D.Litt. et Phil. / There have been numerous approaches to Knowledge Management (KM) over the past number of years. In addition there is also confusion amongst enterprises and enterprise management as to the role and contribution of KM, the differences between information management, information technology and KM. There has been an overflow of information and “knowledge” in large enterprises and this situation will only worsen if not managed appropriately. Knowledge is now universally accepted as a factor of production and similar to other factors of production viewed as being scarce and expensive. The knowledge inventory of an enterprise should thus be managed in a similar manner as physical inventory – kept at the essential minimum level and to be provided at the time that it is required. The challenge to creating a successful knowledge enterprise is more reliant on the people aspects than technology per se and this view is supported by recent research. This situation is exacerbated by the diversity of participation amongst knowledge workers who as a “grouping” speaks a different language based on their perspectives of issues within and external to the enterprise. Because knowledge is not synonymous with information, information technology cannot deliver knowledge management, yet a large proportion of managements view information technology as the panacea for their failure at implementing successful KM or what they consider to be KM. Another concern of management is that current management approaches cannot handle imperfect information with certainty. Enterprises are thus faced with the situation of not being able to deliver the right information to the right person at the right time because enterprises are unable to predict what is the right information to distribute, who the right recipients of that information should be and all of this may take place under conditions of uncertainty – as found in today’s dynamic business environment. Defining knowledge from an enterprise management perspective or in terms of an organisational context present a number of issues. The most important being that there is no single all encompassing definition of KM. However, in terms of the objectives of this research a definition which relate the dimensions of time, delivery, the right information and the right recipient is applied. KM varies from the perspective of controlling knowledge processes within the enterprise to methods applied to the extraction of knowledge from the flow of information, internal and external to the enterprise. Recent thinking on KM distinguishes between demand-side KM and supply-side KM. The supply-side of KM is associated with the “delivery-oriented” assumptions that valuable knowledge exists within the enterprise and that it is the task of management to find it, codify it and place it into a repository. This is then followed by an approach which “decrees” and determine how it is to be distributed, e.g. via learning, databases, documents, etc. and to whom. Demand-side KM is initiated with an approach requiring a view of where does valuable knowledge exist within the enterprise, is what is required in existence, does it support the enterprise's strategies and how can the use thereof benefit the enterprise's competitive advantage? Obviously the proponents of both of these sides do see the need for closing the gap between supply and demand and that they are in fact complimentary activities. A view is taken on the KM approach / practices undertaken by the enterprise. There are a number of KM taxonomy approaches based upon the process applied in the enterprise to extract knowledge. An understanding of the different approaches employed is necessary to locate the role of the knowledge worker in the overall KM value chain. The knowledge processes approach is considered to be a factor of production where the person is central to the process as the carrier or owner of knowledge. Communication amongst individuals is of primary importance, especially in respect of the management of the enterprise and its outputs. This approach also considers an enabling culture in the enterprise to be a pre-requisite to the successful management of knowledge. The focus of this approach is on knowledge transfer through human interaction. Technology is recognised as playing a supporting role in this approach. Knowledge is more than information and also considers experience, skills, competencies and attitudes as part of knowledge created in the process of human interaction. The term Just-in-Time (JIT) can be defined as a production or inventory scheduling technique found within the more complex production logistics disciplines. JIT is more appropriately thought of as a philosophy as it is more than a mere set of management and production principles. KM JIT is an endeavour to provide the right knowledge at the right time to the right person. This requires an insight into the knowledge demand and supply process as well as the time horizon applicable to the knowledge required. Over the longer term business forecasts, environmental scans, strategic planning, etc. can be applied to close the gap between these variables. However, it is in the short term and immediate requirements that the present systems fail and management concerns are emphasised. To summarise the relationship: JIT KM searches for an optimisation of the matching process between demand and knowledge supply within enterprises, i.e. it endeavours to translate the logistic concept of JIT to the knowledge management field. In addition to JIT KM the concept of real-time KM is introduced as an alternative since present research indicates that the implementation of JIT KM presents major issues in terms of cost and development effort, restricting its use to mission critical applications. A more generic application for JIT KM need to be developed and it is contended that real-time KM fits the requirements of enabling the enterprise to be agile in respect of its ability to respond to present and future knowledge demands. The major difference between JIT KM and real-time KM being the latency of information concept which applies to the latter.

Knowledge Based System (KBS) development is a difficult and challenging task, in particular in knowledge intensive domains. The traditional view of knowledge engineering is one of mining experts' knowledge and somehow transforming it into a machine usable form. This process, in general, suffers from insufficient or misconstrued representation of experts' problem solving behaviour. It is also unstructured and unduly biased at an early stage by design and implementation issues - normally in the form of incremental prototyping. We believe that both knowledge acquisition and KBS development for real life applications will require a 'structured' approach. This approach should harness a KBS developer's ability in extracting knowledge and developing systems. The structure should also be sufficiently flexible to allow the knowledge engineer to use his sense of creativity in developing a KBS. This thesis puts forward such a structured approach, in which KBS development is carried out in an engineering fashion. A process in which the worker is provided with an environment for developing knowledge based systems as an engineering process, as opposed to that of an artform or crafting. The main emphasis of this work is that part of the process which deals with the analysis and design phases in developing KBS. The analysis is performed at an 'epistemological' level, not coloured by design or implementation issues. The output of this phase captures both an expert's problem solving capability, and the business constraints placed upon the intended system. This is then used by the design process in order to create an optimal, workable, and elegant design architecture for the ultimate system.

The main research problem in this study was to identify strategies that could assist South Afrian companies in managing knowledge workers for their opt imal benefit . To achieve this goal, the following act ions were ta ken: Aliterature study was conducted to identify the best strategies that South African companies could use to manage knowledge workers for optimal benefit; Following the literature review interviews were concluded with key people in the human resource and recruitment industry to determine how a knowledge worker was defined in their organisations as well as to probe what management and human resources strategies were used to manage knowledge workers to their full potential; The interviews, in addition to the literature study, also served as a basis for a survey questionnaire, which was used to probe the views of knowledge workers to determine tools and strategies managers use to manage them. The empirical results from the study showed some concurrence with best strategies suggested from the theoret ical study. In essence, the study revealed that knowledge was well managed in the organisations where the study was conducted and that the knowledge workers were motivated and productive. However, it appeared that there was uncer tainty around the remuneration, rewards and recognition of these employees, which could ultimately reflect in less promising levels of commitment and lower levels of retention. The main findings were that: knowledge workers should be recognised for their good performance by providing financial incentives; knowledge workers should be provided with opportunities to continuously develop their competencies but be allowed to craft their own developmental experiences; knowledge workers should be empowered by delegat ing tasks to them that carry decision making responsibility and af fectinnovation; and Managers and knowledge workers should cont inuously have performance and organisational development discussions.

This paper analyzes the relationship between e-learning and knowledge management. It describes the possibilities of practical applications of this relationship, in context of supporting knowledge management in a company. It analyzes the theoretical background of e-learning and knowledge management. The paper also examines the ways of creation, dissemination and use of knowledge. It looks for common methods, goals and tools used in both e-learning and knowledge management. The concluding chapters describe the usage of particular e-learning applications, present relevant statistical data and the last one provides suggestions for e-learning solutions for different sized companies.

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The wave of knowledge loss that organisations are facing on account of layoffs, retirements, staff turnover and mergers gave rise to this research. The main research aim was to identify the organisational and behavioural factors that could enhance or impede tacit knowledge retention. A multidisciplinary approach focusing on knowledge management, organisational behaviour and organisational development was followed. The nature of knowledge in organisations was explored by following a contextualised theorybuilding process, focusing on epistemology, and the appearance and application of knowledge. Knowledge in the context of this research is the knowledge and experience that reside in the minds of people. It is not easily documented, and is referred to as tacit knowing. A theoretical model was developed that revealed the factors that could influence tacit knowledge retention. The model focused on human input factors taking into account knowledge loss risks, strategic risks and behavioural threats that could cause knowledge loss.The main purpose of the empirical research was to operationalise the theoretically derived knowledge retention constructs, determine statistically the enhancing and impeding factors that influence knowledge retention and develop a structural equation model to verify the theoretical model. A quantitative empirical research paradigm using the survey method was followed. A questionnaire was compiled, and a survey conducted in the water supply industry. The principal component factor analysis postulated nine factors. A composite factor, knowledge retention, as the dependent variable was compiled. The questionnaire was found to be reliable, with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .975. A structural equation model development strategy produced a new best-fitting knowledge retention model based on the new constructs postulated in the factor analysis. The model indicated that there is a direct causal relationship between strategy implementation and knowledge retention and between knowledge behaviours and knowledge retention. The regression analysis showed that most of the intercorrelations are significant, thus confirming the theory. The research contributed towards a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence tacit knowledge retention. The questionnaire and the new knowledge retention model could assist organisations in determining the extent to which knowledge is retained and where to focus in developing and implementing a knowledge retention strategy. The study encourages practitioners to take cognisance of the fact that organisations are different and that the enhacing and impeding factors of knowledge retention are to be considered. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)

The aim of this study was to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in knowledge management and organizational learning, and thence assess the level of organisational learning within the ferrometallurgical industry. From the outcomes of the assessment, recommendations to improve the state of affairs were to be made. Knowledge can be defined as actionable information. The creation, acquisition, sharing and leveraging of knowledge in today's industries are critical. Knowledge is now termed the fourth productive resource, and some authors claim, with some justification, that the widespread knowledge within a company is the only source of sustainable competitive advantage. With this in mind, it is obvious that companies need to nurture knowledge creation and effective utilisation thereof in order to meet organisational goals. Knowledge can be codified if it is explicit, but needs to be transferred using personalisation if it is tacit. Implicitness of tacit knowledge further confounds the issue. Knowledge management practices underpin the process of organisational learning. The level of organisational learning within the ferrometallurgical industry in South Africa was assessed, using a survey questionnaire obtained from the Harvard Business School. The results show that the industry lags behind the medians in the ten constructs measured, and much work will be required to significantly improve the situation. Key areas of concern are in the areas of psychological safety, time for reflection, education and training, and collection of information. As a consequence, a practical strategy for improving the state of knowledge management and organisational learning in the ferrometallurgical industry was developed. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The aim of this study was to conduct a thorough theoretical study on the relevant aspects involved in knowledge management and organizational learning, and thence assess the level of organisational learning within the ferrometallurgical industry. From the outcomes of the assessment, recommendations to improve the state of affairs were to be made. Knowledge can be defined as actionable information. The creation, acquisition, sharing and leveraging of knowledge in today's industries are critical. Knowledge is now termed the fourth productive resource, and some authors claim, with some justification, that the widespread knowledge within a company is the only source of sustainable competitive advantage. With this in mind, it is obvious that companies need to nurture knowledge creation and effective utilisation thereof in order to meet organisational goals. Knowledge can be codified if it is explicit, but needs to be transferred using personalisation if it is tacit. Implicitness of tacit knowledge further confounds the issue. Knowledge management practices underpin the process of organisational learning. The level of organisational learning within the ferrometallurgical industry in South Africa was assessed, using a survey questionnaire obtained from the Harvard Business School. The results show that the industry lags behind the medians in the ten constructs measured, and much work will be required to significantly improve the situation. Key areas of concern are in the areas of psychological safety, time for reflection, education and training, and collection of information. As a consequence, a practical strategy for improving the state of knowledge management and organisational learning in the ferrometallurgical industry was developed. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

The wave of knowledge loss that organisations are facing on account of layoffs, retirements, staff turnover and mergers gave rise to this research. The main research aim was to identify the organisational and behavioural factors that could enhance or impede tacit knowledge retention. A multidisciplinary approach focusing on knowledge management, organisational behaviour and organisational development was followed. The nature of knowledge in organisations was explored by following a contextualised theorybuilding process, focusing on epistemology, and the appearance and application of knowledge. Knowledge in the context of this research is the knowledge and experience that reside in the minds of people. It is not easily documented, and is referred to as tacit knowing. A theoretical model was developed that revealed the factors that could influence tacit knowledge retention. The model focused on human input factors taking into account knowledge loss risks, strategic risks and behavioural threats that could cause knowledge loss.The main purpose of the empirical research was to operationalise the theoretically derived knowledge retention constructs, determine statistically the enhancing and impeding factors that influence knowledge retention and develop a structural equation model to verify the theoretical model. A quantitative empirical research paradigm using the survey method was followed. A questionnaire was compiled, and a survey conducted in the water supply industry. The principal component factor analysis postulated nine factors. A composite factor, knowledge retention, as the dependent variable was compiled. The questionnaire was found to be reliable, with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .975. A structural equation model development strategy produced a new best-fitting knowledge retention model based on the new constructs postulated in the factor analysis. The model indicated that there is a direct causal relationship between strategy implementation and knowledge retention and between knowledge behaviours and knowledge retention. The regression analysis showed that most of the intercorrelations are significant, thus confirming the theory. The research contributed towards a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence tacit knowledge retention. The questionnaire and the new knowledge retention model could assist organisations in determining the extent to which knowledge is retained and where to focus in developing and implementing a knowledge retention strategy. The study encourages practitioners to take cognisance of the fact that organisations are different and that the enhacing and impeding factors of knowledge retention are to be considered. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science)