The aim of this study was to develop a substantive theory for leading a change process towards achieving synergy between the business units of a globally diver-sified organisation. A modernist qualitative research methodology was followed. Casing was employed as research design. Grounded theory as proposed by Strauss and Corbin (1998) was applied as research strategy. Twenty seven employees were selected as research participants by means of purposive sampling. All the participants were selected on the basis of their in-volvement in synergy activities in the Company. In-depth interviews and re-quested essays were used as data collection methods to explore the twenty seven participants’ experiences with synergy. Two focus group interviews were addition-ally used as data collection methods. The nine participants in the first focus group interview were members of a regional synergy committee. The other focus group consisted of three executives of the Company. Participant observation was em-ployed as another data collection method during the focus group meetings as well as at one video conference on the establishment of a forum for recruitment and selection in the Company in which seven employees participated. The data was analysed by utilising the grounded theory methodology. After the conclusion of the data analysis phase, the first order constructs and re-lated concepts to synergy were further explored in the literature. A substantive theory for leading a change process towards achieving synergy was developed by aligning the conditional/ consequential matrix of Strauss & Corbin (1998) and the S-O-R theory of Partington (2000). Despite shortcomings the aim of the study was achieved. The study contributed to the development of theory, methodology and also contributed on a practical level. Recommendations for further research conclude the dissertation. / Prof. Willem Schurink Prof. Gert Roodt

In the new economy customers are becoming more demanding, therefore organizations should embrace services as excellent opportunities to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Internal marketing is a tool that service organizations can utilize to ensure that they build a sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace. Organizations who successfully want to improve and implement internal marketing need to identify employees’ perceptions and expectations on the concepts of services, organizational capital, and communication within the organization. The internal marketing challenge is not an easy one. It is an ongoing process through which organizations have to change operational procedures and convince management and employees to alter their behaviour and beliefs. Organizations which succeed internally will excel externally. / Prof. C.J. Jooste

Fundamental changes in the global economy are changing the basis of organisational competitive advantage. The challenge in attaining a competitive advantage is characterised by factors such as increased competition, market volatility, geographically dispersed operations, customer awareness, raising workforce diversity and stringent regulatory regimes. These factors have driven, and in turn have been driven by, an increasing complexity of products, services and the processes that create value, resulting in changes in the structural and functional dimensions of the organisation. Business executives and academics recognise the shift in value creating assets from the traditional land, labour and capital to intangible assets such as knowledge and information becoming the most important resources an organisation can muster.The combination and integration of intangible assets such as human resources, structural and relational resources has been grouped under the umbrella of intellectual capital. This study comprises of a single descriptive case study analysis to ascertain how intellectual capital is managed strategically to gain a competitive advantage in an organisation in the banking and financial services sector in Zambia. Based on document review and semi-structured interviews, this thesis investigated the extent to which an organisation in the banking and financial services sector in Zambia leveraged intellectual capital to gain competitive advantage. In this study it was found that there is a low level appreciation of the intellectual capital phenomenon as a strategic management tool in the participating organisation. However, the organisation has adopted aspects of intellectual capital and has implemented them successfully accounting for the organisation‘s competitive edge in the market.

Background: Companies operate in a dynamic and challenging business environment with a constant battle to become and stay competitive and achieve sustainable growth. The business environment has transformed rapidly in the past decade due to major globalization and internationalization processes, which have created a demand for mapping and understanding business value and core competences. Parting from the traditional, the focus within companies and research is shifting from tangible assets to human capital, such as knowledge, as the primary competitive resource. Knowledge is a concept that is both complex and volatile. Knowledge emerges and develops through processes of each individual and also from individuals merging together into groups – making it hard to manage. Sadly, without proper management of such resources and processes, it is competitive advantage cannot be exerted. Nowadays, most companies can be identified as knowledge intensive firms, where competitive advantage is related to the ability to create and apply new knowledge through mergers and acquisitions. For about 3 decades, researchers, governments and companies have been trying to develop methods to evaluate and measure intangible assets, but there is a lack of research on how it is done in reality.                                                 Purpose: The purpose of the study is to investigate Swedish holding companies’ approach to working with intangible assets, primarily knowledge; investigating the way it is leveraged and used in the holding structure to create knowledge as a competitive resource across the entire corporation.   Method: A qualitative research is used with a sample of 10 Swedish holding companies varying in size, structure and sector in order to test a proposed integrative model formulated on theory. Purposive sampling is used for participant selection based on personal networks.   Conclusion: Firstly, we found that the majority of the Swedish holding companies do not have a method for evaluating intangible assets in general. In the event of mergers and acquisitions, on the other hand, human capital is emphasized as a main factor for decision making. From the managerial point of view, there is an elevating need for developing a systematic approach to assess human capital when acquiring new subsidiaries, primarily in order to understand the value and context of knowledge. Secondly, Swedish holding companies have internal structures and work-approaches to identify key persons within the newly acquired subsidiaries and transfer their knowledge to the mother company. Furthermore, they try to maintain and create knowledge by investing on education and leadership, but in general, knowledge management is done subconsciously. Therefore, the general finding of this research is that the concept of knowledge management is in the beginning of its lifetime and there is a clear need to put more managerial emphasis on restructuring processes.

This thesis reports on an exploratory study to see to what extent an instrument could be developed to measure the strategically innovative environment of life assurance organisations in Southern Africa. This instrument was applied to a number of life assurance organisations in Southern Africa and the results plotted on a four quadrant matrix, developed for this study, to illustrate to what extent certain variables could contribute in establishing a strategically innovative environment. The main contribution of this study is to explain the interaction between the knowledge economy, intellectual capital, the corporate curriculum, learning theory and strategic innovation. This study argues that the interaction between these components is key in developing human capital which in turn is an important component of strategic innovation. Furthermore, the instrument developed for this study can be used to evaluate other organisations, thus ultimately assisting them in becoming strategically innovative as well. It was found that life assurance organisations in Southern Africa could be regarded as moderately strategically innovative. The degree of strategic innovation varies according to the presence and integration of certain variables set out for the organisation. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Information Science / unrestricted

Knowledge is now regarded as the most important resource surpassing other resources like land and capital. It is a foregone conclusion that knowledge flows out of organizations through various ways such as resignations, retirement and death yet, it does not seem as if organizations are employing strategies to retain such a vital component of production and service delivery. This study investigated the knowledge retention strategies in three Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) public broadcasting organizations of the South African Broadcasting Corporation in South African (SABC), the Department of Broadcasting Services (DBS) in Botswana and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) in Zimbabwe. The aim of this study was to establish how knowledge is captured and retained at such organizations. The objectives of the study were; to find out the types of strategies the three broadcasting organizations employ to capture and retain knowledge; establish how the three broadcasting organizational cultures enable knowledge acquisition, transfer, sharing and retention; establish the role of ICTs as tools and enablers of knowledge retention, creation, transfer and sharing in the three broadcasting organizations; and to propose recommendations on the best strategies for retention of knowledge in the three public broadcasting organizations as well as suggest areas for further and future research. v The study used the survey method and employed the triangulation design for data gathering. Data were collected from three SADC public broadcasting organizations. The population sample comprised 240 professional staff including 38 managers from different sections of the broadcasting organizations. The researcher collected data by administering a questionnaire to staff, interviews with managers and observations. Documentary analysis was also conducted in order to supplement data and fill in gaps. The researcher was mainly interested in gathering data that would give a comprehensive picture about knowledge retention methods in broadcasting organizations. There were four main findings. First, knowledge management as a relatively new concept and practice has not yet been properly embraced in the public broadcasting organization system in order to capture and retain knowledge that is acquired and generated in the organizations. There are no measures put in place in the organizations to retain the knowledge to ensure that once those who hold vital tacit knowledge are gone, the knowledge may still be available and accessible. Second, the study established that the respective organizational cultures impede on organizational knowledge retention. The study established that there was no culture of knowledge sharing. It also emerged that employees were not free to share their knowledge because of government regulations, prevailing political contexts, mistrust and general lack of incentive to share knowledge. Third, the study established that the organizations have no strategies or systems in place to capture the experts‟ knowledge or the knowledge of experienced staff and vi those approaching retiring age. The Human Resources Departments hold exit interviews that cover issues purely to do with why the person is leaving the organization instead of recording the work experiences and expertise of the departing employees. Fourth, the study revealed that the public broadcasting organizations still lag behind in collaborative and communicative technologies that facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing of tacit knowledge but retention of knowledge generally. The study also found that, some of the organizations studied did not have internet connectivity and websites were not yet functional, which hampered acquisition and sharing of knowledge for retention purposes. The importance of this study is that it has made a contribution and provided literature on knowledge retention strategies for public broadcasting corporations as part of knowledge management practice. On the basis of these findings the study recommended the following: appointment of knowledge management officers, establishment of Communities of Practice, encouraging knowledge sharing between employees, introduction of joint programmes with other broadcasting organizations by managers and their supervision of mentoring programmes; organizations to facilitate acquisition of information and communication technologies that enable knowledge management

My thesis is focused on assessment of evolution of knowledge management systems and specifically on deployment of wiki technology for knowledge management in consulting company Efficio ltd.

Hospitals, like other knowledge-intensive organizations are today more dependent than ever before on intellectual capital (IC). lC consists of non-physical sources of knowledge used for value creation for key stakeholders. It comprises of human, structural and relational capital and becomes more often the key point for sustainable competitive advantage. The respective value is generally not reflected in the balance sheet. Indeed there are possibilities to disclose information on IC in supplementary or annual reports in order to reduce the lack of information on value drivers. The German hospital market is in a significant transition and trends of privatization, consolidation and a rising need for external capital become apparent. This increases the necessity for determination of a hospitals' value and key value drivers. The aim of the present thesis is to answer the questions of how IC in hospitals is measured and the how the information is disclosed to answer consequently the question if the analyzed tools can show the added value gained by IC. Finally, the analysis should find an answer on whether the reports can influence the valuation of hospitals and create a positive effect. The study is based on data gathered by five external available reports of national and international hospitals comprising information IC. The analysis includes both an examination of extent and quality of IC disclosure through the usage of content analysis and a disclosure index derived from previous studies and aligned to the special field of interest. Additionally, the reports were analyzed whether or not certain requirements set by financial analysts for valuation are met. The results show that IC disclosure in hospitals can be provided with or without making use of frameworks for IC reporting, or by including the information in annual reports. The majority of information is disclosed in a qualitative narrative way what brings the limitation, that only an indirect derivation of value drivers and the contribution to business success of the hospitals is possible. Theoretically, in all cases the information asymmetry between hospitals and the financial experts could be decreased, which would consequently lead to a more appropriate determination of the hospitals' value.

Knowledge management is a prerequisite for eBusiness and its increasing client centric focus. To operate in an eBusiness environment, an organisation has to have a good command of knowledge on its markets, customers, products and services, methods and processes, competitors, employee skills and its regulatory environment. This is due to the fact that organisations can, with the advent of eBusiness, do business electronically, seamlessly across the globe, via the Internet and via intranets, which has caused an explosion of the richness and reach of information and knowledge. Knowledge management systems are now essential to ensure that value is extracted from knowledge internal and external to the organisation. eBusiness also broadens an organisation’s customer base due to the possibility of operating globally through electronic means. Customer relationship management in the global and digital economy has therefore forced organisations to rethink the ways in which they build relationships with a broadened customer base. Customer relationships cannot take place without knowledge management. To enable organisations to become more efficient and effective in delivering products and services to customers, knowledge on customers will have to be managed to ensure that the services organisations provide are those that will address customer needs. To date the role of knowledge management in eBusiness and customer relationship management has not been formally defined. It is critical for organisations to understand the role of knowledge management in eBusiness and customer relationship management to enable them to manage and leverage knowledge as a corporate asset that supports the organisation’s business strategy and operating model, and therefore the execution of the strategic intent of the business. This study defines the nature of the role of knowledge management in eBusiness and customer relationship management and secondly the value that knowledge management can add to eBusiness and customer relationship management. It tests the validity of this role and value proposition of knowledge management in eBusiness and customer relationship management, as defined by the researcher, in the South African context. Questionnaires were sent to large South African corporates where knowledge management has been implemented. The Diagnostic Management Application Profile (DMAP) tool was customized for this purpose. Respondents of the questionnaires cover a variety of South African Industries, including insurance, banking, telecommunications and professional services. This study makes a contribution to the understanding of the inherent nature of knowledge management, as concept in its own right, or as concept within a eBusiness or customer relationship environment. This study also contributes in understanding how knowledge management is perceived and applied in the South African market, given the advent of eBusiness and customer relationship management. The final contribution that this study makes is in understanding that knowledge management in South Africa has its own unique challenges, e.g. with reference to literacy levels and level of technology application, and that knowledge management programmes cannot be carbon copies from systems and programmes in Europe and the USA. / Thesis (DPhil (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Information Science / unrestricted

Esta tese tem como objetivo principal verificar a influência do Capital Intelectual na Capacidade Absortiva das empresas, bem como da Capacidade Absortiva (ACAP) na inovação. O argumento teórico desta tese tem como base a Visão Baseada em Recursos, onde pressupõe-se que conjuntos de recursos intangíveis, como o Capital Intelectual, são mobilizados pelas firmas através de capacidades dinâmicas, como a Capacidade Absortiva do conhecimento, levando as empresas a resultados, tais como inovação de produtos. O estudo justifica-se pelas contribuições teóricas, metodológicas e práticas que pretende aportar para as áreas de gestão do conhecimento e inovação, permitindo compreender melhor os conceitos, bem como as interrelações entre eles. Inicialmente realizou-se estudo exploratório com 12 empresas, a partir de uma abordagem qualitativa, visando ampliar os conhecimentos sobre o ambiente pesquisado e proporcionar uma estruturação mais robusta do questionário. Posteriormente, o estudo quantitativo abrangeu 500 indústrias gaúchas de portes, intensidades tecnológicas e setores variados. A partir do método de modelagem de equações estruturais, o exame dos índices de ajustamento e sua significância estatística confirmaram a validade de todos os construtos e do modelo. Também serviu para a sustentação ou refutação das hipóteses do estudo. A partir das evidências, pode-se concluir que o Capital Intelectual influencia a Capacidade Absortiva, mas os elementos que o compõe refletem de modo diferente nas dimensões da ACAP. As capacidades de Aquisição, Assimilação e Exploração do conhecimento são influenciadas de forma mais contundente pelo Capital Organizacional, seguido pelo Capital Humano. A capacidade de Transformação do conhecimento é influenciada de forma equilibrada pelo Capital Organizacional e Humano, e de forma mais moderada pelo Capital Social. Por sua vez, a Capacidade Absortiva influencia a inovação, sendo que cada dimensão impacta de modo diverso. Aquisição e Exploração do conhecimento influenciam de modo mais intenso, e Transformação do conhecimento de forma mais moderada. A validação dos construtos apresenta-se como contribuição relevante, pois demonstra empiricamente a validade dos conceitos teóricos e apresenta avanços metodológicos para a mensuração dos mesmos a partir do desenvolvimento de escalas e de um modelo integrado, servindo a acadêmicos e gestores. Especificamente para o setor industrial, esta pesquisa contribui para traçar um perfil do desenvolvimento de seus recursos intangíveis, das capacidades relacionadas ao conhecimento, de suas atividades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento, bem como dos resultados relacionados à inovação. Esta caracterização pode servir de parâmetro de comparação tanto para as empresas, como para os gestores públicos definirem políticas de incentivo à inovação. Novas pesquisas em diferentes setores e países poderão aprofundar as relações entre estes construtos, bem como incluir fatores externos e a relação específica com inovação incremental e radical. / This thesis aims to investigate the influence of Intellectual Capital on Absorptive Capacity of firms, as well as the influence of Absorptive Capacity on innovation. The theoretical argument of this thesis is based on the Resource Based View, which assumes that sets of intangible assets such as Intellectual Capital are mobilized by firms through dynamic capabilities such as knowledge Absorptive Capacity, leading to results such as product innovation. The study is justified by theoretical, methodological and practices in the areas of knowledge management and innovation, enabling a better understanding of concepts, as well as the interrelationships between them. Using the qualitative approach, an exploratory study was initially performed with 12 companies aiming to expand the knowledge about the environment researched and to provide a more robust structure to the questionnaire. Subsequently, the quantitative study covered 500 industries in southern Brazil of different sizes, sectors and technological intensities. Using the method of structural equation modeling, the examination of adjustment indexes and statistical significance confirmed the validity of all the constructs and model. It also served to support or refute the hypotheses of the study. Given the evidences, it can be concluded that the Intellectual Capital influences Absorptive Capacity, but the elements that compose the Intellectual Capital reflect differently on the dimensions of ACAP. The capabilities of Acquisition, Assimilation and Exploitation of knowledge are influenced more decisively by Organizational Capital, followed by Human Capital. The ability of Transformation of knowledge is influenced evenly by Organizational and Human Capital, and more moderately by Social Capital. In turn, the Absorptive Capacity influences innovation, and each of its dimension has a different impact. Knowledge Acquisition and Exploitation have a more intense influence, and knowledge Transformation has a moderate one. The validation of the constructs is presented as a relevant contribution, it empirically demonstrates the validity of the theoretical concepts and presents methodological advances in its measurement, from scales and development of an integrated model, serving to academics and managers. Primarily for the industrial sector, this research helps to draw a profile of the development of its intangible assets, related to the knowledge of their research and development, as well as results related to innovation capabilities. This characterization can serve as a benchmark both for businesses and for public administrators helping them to define policies to encourage innovation. New studies in different sectors and countries may deepen relations between these constructs, and include external factors and specific relationship to incremental and radical innovation.