No abstract available. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2012.

Knowledge management is largely a social process. It is more about the community‘s understanding, skills and values in relation to their practices than technology. Knowledge is generated and shared through social interaction of people. Exploring the community‘s acts of communication and interaction can help to understand the knowledge they have as well as the knowledge gaps that are apparent. It can also aid in discovering ways in which their practices are shaped and constrained by the knowledge they have. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal means of knowledge sharing and knowledge distribution in an open system using the Eastern Cape Tyolomnqa Estuary as a case study. Different scholars stated in their different works that sharing knowledge is problematic in most organizations, whether they are formal or informal organizations. There are several reasons that have been identified as to why people do not want to share their knowledge. To achieve the objectives of this study, both secondary and primary sources of data were used. This included literature from various sources, such as books, journal articles and information from the Internet that has been reviewed and analyzed. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect data. Interviews were conducted with 16 people who were purposively selected from the Buffalo City Council, Tyolomnqa Conservancy, Tyolomnqa Estates, Tyolomnqa Forum, and Phozi, Ncera, Sandile and Xhama communities. The key informants were people with management positions, and community leaders. The interviews were unstructured. After collecting data by means of face-to-face interviews focus groups, workshops were convened with the Tyolomnqa Forum, and Phozi, Ncera, Sandile and Xhama communities. The self-administered questionnaire was additionally used as a data collection technique for researchers. Data were analyzed through content analysis and the use of SPSS, and presented in the form of tables and figures. It was identified that their knowledge sharing was fragmented and there was no formal organisational structure to bring communities along the Tyolomnqa Estuary to work together as one would do in bureaucratic organizations like companies. The Tyolomnqa Estuary Forum, which has vested interests in estuary management, could be used as model to provide the organisational infrastructure to facilitate the acquisition and sharing of knowledge on the management of estuaries. It is envisaged that such forums can be a viable mechanism of facilitating the harnessing and sharing of knowledge on the sustainable use of estuaries at the local level. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

Estuaries are irreplaceable natural resources that must be managed carefully for the mutual benefit of all who enjoy and depend on them. The estuarine environment is a very dynamic and complex environment, which poses threats and challenges to estuary managers and estuary users. As estuarine management is a very knowledge-intensive task, researchers in the Eastern Cape Estuaries Management Programme (ECEMP), estuary managers and estuary users have recently turned their attention to knowledge management as one of the important means of ensuring continued success and effective management of estuaries. However, knowledge management as an emerging field has been slow in formulating universally accepted methodologies for auditing, capturing, creating, acquiring, sharing and utilising knowledge. Existing methodologies do not adequately address, in particular, the knowledge audit requirements of non-traditional or non-constrained and non-formalised organisations. The purpose of this study was to develop a context-specific model for auditing knowledge in the Eastern Cape estuaries, with special reference to the Tyolomnqa Estuary. The study intended to identify the knowledge community, analyse existing knowledge and knowledge needs and gaps in the Tyolomnqa Estuary area. In order to achieve the objectives, the descriptive research design, employing the case study approach was used in the study. Focus groups and unstructured interviews were used to collect data. A literature review, concentrating on values and issues surrounding the management of estuaries and key issues in knowledge management and knowledge auditing, was carried out. The collected data was analysed according to themes such as knowledge sources, knowledge identification and knowledge needs and gaps. The study found that the communities of the Tyolomnqa Estuary lack knowledge concerning the management of estuaries. The study also established that the community has little knowledge on who to contact for expert advice in addressing estuarine issues. Furthermore, the study found that the community needed knowledge on how to address estuarine management issues and how that knowledge could be accessed. Based on the findings and the literature review, the study proposes a context-specific knowledge audit model for non-traditional organisations. The model is meant to assist non-traditional organisations to evaluate their knowledge health or status, and to develop a much better understanding of the know-how and how it can be used to effectively sustain their services. The model can be used to successfully implement knowledge management strategies in non-traditional organisations. The model needs to be tested for verification and validation purposes. / Thesis (M.I.S.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.