The aim of this study is to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in knowledge management and organisational learning, and to assess the maturity level of knowledge management within the South African steel industry. Various aspects of knowledge, knowledge management and organisational learning with specific relation to sustainable competitive advantage are discussed in the literature study. During the literature research several factors which either promote or hinder the effective management of knowledge were identified and a list of lessons learned by other successful knowledge focused companies, are discussed. The critical success factors for a successful knowledge management program are also discussed. Knowledge can create a sustainable competitive advantage within an organisation, if successfully applied to make value adding decisions and to enable learning, and if it is applied to make decisions which are superior to that of its rivals across the supply chain. An integrated approach needs to be followed when KM is pursued and the knowledge must be applied to make value added decisions and facilitate learning across all processes in the value chain. The focus must be to retain an organisation’s tacit knowledge as this is a key success factor to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage. The study includes research on whether knowledge management is effectively used as a sustainable competitive advantage in the South African steel industry. The maturity level of the application of knowledge and learning principles implemented within the South African steel industry is assessed and compared to the maturity level of ArcelorMittal, Monlevade, located in Brazil. A survey was designed and distributed to determine the knowledge management and organisational learning maturity levels at two steel facilities of ArcelorMittal in South Africa and one facility in Brazil. The key problem areas as identified through the empirical research are discussed and it is concluded that South African facilities do not effectively use knowledge management as a sustainable competitive advantage. The maturity level of knowledge management in ArcelorMittal, South Africa is low compared to the maturity at Monlevade and rival companies such as Tata and Posco steel. A significant effort needs to be made in order to allow the effective creation, acquisition, sharing and leveraging of knowledge within the South African steel facilities. The key factors which constrain effective knowledge management is related to ineffective Human Resource policies, organisation structure, lack of knowledge exchange forums, collaboration and communication, coaching, and a lack of incentives to share tacit knowledge. It is also evident that knowledge is not seen as a sustainable competitive advantage by many respondents and that they perceive they do not have the time or capacity to transfer knowledge. Ten practical design principles were constructed and a knowledge management framework was developed to guide South African steel companies during the design and execution of a knowledge management programme which will ensure that knowledge management will result into a sustainable competitive advantage. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The aim of this study is to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in knowledge management and organisational learning, and to assess the maturity level of knowledge management within the South African steel industry. Various aspects of knowledge, knowledge management and organisational learning with specific relation to sustainable competitive advantage are discussed in the literature study. During the literature research several factors which either promote or hinder the effective management of knowledge were identified and a list of lessons learned by other successful knowledge focused companies, are discussed. The critical success factors for a successful knowledge management program are also discussed. Knowledge can create a sustainable competitive advantage within an organisation, if successfully applied to make value adding decisions and to enable learning, and if it is applied to make decisions which are superior to that of its rivals across the supply chain. An integrated approach needs to be followed when KM is pursued and the knowledge must be applied to make value added decisions and facilitate learning across all processes in the value chain. The focus must be to retain an organisation’s tacit knowledge as this is a key success factor to ensure a sustainable competitive advantage. The study includes research on whether knowledge management is effectively used as a sustainable competitive advantage in the South African steel industry. The maturity level of the application of knowledge and learning principles implemented within the South African steel industry is assessed and compared to the maturity level of ArcelorMittal, Monlevade, located in Brazil. A survey was designed and distributed to determine the knowledge management and organisational learning maturity levels at two steel facilities of ArcelorMittal in South Africa and one facility in Brazil. The key problem areas as identified through the empirical research are discussed and it is concluded that South African facilities do not effectively use knowledge management as a sustainable competitive advantage. The maturity level of knowledge management in ArcelorMittal, South Africa is low compared to the maturity at Monlevade and rival companies such as Tata and Posco steel. A significant effort needs to be made in order to allow the effective creation, acquisition, sharing and leveraging of knowledge within the South African steel facilities. The key factors which constrain effective knowledge management is related to ineffective Human Resource policies, organisation structure, lack of knowledge exchange forums, collaboration and communication, coaching, and a lack of incentives to share tacit knowledge. It is also evident that knowledge is not seen as a sustainable competitive advantage by many respondents and that they perceive they do not have the time or capacity to transfer knowledge. Ten practical design principles were constructed and a knowledge management framework was developed to guide South African steel companies during the design and execution of a knowledge management programme which will ensure that knowledge management will result into a sustainable competitive advantage. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The theme of my thesis was Human resource management in the selected organization. I chose the CSOB. In the theoretical part, I wrote about the important definitions associated with this topic. For example, human resource management, human resources, intellectual capital, human capital, knowledge organization, knowledge worker, culture, corporate culture, training and staff employees, the role of the HRM manager. The main objective was to evaluate human resource management with a focus on developing intellectual capital in a particular organization. Partial objectives was: characteristics of the selected company, its historical development, targeting and mapping of the human resources department, design and evaluation of the marketing research staff focused on the functionality of human resources in the organization, analysis of data and information, and an overall assessment of current approaches to managing human resources and intellectual capital to work with the selected organization and assessment of current situation and possibilities for improvement and formulation of its own proposals and measures in the field of human resources. The practical part of my work I have a stock of internal materials the HRM system in CSOB, I conducted market research among employees. Next, I evaluated the results of marketing research and presented in the form of tables and graphs. The data analysis revealed that employees are most satisfied with the HRM system, I see only a lack of communication and access management company. Solution is open communication and improved access to management start.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This integrated study examined the nexus between the theory and the practice of strategy. Given the nature of modern-day public and private business enterprises in South Africa and the rest of the world, management education should equip practitioners with knowledge and skills suitable for complex, dynamic, eclectic, and uncertain practice contexts. That is, management education should be playing a critical role in shaping and guiding the business community in the ‘management’ and ‘administration’ of business in the country. However, criticisms in management literature suggest that management education is not relevant to practice. Despite such criticisms, there is relatively little empirical evidence in the country on practitioners’ experiences with the relevance to practice of their management education in general and strategy education in particular. To this end, this study set out to develop a better understanding of the dynamic and nuanced interplay between strategy theory and strategy practice through a survey and interviews with selected business school alumni in professional practice. Statistical analyses were performed on quantitative data, while thematic analysis was performed on qualitative data. The survey findings of the study reveal a positive and significant relationship between academic rigour and practical relevance of strategy theory, while phenomenological findings reveal that practical relevance of strategy theory is largely constructed by practitioners according to their contextual demands. Strategic management appears to rest on the dynamic interplay between strategy theory and strategy practice within a complex and eclectic management environment. / In hierdie geïntegreerde studie is die verband tussen strategieteorie en -praktyk ondersoek. Bestuursopleiding moet praktisyns toerus met die kennis en vaardighede wat die komplekse, dinamiese, eklektiese en wisselvallige omgewing in openbare en private maatskappye in Suid-Afrika en elders in die wêreld vereis. Met ander woorde, bestuursopleiding moet leiding gee in die bestuur en administrasie van maatskappye in die land. In die literatuur word aangevoer dat bestuursopleiding irrelevant is. Daar is egter min empiriese bewys dat bestuursopleiding, en strategieopleiding in die besonder, ontoepaslik is. Om hierdie rede is ‘n studie van die dinamiese en genuanseerde wisselwerking tussen strategieteorie en -praktyk onderneem. Onderhoude is gevoer met en ‘n opname is gedoen onder sakeskoolalumni wat in die praktyk staan. ‘n Statistiese ontleding is van die kwantitatiewe data en ‘n tematiese ontleding is van die kwalitatiewe data gedoen. Volgens die opnamebevindings is daar ‘n positiewe en beduidende verband tussen akademiese stiptheid en die praktiese relevansie van strategieteorie. Uit die fenomenologiese bevindings blyk dat die praktiese relevansie van strategieteorie grotendeels deur praktisyns volgens die eise van hulle konteks bepaal word. Blykbaar berus strategiese bestuur op die dinamiese wisselwerking tussen strategieteorie en strategiepraktyk in ‘n komplekse en eklektiese bestuursomgewing. / Lolu cwaningo oludidiyelwe, lwacubungula futhi lwabukisisa ukuxhumana okukhona phakathi kwethiyori yeqhingasu kanye nenkambiso yokwenziwa nokufezekiswa kweqhingasu ngendlela ephathekayo nebonakalayo. Uma kubhekwa uhlobo nobunjalo bamabhizinisi, ezikhathi zanamuhla, angaphansi kwesandla sikahulumeni kanye nalawo asezandleni zabantu abazimele eNingizimu Afrika kanye nasemhlabeni wonke jikelele, imfundo yezokuphatha kumele ihlomise ongoti bomsebenzi ngolwazi namakhono adingekayo ezimweni zokusebenza ezinobunkimbinkimbi, ezinomdlandla, eziyingxubevange futhi ezinokungaqiniseki kanye nongabazane. Okusho ukuthi imfundo yezokuphatha kumele idlale indima esemqoka ekubumbeni nasekuholeni umphakathi wabamabhizinisi ekuphathweni nasekulawulweni kwamabhizinisi ezweni. Kodwa-ke, ukugxekwa okuvelayo emibhalweni yezokuphatha kubonisa ukuthi imfundo yezokuphatha, ikakhulukazi imfundo yamaqhingasu, ayinakho ukufanelana nokuhambelana nenqubo-nkambiso yokwenziwa komsebenzi ngendlela ebonakalayo nephathekayo. Lolu cwaningo luhlose ukuthuthukisa nokwakha ukuqonda okungcono maqondana nobuhlobo nokuxhumana okunomdlandla kepha okufihlakele okuphakathi kwethiyori yeqhingasu kanye nenkambiso yokwenziwa nokufezekiswa kweqhingasu ngendlela ephathekayo nebonakalayo, ngokusebenzisa inhlolovo kanye nama-inthaviyu (izingxoxo) nabantu abakhethiweyo abafunde bagogoda ezikoleni zebhizinisi abenza umsebenzi wobungoti. Kwenziwe uhlaziyo lwemininingo egxile ebuningini (quantitative data), kanti futhi kusenjalo kwenziwe nohlaziyo-ngqikithi lwemininingo egxile kukhwalithi (qualitative data). Imiphumela eyatholwa kwinhlolovo yocwaningo ibonisa ubukhona bobudlelwane obuhle futhi obuphawulekayo impela phakathi kwamazinga-bunyoninco ezemfundo kanye nokufaneleka okuphathekayo nokubonakalayo kwethiyori yeqhingasu, kanti futhi ngakolunye uhlangothi imiphumela yocwaningo ephathelene nezigameko nezimo abadlule kuzona ongoti bomsebenzi ibonisa ukuthi ukufaneleka okuphathekayo nokubonakalayo kwethiyori yeqhingasu kuyinto eyakhiwa ikakhulukazi ngongoti bomsebenzi ngokususela ezidingweni eziphathelene nesimo esithile. Ukuphatha ngokusebenzisa amaqhinga namasu athile kubonakala kuncike ekuxhumaneni okunomdlandla phakathi kwethiyori yeqhingasu kanye nenkambiso yokwenziwa nokufezekiswa kweqhingasu ngendlela ephathekayo nebonakalayo ngaphansi kwesimo sokuphatha esiyinkimbinkimbi futhi esiyingxubevange. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)