methods for collection of tacit knowledge. The issues and solution element consisted of issues about tacit knowledge that were identified from the deep-dive research element, i.e. general arguments constructed about knowledge management which were backed by data from research into knowledge management systems and storytelling. Theoretical solutions to the issues regarding the capture of tacit knowledge were then constructed which included the storytelling-based approach and a KMS framework for the collection of tacit knowledge. Lastly was the dissertation proposition element which consisted of a thorough analysis of the survey data against each of the dissertation propositions. There were three propositions. Proposition 1 was sharing of knowledge and the storytelling-based approach. Proposition 2 was about the framework, the scenarios, guiding questions, and Communities of Practice (CoP), and Proposition 3 was about participant knowledge and interaction with forums. Each proposition was evaluated independently. The study was successful and validated propositions 1 and 2. For proposition 1, 81% of the participants responded positively to the eight study questions directed towards this proposition. For all eight questions across all 21 participants, the mean was 29.952 against a target test mean of 24 with a range of 27.538-32.367. For proposition 2, 76.19% of participants scored this section positive. For all six questions across all 21 participants, the mean was 23 against a target test mean of 18 with a range of 21.394-24.606. However, the results for proposition 3 were inconclusive and must be considered a failure. Most of the respondents either scored ‘no change’ to at least 50% of the questions or they stated they had never been to a forum. For all four questions across all 21 participants, the mean was 12.905 against a target mean of 12 with a range of 11.896-13.914. Based upon propositions 1 and 2, the null hypothesis was disproved. Participants liked the storytelling-based approach, providing their tacit knowledge, and they liked the framework.

Some problems confronted by managers include ill-formulated wicked planning problems, a type of problem that is difficult to solve because, in part, it is difficult to know what the problem is. The Churchmanian Knowledge Management Systems (CKMS) (Richardson & Courtney, 2004) is comprised of design principles for aiding system designers, managers, and clients who make decisions pertaining to these ill-formulated wicked planning problems. Problemography theory is proposed as a method for developing a CKMS. The method aims to measure CKMS development by using development tools that enables stakeholders and theoreticians to clarify CKMS development. A study was conducted to test a proof-of-concept development tool. The tool tested is a proposed list of processes that occur during CKMS development, processes derived from Churchman's (1971) Singerian inquiring systems theory. A gap analysis was performed whereby the proposed processes were compared with the processes found during a case study of people confronting issues related to the 'wicked' problem of Florida's invasive plant problem. A second study was conducted to explore possible design principles for developing a CKMS. Two proposed design principles, Every Person Principle and Connectedness Caretaker Principle, were used to develop a Describe a Wicked Problem Inquiring System (DAWP), a Web site which aims to enable inquirers to confront wicked problems. Participants in the study formulated problems related to Florida's native plants and suggested potential solutions. Using Wengraf's (2001) theory-driven qualitative research, interviews with participants were analyzed and the results suggest that the Web site being developed enabled the consideration of the ethical ramifications of knowledge.

Purpose - The primary aim of this study is to explore the intricacies of knowledge management within theframework of large-scale digital and agile projects. This was undertaken within the context of a specificmanufacturing project referred to as 'Project X'. The project provided an opportunity to delve into the processesof knowledge creation, sharing, and utilization, and to identify the barriers of these processes, creating a morecomprehensive understanding of the subject. Method - An abductive exploratory single case study approach was employed, focusing on Company X as thesingle case company. The study utilized a combination of data collection methods, including document analysisand qualitative interviews. The interviews were conducted in three waves: exploratory, semi-structured, andvalidatory. The data obtained from the interviews and document analysis were analysed using thematic analysisand content analysis. Findings - The study found that knowledge creation is impeded by lack of communication and managingresources. Knowledge sharing was hindered by a changing project landscape and the lack of 'knowledgechampions'. Knowledge utilization was found to be affected by lack of structure, internal resistance to change,and a lack of knowledge repository. Theoretical contribution - This study contributes to the knowledge management literature by providing insightsinto the complexities of managing knowledge within the context of digital and agile projects in the manufacturingindustry. It underscores the pivotal role of communication, resource management, and organizational culture ineffective knowledge management and opens new avenues to explore and understand these areas. Managerial implications - From a practical standpoint, this study underscores the need for organizations toprioritize effective communication and resource management in the pursuit of effective knowledge management.Organizations should work towards creating a favourable environment for knowledge sharing and strive to bridgeknowledge gaps through structured storage and retrieval of information. The findings also provide a prioritycharting of recommendations to onset barriers based on value and effort. Limitations and future research - While this study provides important insights into knowledge management indigital and agile projects, it is not without limitations. It was confined to a single project within onemanufacturing company, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research should consider alarger sample size, spanning different companies and industries. Additionally, further exploration of the role oforganizational culture and the dynamics of change resistance in knowledge management would be beneficial.

To increase competitive advantage, organizations are developing how they manage internalknowledge. This has been tackled by implementing various Knowledge Management Systems,which have been developed based on the needs of specific teams and/or latest trends. Suchapproach is problematic since it does not take into consideration what the users currentKnowledge Management practices are, nor if the system is relevant for a larger mass.The purpose of this thesis is to identify what requirements from users, regarding content andfeatures, are relevant to focus on when designing a Knowledge Management System, targetedtowards knowledge intensive businesses. To examine this, an exploratory research approachhas been applied on a global Information and Communication Technology (ICT) company.100 semi-structured interviews were conducted, with employees located at various globallocations and with varying job roles, in order to get a detailed picture of the user requirementson a Knowledge Management System. The interviews were later sorted and analysed by usingthe Technology Acceptance Model, and quantified by calculating the frequency count on thedifferent requirements. The findings were later reduced, based on their generalizability, inorder to facilitate a list of user requirements that are relevant to focus on, when constructing aknowledge management system for a knowledge intensive business.The results show that there are several aspects to consider in the creation of a KnowledgeManagement System, meant for a knowledge intensive business. The majority of these aspectsare related to increased findability of relevant & updated document and colleagues, receiveinformation about internal operations and lessons learnt from previous projects. Examples ofthese requirements are a semantic search engine, news feed and interconnected repositories.

<p>This thesis deals with the importance of managing employees’ thoughts and feelings in relation to organisational learning. To visualise and to identify affections within organisations is of major importance since most of our actions and the decisions we make are steered by our emotions rather than rational thinking.</p><p>In this work we show that employees’ thoughts and feelings can be managed by implementing the cognitive therapeutic process into the organisational setting. In comparison to the more traditional way of managing problems within organisations, i.e. the two activities of problem identification and problem solving, the cognitive therapeutic process also addresses the importance of identifying associated feelings and underlying automatic thoughts in relation to an occurrence or a situation.</p><p>Consequently, the overall purpose of this thesis has been to develop an approach for improving the quality of organisational learning processes which should stimulate employees’ contribution and facilitate the identification of their thoughts and feelings in relation to their work. As a result, ‘The Affect Based Learning Matrix’ (TABLe MATRIX) was developed. TABLe MATRIX can be used either in a paper-based or in a Web-based format and identifies and analyses individuals’ affections in relation to an organisational occurrence or change, a subject or a problem. Our empirical investigations show that TABLe MATRIX contributes to improving the output of organisational learning processes since unspoken negative emotions make people passive in finding new solutions. TABLe MATRIX has been evaluated by interviewing thirteen operational development representatives within eight different branches and also by testing the paper-based version at two large organisations within retail fast moving consumer goods and within education.</p>

This thesis deals with the importance of managing employees’ thoughts and feelings in relation to organisational learning. To visualise and to identify affections within organisations is of major importance since most of our actions and the decisions we make are steered by our emotions rather than rational thinking. In this work we show that employees’ thoughts and feelings can be managed by implementing the cognitive therapeutic process into the organisational setting. In comparison to the more traditional way of managing problems within organisations, i.e. the two activities of problem identification and problem solving, the cognitive therapeutic process also addresses the importance of identifying associated feelings and underlying automatic thoughts in relation to an occurrence or a situation. Consequently, the overall purpose of this thesis has been to develop an approach for improving the quality of organisational learning processes which should stimulate employees’ contribution and facilitate the identification of their thoughts and feelings in relation to their work. As a result, ‘The Affect Based Learning Matrix’ (TABLe MATRIX) was developed. TABLe MATRIX can be used either in a paper-based or in a Web-based format and identifies and analyses individuals’ affections in relation to an organisational occurrence or change, a subject or a problem. Our empirical investigations show that TABLe MATRIX contributes to improving the output of organisational learning processes since unspoken negative emotions make people passive in finding new solutions. TABLe MATRIX has been evaluated by interviewing thirteen operational development representatives within eight different branches and also by testing the paper-based version at two large organisations within retail fast moving consumer goods and within education.

To seize and make use of knowledge in organizations is important for their competitiveness, amongst other things. To do this is, however, not entirely straightforward and therefore the use of so called knowledge management systems is common. There are different kinds of systems for managing knowledge, for example systems that are known as traditional knowledge management systems. However, a number of difficulties and problems with the traditional knowledge management systems has led to the usage of other systems, for example wikis, for knowledge management. We have, in this thesis, studied the role of a wiki as a knowledge management system in a distributed software development team. We have also studied how a wiki can relate to a traditional knowledge management system. A case study was conducted and five software developers were interviewed. The study showed that the usage of wikis can be versatile and that there are both similarities and differences to traditional knowledge management systems, both regarding the use and the content. The study also showed that wikis and traditional knowledge management systems can be used combined. The conclusions of the study shows that both wikis and traditional knowledge management systems can support and facilitate the management and dispersion of knowledge in organizations. / Att kunna ta vara på kunskap som finns inom organisationer och omsätta denna är viktigt bland annat för organisationers konkurrenskraft. Att göra detta är dock inte helt enkelt och därför tar man ofta hjälp av så kallade kunskapshanteringssystem. Det finns olika typer av system för att hantera kunskap, exempelvis de som benämns som traditionella kunskapshanteringssystem. Ett antal svårigheter och problem med dessa system har lett till att man börjat använda andra system för kunskaphantering, exempelvis wikis. I denna uppsats har vi undersökt en wikis roll som kunskapshanteringssystem inom ett distribuerat mjukvaruutvecklingsteam. Vi har även undersökt hur wikis förhåller sig till traditionella kunskapshanteringssystem. För att undersöka detta genomfördes en fallstudie där fem mjukvaruutvecklare intervjuades. Studien visade att användningen av wikis kan vara mångsidig och att det finns både likheter och skillnader med traditionella kunskapshanteringssystem, både gällande användningen och dess innehåll. Det visade sig också att wikis och traditionella kunskapshanteringssystem kan användas samverkande. Slutsatserna visar att både wikis och traditionella kunskapshanteringssystem kan vara ett stöd och underlätta hanteringen och spridningen av kunskap i organisationer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how knowledge retention may be enhanced at the University of Zambia (UNZA). A mixed research methodology was employed in the case study design. Data was collected using interviews and questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to determine participants for the interviews while stratified random sampling was employed for the questionnaire respondents. Out of a population of 435 a sample of 205 was surveyed. The response rate was 60 %. Findings indicate that UNZA lacked a number of knowledge retention practices that can enable it to retain operational relevant knowledge. In view of these findings, the study concluded by recommending guidelines for the adoption of various knowledge retention practices that could be embedded into UNZA's knowledge management policy. / Information Science / M.A. (Information Science)

Thesis(MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / The objectives of this research were as follows: • To develop a knowledge management diagnostic tool that can be used to evaluate the status of knowledge management initiatives from both a technology and a people perspective, • To conduct a pilot study using a convenience sample of 35 students from the Afrikaans Modular Masters of Business Administration course at the University of Stellenbosch in order to test this diagnostic tool for measurement reliability and validity, and • To present and discuss the results of the pilot study. A knowledge management diagnostic tool based on Bukowitz and Williams (2000) Knowledge Management Diagnostic was developed. The diagnostic tool consisted of seven section scales, each evaluating a step in Bukowitz and Williams (2000) knowledge management process. Each section scale contained ten items and responses to items were scored using s seven-point Likert scale. Correlation calculations, factor analyses and item analyses were conducted for each scale in order to test for measurement reliability and validity. A comparison of means between respondent group variables was also conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests. The Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney comparison of means revealed no significant differences in total scores on the knowledge management diagnostic tool between groups. However, the fact that a convenience sample rather than a random sample was used, and the sample size was limited (n=35) indicates that these results may not be conclusive. Notwithstanding the small, non-random sample used in this pilot study, the results of the correlation calculations, factor analyses and item analyses indicated that the scales had satisfactory internal consistency reliability and an examination of the items that loaded against each factor indicated that the scales displayed face validity. In the light of these results, recommendations for further research using a larger, random sample were therefore presented. In addition, items were recommended for deletion in order to improve internal consistency reliability

Bakgrund och problem: Lärande inom organisationer har effekt på hur organisationer hanterar förändring och anpassar sin organisation för en förbättrad effektivitet, vilket kan leda till konkurrensfördelar. Det är intressant att se på ideella organisationer och deras lärande funktion då organisationsformen skiljer sig från den privata sektorn där företag i större utsträckning arbetar med lärande mer strukturellt medan ideella organisationer ofta baserar sin lärande funktion på lösa samtal. Vår undersökning tar avstamp från detta och mer specifikt i den ideella organisationen KFUM Sverige. Eftersom det är en organisation som sysslar med en rad olika aktiviteter har vi valt att smala av undersökningsområdet till de basketföreningar som har koppling till KFUM. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur KFUM arbetar som lärande organisation och hur de lokala KFUM-basketföreningarna har arbetat för att öka medlemsantalet. Potentiellt kan vi få en bild av hur en ideell organisation arbetar som en lärande organisation och huruvida de tar tillvara på intern kunskapsförmedling mellan sina underföreningar. Metod: Vår studie grundar sig i en djupare förståelse för dels människors agerande men även rutiner och arbetssätt inom olika föreningar, valde vi att genomföra intervjuer med personer från basketföreningar med KFUM-anknytning samt en intervju med personen som arbetar som kommunikationsansvarig hos KFUM Sverige, vars arbetsuppgifter behandlar kommunikation med KFUM:s föreningar i hela Sverige. Resultat och slutsats: Efter genomförd studie kan vi dra slutsatserna att KFUM:s basketföreningar är förändringsbenägna och de arbetar som lärande organisationer på individuell nivå men att KFUM Sverige, på nationell nivå, har brister i sin lärande förmåga. Vi anser att detta skulle kunna förbättras genom införande av system som gynnar kunskapsdelning och att organisationen i sig behöver arbeta för att förbättra sin organisatoriska identitet då detta är ett sätt för organisationen att få en organisationskultur som främjar lärande mellan de lokala föreningarna.