Please read the abstract in the section, 00front, of this document / Dissertation (M Eng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Industrial and Systems Engineering / unrestricted

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry of the 21st century is undergoing significant changes to address issues such as economic integration, international partnering and globalization. These changes initiate challenges for the AEC industry in educating personnel to appropriately lead to the rapid changes. A needs-driven approach to mentoring recognizes the fact that employees in the workplace are required to engage in continuous learning to keep pace with changes taking place inside the organization. The foundation of this challenge focuses on how to facilitate learning organization and establish continuous human resource development throughout all levels of the organization. Organization has a great demand of transforming into learning organization. A quantitative research is adopted to achieve the following objectives: 1. To validate ‘learning organization’ concept in AEC industry in Hong Kong; 2. To explore the organization learning cultural profiles in AEC industry; 3. To evaluate implementation level of mentoring practice; 4. To determine the relationships among organization learning culture, mentoring practice and organizational commitment. A self-report questionnaire survey is designed and developed to collect individual employees’ perceptions of the variables about organization learning culture, mentoring practice and organizational commitment. The design of the questionnaire adopts three existing instruments based on solid theoretical foundations: Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ), mentoring scale (MS) and organizational commitment scale (OCS), originally developed in western countries. The instruments are chosen to measure organization learning culture, mentoring practice and organizational commitment. Their contents are modified for the Hong Kong AEC context, and the formats of the three instruments are refined and merged into a single questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis is used to assess the validity of the instruments in AEC industry in Hong Kong. Correlation analysis is used to examine the relationships among the variables. This empirical study, using western concepts and instruments, explores relationships among organization learning culture, mentoring practice and organizational commitment in Hong Kong AEC industry. The scope of this study is confined to young professionals working in Hong Kong AEC industry graduated from in local universities. The target group is set to have less than five years of working experiences. Despite the limitations of cultural nuances and narrowly geographically concentrated sampling, this study yields several important findings and contributes new knowledge in the literature. This study recognizes positive relations of organization learning culture, mentoring practice and organizational commitment in the AEC industry in Hong Kong. By confirming the applicability of the three instruments, this study also indicates that there is a high level of similarity between the HK AEC context and other contexts, e.g., Malaysia, Korea, Taiwan, and Mainland China. It also investigates the present status and differences among demographic groups in organization learning culture, organizational commitment and mentoring practice. The present study provides significant contribution to support the argument that young professionals working in organizations with a higher level of organization learning culture will have a higher level of appreciation in mentoring practice and organizational commitment. Therefore, the result would help managers and practitioners understand the impact of being a learning organization in AEC industry. / published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Philosophy

The management of cross-sector social partnerships (CSSPs) among government, business, and not-for-profit entities can be complex and difficult. This article considers the importance of organizational experience and learning for the successful development of CSSPs. By analyzing the Manchester Super Casino, this research emphasizes the significant benefits of prior experience with CSSPs that enable partners to learn and develop relationships, skills, and capabilities over time, which then have positive influences on future performance. The result is a refined learning model of the CSSP process that includes key variables for CSSP success. As such, these findings provide a template for managing complex CSSPs from the perspective of the different partner organizations.

In our knowledge-intensive economy, charismatic managers of organisations are increasingly adopting innovation and knowledge management strategic imperatives to improve products and services for service delivery and competitive edge. However, organisations implementing homogeneous and intellectual resource organisational capabilities such as Innovation Capability (INNO) and Knowledge Management Capability (KMC) suffer inertia, lack of understanding and organisational capability inefficiencies caused by multiple influences, complex building blocks and depleted organisational capability. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to examine if Organisational Capability Efficiency (OCE) is improved by aligning/synthesising organisational capabilities when implementing Innovation Capability and Knowledge Management Capability in organisations. The main objective of the study was to develop a conceptual framework for the alignment of Innovation Capability (INNO) and Knowledge Management Capability (KMC) that would assist managers in organisations during implementation to improve Organisational Capability Efficiency (OCE). This study adopted a positivist research philosophy. The variables derived from the theory for this study were Innovation Capability (INNO), Knowledge Management Capability (KMC) and Organisational Capability Efficiency (OCE). An in-depth literature review was undertaken to develop the constructs for the conceptual research model. The hypothesis and research questions were developed from the theory. The variables were operationalised into definable measurable indicators and a research survey instrument was used to measure the variables and operationalise the indicators to test the hypothesis. Quantitative research was used in this exploratory study and data were collected from a representative sample. No sampling was done in this study because the researcher conducted a census survey. A semi-structured questionnaire, mainly utilising the five-point Likert scale, was used to collect data. The target population consisted of all organisations, including national government departments, state-owned enterprises and listed SA companies engaged in innovation and knowledge management in South Africa. The data were analysed statistically, primarily by means of factor analysis, to determine the significant factors that contributed to the validation of the conceptual framework. The Structured Equation Model in chapter 4 (figure 4.7), which shows the interrelationships between Innovation Capability, Knowledge Management Capability and Organisational Capability Efficiency, and the conceptual framework described in chapter 5 (section 5.3.1), which offers insight into the aligned/synthesised implementation of Innovation Capability and Knowledge Management Capability are considered to be contributions to the body of knowledge. In terms of the research result, it is recommended that organisations implementing Innovation Capability consider Knowledge Management Capability concepts and, where applicable, align/synthesise them with the appropriate Innovation Capability, using their order of importance to prioritise implementation for the organisation and attain Organisational Capability Efficiency. It was found that implementing Innovation Capability and Knowledge Management Capability separately did not produce Organisational Capability Efficiency. However, aligning/synthesising Innovation Capability and Knowledge Management Capability coherently allowed managers and practitioners to achieve cohesive implementation strategies, optimised utilisation of resources, reduced redundancy of effort, improved investments and accessibility to scarce and skilled resources. / In die hedendaagse kennisekonomie gee charismatiese maatskappybestuurders voorkeur aan innovering en kennisbestuur om hulle organisasies se produkte en dienste te verbeter en ʼn mededingende voordeel te behaal. Organisasies wat homogene en intellektuele hulpbronvermoëns, soos Innoveringsvermoë (INNO) en Kennisbestuursvermoë (KBV), implementeer, openbaar egter mettertyd ʼn traagheid, ʼn gebrekkige begrip en ondoeltreffendheid as gevolg van verskeie invloede, waaronder ingewikkelde boustene en verminderde organisasievermoëns. Daarom probeer hierdie studie vasstel of Organisasievermoëdoeltreffendheid (OVD) verbeter indien organisasievermoëns gekorreleer of gesintetiseer kan word deur Innoveringsvermoë en Kennisbestuursvermoë in organisasies te implementeer. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ʼn konseptuele raamwerk vir die korrelering van Innoveringsvermoë (INNO) en Kennisbestuurvermoë (KBV) te ontwikkel wat tydens die implementering van Organisasievermoëdoeltreffendheid (OVD) vir maatskappybestuurders van nut kan wees. Hierdie studie het ʼn positiwistiese navorsingsbenadering gevolg. Die veranderlikes wat uit die teorie afgelei is, is Innoveringsvermoë (INNO), Kennisbestuursvermoë (KBV) en Organisasievermoëdoeltreffendheid (OVD). Die literatuur is grondig bestudeer om die konstrukte van die konseptuele navorsingsmodel te ontwikkel. Die hipotese en navorsingsvrae het uit die teorie voortgespruit. ʼn Navorsingsopname-instrument is gebruik om die veranderlikes te meet en in omskryfbare en meetbare aanwysers te operasionaliseer ten einde die hipotese te toets. Kwantitatiewe navorsing is in hierdie verkennende studie onderneem, en data is uit ʼn verteenwoordigende steekproef versamel. Geen steekproef is vir hierdie studie geneem nie, aangesien die navorser ʼn sensusopame gedoen het. Data is met behulp van ʼn halfgestruktureerde vraelys volgens die vyfpunt-Likert-skaal ingesamel. Allerlei organisasies, van staatsdepartemente en ondernemings in staatsbesit tot genoteerde plaaslike maatskappye wat by innovering en kennisbestuur in Suid-Afrika betrokke is, het A conceptual framework for the relationship between the implementation of innovation and knowledge management and its link to organisational capabilities Page 7 of 260 die teikenpopulasie gevorm. Die data is grotendeels aan die hand van ʼn faktoranalise statisties ontleed om die faktore te bepaal wat die geldigheid van die konseptuele raamwerk bevestig. Die Gestruktureerde Vergelykingsmodel in hoofstuk 4 (figuur 4.7) en die konseptuele raamwerk wat in hoofstuk 5 (afdeling 5.3.1) beskryf word, lewer ʼn bydrae tot die geheel van kennis. Eersgenoemde toon die onderlinge verbande tussen Innoveringsvermoë, Kennisbestuursvermoë en Organisasievermoëdoeltreffendheid, en laasgenoemde bied insig in die gekorreleerde of gesintetiseerde implementering van Innoveringsvermoë en Kennisbestuursvermoë. Wat die navorsingsuitslag betref, word aanbeveel dat organisasies wat Innoveringsvermoë implementeer, die Kennisbestuursvermoëkonsepte in ag neem en, as dit nodig is, met die toepaslike Innoveringsvermoë korreleer of sintetiseer, en volgens hulle eie prioriteite in werking stel om Organisasievermoëdoeltreffendheid moontlik te maak. Daar is bevind dat wanneer Innoveringsvermoë en Kennisbestuursvermoë afsonderlik geïmplementeer word, Organisasievermoëdoeltreffendheid nie verbeter nie. Indien Innoveringsvermoë en Kennisbestuursvermoë egter samehangend gekorreleer of gesintetiseer word, is bestuurders en praktisyns se implementeringstrategieë samehangend, word hulpbronne optimaal aangewend, verminder onnodige inspanning, verbeter beleggings, en is skaars en opgeleide hulpbronne meer toeganklik. / Olwazini wethu lomnotho obanzi, abaphathi abanobuntu bezinhlangano baya ngokuya bamukela izindlela ezintsha zokuphathwa kolwazi nokwenza ngcono imikhiqizo nezinsizakalo zokulethwa kwezinsiza kanye nokuncintisana. Kodwa-ke, izinhlangano ezisebenzisa amandla amakhulu wezinsizakusebenza ezinokuqonda okufana nAmandla Ezindlela Ezintsha (Innovation Capability INNO) kanye nAmandla okuPhatha uLwazi (Knowledge Management capability KMC) zihlupheka ngokweqile, ukuntuleka kokuqonda nokungakwazi ukwenza kahle kwenhlangano okubangelwa yimithelela eminingi, izakhi zokwakha ezibucayi namandla aphelile enhlangano. Ngakho-ke, inhloso esemqoka yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuhlola ukuthi ngabe Amandla okuSebenza Kahle kweNhlangano (Organisational Capability Effeciency OCE) athuthukisiwe ngokuvumelanisa / ukuhlanganisa amandla enhlangano lapho kufakwa Amandla Ezindlela Ezintsha kanye nAmandla Okuphatha uLwazi ezinhlanganweni. Inhloso esemqoka yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuqamba uhlaka oluzwisisekayo lokuqondiswa kwAmandla Ezindlela Ezintsha (Innovation Capability INNO) nAmandla okuPhatha uLwazi (Knowledge Management capability KMC) oluzosiza abaphathi ezinhlanganweni ngesikhathi sokuqalisa ukwenza ngcono Amandla okuSebenza Kahle kweNhlangano (Organisation capability Performance OCE). Lolu cwaningo lwamukele ucwaningo lolwazi olususelwa ezintweni zemvelo nobudlelwano bazo (positivist philosophy). Ukwehlukahluka okususelwa kumcabango walolu cwaningo bekungAmandla Ezindlela Ezintsha (Innovation capability INNO), Amandla okuPhatha uLwazi (Management Capability KMC) kanye nAmandla okuSebenza Kahle kweNhlangano (Organisation capability OCE). Ukubuyekezwa kwezincwadi okujulile kwenziwa ukuze kuthuthukiswe ukwakhiwa kwesifaniselo socwaningo olucatshangelwe. Imibuzo ehlongozwayo njengesisekelo sobufakazi bokuqala uphenyo locwaningo yathuthukiswa kusuka emcabangweni. Izinto eziguqukayo zazisetshenziselwa izinkomba ezikwazi ukuqondakala futhi ithuluzi lokuhlola lusetshenziselwe ukukala okuguquguqukayo futhi kusebenze izinkomba ukuhlola umqondo Kusetshenziswe uhlobo locwaningo olufuna ukuhumusha ukuqonda emininingwaneni ezosiza ukuqonda impilo yenhlalakahle (quantitative research) kulolu cwaningo lokuhlola futhi imininingwane iqoqwe kusampuli emelwe. Akukho sampula eyenziwe kulolu cwaningo ngoba umcwaningi wenze inhlolovo yokubalwa kwabantu. Uhlu lwemibuzo olwakhiwe kancane, ikakhulukazi olusebenzisa isilinganiso samaphuzu amahlanu kaLikert, lwalusetshenziselwa ukuqoqa imininingwane. Abantu ababehlosiwe babehlanganisa zonke izinhlangano, kufaka phakathi iminyango kahulumeni kazwelonke, amabhizinisi aphethwe nguhulumeni kanye nezinkampani ezikleliswe ohlwini lweNingizimu Afrika ezisebenza ezindleleni ezintsha nokuphathwa kolwazi eNingizimu Afrika. Imininingwane yahlaziywa ngokwezibalo, ngokuyinhloko kusetshenziswa ukuhlaziywa kwezinto, ukuthola izinto ezibalulekile ezaba nomthelela ekuqinisekisweni kohlaka lomqondo. ISakhiwo Esilungisiwe Sesifaniselo esahlukweni 4 (isithombe 4.7), esikhombisa ukuxhumana phakathi, kwAmandla Ezindlela Ezintsha, Amandla okuPhathwa koLwazi kanye nAmandla okuSebenza Kahle kweNhlangano, nohlaka lomqondo oluchazwe esahlukweni 5 (isigaba 5.3.1), olunikeza ukuqonda ngokuhambisana / ukuqaliswa okwenziwe kwaAmandla Ezindlela Ezintsha kanye nAmandla okuPh athwa koLwazi kubhekwa njengegalelo emzimbeni wolwazi.Ngokomphumela wokucwaninga, kuphakanyiswe ukuthi izinhlangano ezisebenzisa Amandla Ezindlela Ezintsha zibheke imiqondo yAmandla okuPhathwa koLwazi futhi, lapho kusebenza khona, zikuqondanise / zikuhlanganise nAmandla Ezindlela Ezintsha ezifanelekile, zisebenzisa ukuhleleka kokubaluleka kokubeka phambili ukusebenza kwenhlangano futhi zithole Amandla okuSebenza Kahle kweNhlangano. Kwatholakala ukuthi ukusebenzisa Amandla Ezindlela Ezintsha kanye nAmandla okuPhathwa koLwazi ngokwehlukanisa akuzange kukhiqize Amandla okuSebenza Kahle kweNhlangano. Kodwa-ke, ukuvumelanisa / ukuhlanganisa Amandla Ezindlela Ezintsha kanye nAmandla okuPhathwa koLwazi kuvumele ngokuqinile abaphathi nabasebenza ngempumelelo ukufezekisa amasu wokusebenzisa okuvumelanayo, ukusetshenziswa kahle kwezinsiza, ukunciphisa kwemizamo engadingekile, ukuthuthukiswa kokutshalwa kwemali kanye nokufinyeleleka kwezinsizakusebenza ezinamakhono. / Business Management / D.B.L.

This research report captures a detailed exposition of an investigation on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in public and private sector entities in three industries (health, education and business loans) of Limpopo province – a proxy of the rural areas of South Africa. The investigation was necessitated by a need to understand KM in organisational context experiencing constraints in terms of resources that enable KM. It was found through an intensive literature review that there were very few empirical studies on KM practices of organisations operating in the rural areas, particularly in Africa. The theoretical framework of the study emanates from the knowledge-based view which has been popularised by the seminal work of Peter Drucker and Nonaka in the early half of the 90s. The knowledge-based view as presented in chapter 2 recognises the strategic role of knowledge in organisations. Its genesis is traced from the theories of classical scholars such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Various empirical studies of entities which have adopted the knowledge-based view are presented in chapter 2 of this report. The researcher observes from an intensive KM literature study that the average modern organisation could be categorised as knowledge-intensive considering that knowledge workers constitute the majority of its workforce. The definitions of a knowledge-based organisation and knowledge workers are presented in the operational definitions of key concepts. Arising from the identified gaps in KM literature as presented towards the end of chapter 2, this study was conducted as a comparative study between public and private sector entities in three research industries focusing on their extent of ICT application and degree of knowledge-oriented social factors for information and knowledge sharing. The investigation was guided by three research objectives as discussed in chapter 1 of this research report. The main purpose of the study was to answer two fundamental research questions as reflected in chapter 1. In answering the two research questions, the researcher identified four research hypotheses in line with the findings established from KM literature. These hypotheses are discussed in chapter 2 of this report.The underlying hypothesised statement guiding the study was to determine whether there were any significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the three research industries in terms of four research constructs. These are: application of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, degree of achievement of knowledge-based outcomes, tacit knowledge acquisition and the degree of knowledge-oriented social factors. Organisational culture, organisational structures, human resource practices and leadership comprised the social factors tested in the study. The research data were collected through a mixed research design approach combining the advantages of a survey instrument and interviews (this is fully reflected in chapter 3 of this research report). The research results (as presented in chapter 4) pointed to some form of significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the education and business loans industry, but there were no significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the health industry. Arising from the findings of the study, a model for improved KM implementation is presented in chapter 4 (figure 4.16). It was found during the investigation that all the research entities approached KM implicitly through KM related practices. KM related practices were found to be far more entrenched in the health industry (both public and private sector entities), the private sector entities in the education and business loans industries than was the case with the public sector entities in the education and business loans industries. In the entities where KM related practices were found to be entrenched, there were concerted efforts towards improved organisational processes. The study has managed to unravel the importance of KM related practices in laying the foundation for a formalised KM approach. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.

This research report captures a detailed exposition of an investigation on Knowledge Management (KM) practices in public and private sector entities in three industries (health, education and business loans) of Limpopo province – a proxy of the rural areas of South Africa. The investigation was necessitated by a need to understand KM in organisational context experiencing constraints in terms of resources that enable KM. It was found through an intensive literature review that there were very few empirical studies on KM practices of organisations operating in the rural areas, particularly in Africa. The theoretical framework of the study emanates from the knowledge-based view which has been popularised by the seminal work of Peter Drucker and Nonaka in the early half of the 90s. The knowledge-based view as presented in chapter 2 recognises the strategic role of knowledge in organisations. Its genesis is traced from the theories of classical scholars such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Various empirical studies of entities which have adopted the knowledge-based view are presented in chapter 2 of this report. The researcher observes from an intensive KM literature study that the average modern organisation could be categorised as knowledge-intensive considering that knowledge workers constitute the majority of its workforce. The definitions of a knowledge-based organisation and knowledge workers are presented in the operational definitions of key concepts. Arising from the identified gaps in KM literature as presented towards the end of chapter 2, this study was conducted as a comparative study between public and private sector entities in three research industries focusing on their extent of ICT application and degree of knowledge-oriented social factors for information and knowledge sharing. The investigation was guided by three research objectives as discussed in chapter 1 of this research report. The main purpose of the study was to answer two fundamental research questions as reflected in chapter 1. In answering the two research questions, the researcher identified four research hypotheses in line with the findings established from KM literature. These hypotheses are discussed in chapter 2 of this report.The underlying hypothesised statement guiding the study was to determine whether there were any significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the three research industries in terms of four research constructs. These are: application of ICTs for knowledge and information sharing, degree of achievement of knowledge-based outcomes, tacit knowledge acquisition and the degree of knowledge-oriented social factors. Organisational culture, organisational structures, human resource practices and leadership comprised the social factors tested in the study. The research data were collected through a mixed research design approach combining the advantages of a survey instrument and interviews (this is fully reflected in chapter 3 of this research report). The research results (as presented in chapter 4) pointed to some form of significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the education and business loans industry, but there were no significant differences in KM implementation between public and private sector entities in the health industry. Arising from the findings of the study, a model for improved KM implementation is presented in chapter 4 (figure 4.16). It was found during the investigation that all the research entities approached KM implicitly through KM related practices. KM related practices were found to be far more entrenched in the health industry (both public and private sector entities), the private sector entities in the education and business loans industries than was the case with the public sector entities in the education and business loans industries. In the entities where KM related practices were found to be entrenched, there were concerted efforts towards improved organisational processes. The study has managed to unravel the importance of KM related practices in laying the foundation for a formalised KM approach. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / D.B.L.