Thesis (MPhil (Information Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / Organisations find themselves in a world of ever-increasing rate of change. Increasingly organisations operate in what is known as the edge of chaos—that zone which paradoxically might lead to paralysis and disaster or to creativity and innovation. In this area of uncertainty, organisations rely on their ability to create new organisational knowledge. What is unclear is exactly how new knowledge comes into being under these conditions and what would count as new organisational knowledge. The thesis tries to shed light on the process by which new organisational knowledge comes into being by considering the context of complexity as an environment that demands innovation while at the same time being the catalyst for knowledge creation. The debate on the nature of organizational knowledge is revisited and contrasted from individual knowledge. A review of the mainstream theories of organisational knowledge creation led up to Boisot’s Social Learning Cycle as the benchmark theory that is used in the rest of the argument. Thereafter the work of Weick on Organisational Sensemaking is discussed. It is argued that the condition of complexity leads to an increase in occasions that activate and heighten organizational sensemaking processes. Parallels are noted between the process of sensemaking and parts of the Social Learning Cycle. It is shown that under conditions of comlexity, organisational knowledge creation processes and sensemaking processes are not only similar, but that organisational sensemaking can be seen as the mechanism whereby new organisational knowledge is created when organisations operate at the edge of chaos. This has a number of implications. The theory of organisational sensemaking is applied to an area of organisational life where it has not been seen as applicable, organisational knowledge creation processes are shown to be much more fundamental phenomena than the literature suggests, and combining Boisot and Weick leads to greater theoretical elegance.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the question of organisational knowledge creation in geographically dispersed settings. In Chapter 1, I describe Nonaka’s model of organisational knowledge creation and Weick’s theory of organisational sensemaking in more detail. In Chapter 2, the geographically dispersed organisation is examined in more detail, looking at socialisation, organisational culture and trust. In Chapter 3, communication dynamics within the geographically dispersed organisation are examined, with a focus on Media Richness Theory and the impact this has had on theories of communication across distance. In Chapter 4, the organisation is examined at the level of the team, discussing real world examples of dispersed knowledge creation from the knowledge management and sensemaking perspective, using research on globally dispersed software development teams practicing the Scrum methodology. The thesis comes to the conclusion that it is possible for knowledge creation to occur amongst geographically dispersed individuals, if they have learned how to make sense together. However shared frameworks are quicker and easier to develop in face-to-face settings, but as soon as the basis for it exists, the influence of geographic dispersal is reduced. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die tesis ondersoek die kwessie van organisatoriese kennisskepping in geografies verspreide situasies. Die eerste hoofstuk beskryf Nonaka se model van organisatoriese kennisskepping en Weick se teorie van organisatoriese singewing. In die tweede hoofstuk word die fenomeen van geografies-verspreide organisering van nader beskou en bespreek in terme van die effek wat dit het op sosialisering, organisatoriese kultuur en vertroue. In die derde hoofstuk word die kommunikasie-dinamika in geografies verspreide organisasies ondersoek met 'n fokus op "Media Richness Theory" en die impak wat dit het op teorieë van afstandskommunikasie. In die vierde hoofstuk word die organisasies bestudeer op die vlak van die span. Hier word voorbeelde van verspreide kennisskepping vanuit die kennisbestuurs- en singewingsperspektiewe bespreek aan die hand van 'n oorsig oor navorsing oor globaalverspreide sagteware-ontwikkelingspanne wat die SCRUM-metodologie volg. Die tesis kom tot die slotsom dat dit kennisskepping in sulke kontekste kan plaasvind as die lede van die span saam sin kan maak. Gedeelde raamwerke word egter makliker en vinniger in gesig tot gesig situaties opgebou, maar sodra die basis daarvoor bestaan word die invloed van geografiese verspreiding minder.

This thesis investigates roadmapping in the context of its application to strategic early-stage innovation planning. It is concerned with providing an understanding of how uncertainty and risk are manifested in roadmapping in this application, and with developing and testing a roadmapping process that supports appropriate treatment of uncertainty and risk. Roadmapping is an approach to early-stage innovation planning, which is strategic in nature. It is seeing increasing application in practice and receiving growing attention in management literature. There has, however, been a noticeable lack of attention to uncertainty and risk in roadmapping theory and practice (and generally in strategic planning and at innovation’s early-stages). This is despite the awareness that uncertainty and risk are fundamental to strategy and innovation (i.e. application domains of roadmapping), and that roadmapping is meant to deliver, as part of its benefits, the identification, resolution and communication of uncertainties and risks. There is very limited theoretical or practical direction on what this entails. It is this gap that the research reported in thesis addresses. The research is divided into two phases. The first phase explains the manifestations and mechanisms of uncertainty and risk in roadmapping. It also introduces ‘risk-aware roadmapping’, a concept of roadmapping that includes a conscious and explicit effort to address uncertainty and risk, and points out what the process would entail in terms of necessary steps and procedures. The research here is designed using mixed methods (a combination of experience surveys, archival analysis, and case studies). The second phase provides a practical risk-aware roadmapping process. This practical process is developed based on the results of the first phase, and is designed according to procedural action research. This thesis contributes to the fields of roadmapping, early-stage innovation and organisational sensemaking. It is found that factors related to the content, process and nature of roadmapping interact to influence the perception and treatment of uncertainty and risk. Characteristics of organisational sensemaking as theorised by Weick (1995) are explored in the light of the findings and challenged. Aspects of early-stage innovation including the generation and selection of innovation ideas are explored in the context of uncertainty and risk and important paradoxes and constraints at innovation’s early-stages.